International Community Building

The West Africa Program is one of the Global Education Association’s cornerstone projects every year. Working in partnership with the Class Afloat program, Student Youth and Travel Oroganization, SAWA Global and the Senegalese Ecovillage Micro-finance Fund, the Global Education Association has developed an annual cross-cultural service learning program which briefly introduces youth to the challenges and rewards of international development work.

After spending a week learning about global development theories, issues and sucesses approximately 50 students from around the world are matched with 30 Senegalese university students for two weeks in Dakar, Senegal. During their time in Dakar, they actively engage in learning about each others’ cultures and engage more deeply in one of four development themes: Health and sanitation, Environment, Micro-Finance or Journalism for Human Rights.

During their time in Senegal, the youth are expected to design and run activities in partnership with local Senegalese development organizations working in each of the various areas of focus. This experience challenges them to work as a team with multiple cultures and often with language barriers. In the process, they learn valuable skills and gain first hand knowledge of what it is like to work in a development scenario whilst bringing different skill sets and knowledge to local organizations.

2007-2008 was the first year the West Africa Program was run and was limited to health and sanitation.

2008-2009 brought a significant growth in scope and partner organizations.

2009-2010 is planned to solidify existing partnerships to bring important new opportunities to the program.

History of the project

For more than two decades Class Afloat has been a platform for leadership, international partnership and community development.

Class Afloat’s genesis in 1984 marked a celebration of the United Nations “International
Youth Year”. The Youth Year themes of peace, participation and development, have been a driving force for the programme’s vision since day one.

In the spring of 2008 the tenets of peace, participation and development where furthered through the creation of a not for profit named the Global Education Association.

The inaugural project of this organization was the development of a service earning experience in Dakar Senegal.