Scholar & Student Programs
Immersion Writers’ Workshop, Senegal
Workshop Leader: Airea Dee Matthews Guggenheim Fellow 2024
Airea D. Matthews received the 2024 Guggenheim Fellowship for poetry and served as Philadelphia's poet laureate from 2022 to 2023. Her first collection of poems is the critically acclaimed Simulacra, which won the 2016 Yale Series of Younger Poets Award. Her work has appeared in Harper’s Bazaar, Poetry, The New York Times, Gulf Coast, VQR, Best American Poets, American Poet, LitHub, Harvard Review, and elsewhere. Matthews holds a BA in economics from the University of Pennsylvania as well as an MFA from the Helen Zell Writers’ Program and an MPA from the Gerald Ford School of Public Policy, both at the University of Michigan. She is an associate professor of the creative writing program at Bryn Mawr College.
Immersion Writers Africa
January 2025
Where: Saly & Dakar, Senegal
This January 2025 our annual Senegal Writers’ Workshop will be led by renowned poet, Airea Dee Matthews. We welcome scholars, academic scholars/writers, historians, ethnographers, literary critics, creative writers, poets, and other storytellers who are interested in carving out time for writing, feedback, and exploration. This immersive writing retreat combines 4 days of rigorous writing with 4 days of immersion, with site visits to Goree Island, the Museum of African Civilization, African Renaissance Monument, Sandaga Market, and the Village of the Arts. It is a great opportunity to jump-start a project in a supportive environment, conduct research for a future project, and receive peer and instructor feedback.
Decolonizing Education
When: January 2025
Where: Dakar, Senegal
Our Decolonizing Education Immersion Program welcomes undergraduate students to Senegal over winter term for eight days of service learning. Together we examine the specific ways that knowledge, education, and imagination have been impacted by colonization in the region—and the ways in which local communities have engaged with, resisted, reformed, and reimagined learning over the course of the 20th and 21st century. We will take lessons in Wolof and read about important figures and pedagogies in Senegalese history, while also participating in one education based community directed service project.
Introduction to African History
Where: Dakar, Senegal
Run in partnership with Hudson Community College, our immersive history course offers undergraduate students a rich journey through Senegal’s unique historical tapestry. From the ancient ruins of Sine Ngayene to the modern urban landscapes of Dakar, participants will trace the evolution of societies, governance structures, and the intertwining threads of cultural diversity. Guided tours of archaeological sites and visits to historical landmarks provide a deep dive into Senegal's pre and postcolonial past. The course also encompasses interactive sessions on the socio-political dynamics that shaped medieval West Africa, with a focus on the Ghana Empire, Mali Empire, and Songhai Empire. Language sessions in Wolof and encounters with local communities enrich the experience, fostering a holistic understanding of Senegal's historical narrative. Join us for an immersive historical exploration that transcends textbooks, where each step unveils layers of Senegal's captivating history.
Rose Learning Institute of the Arts
Where: Ndayane, Senegal
Rose School of the Arts is established to provide education for Senegalese youth residing on the petite coast—free of charge. This Waldorf-Montessori inspired school will provide nutritional breakfast and lunch from RPA’s community garden and is geared towards introducing children at a young age to global Black history, culture, and pedagogy. As a means of fostering sustained connections, student-teachers from the United States will have the opportunity to teach and service our primary school.