Custom Virtual Exchange Programs in Africa

I was part of the 'Social Transformation through Art & Activism in South Africa' virtual exchange program. We were given a great overview of South Africa's history and the opportunity to listen to the different stories of people who experienced the atrocities of Apartheid firsthand, which was such a privilege. Furthermore, there was a range of workshops, from learning various greetings in the local language, trying out gumboot dancing, writing poetry... to learning about the social impacts of conservation and graffiti murals, which broadened my perspective on what counts as effective 'activism'. The host of the sessions was so engaging, the South African students taking part readily gave such valuable insights into the topics we covered, and I was really struck by the sense of purpose all of the contributors approached their work with. It was a truly inspiring week!

I participated in the virtual programme 'Social Transformation through Art and Activism in South Africa'. It was very well organised and I was able to learn about social justice issues in South Africa directly from local artists, activists and academics. Rather than focusing on just one for of art, we learnt about art activism through various forms of expression, a personal favourite being the gumboot dance! It was a wonderful experience and I learnt a lot about how my own culture and identity had been influenced through the arts. I would strongly recommend this program to anyone looking to broaden their horizons, meet new people and gain a more global perspective.

EDU AFRICA IS AMAZING!

This program was developed by EDU Africa and one of our Professors at the University of Pittsburgh, Swanson School of Engineering. We have gone to South Africa the past few years but were unable to go in 2021. EDU Africa created a life-changing program for our students focusing on socially empathic Engineering design and how engineers can create social change. We had US students interact with South Africa students and the overall program was an amazing opportunity to gain global understanding virtually. We were so happy with the results and so excited that we worked with EDU Africa. Desiree Haakonsen is an excellent international educator, facilitator, and program manager.

When we discovered the "virtual" experiences that EDU Africa offered, we were eager to try this opportunity! We integrated this program into a graduate Museum Education and Interpretation class and met with educators from three museums in Cape Town. EDU Africa staff were exceptional in organizing these meetings and in helping to create projects that our students could do from abroad! Our class focus was on social justice issues, and students really appreciated hearing the important work of museum staff in South Africa.

EDU Africa is an amazing organization. Its staff is so dedicated to providing students with the ultimate African experience. Although we had to postpone our in person study abroad program, the four virtual exchanges we had were incredible. The sessions were well-planned, informative, and interactive. Seeing community college students in rural North Carolina interact with people in South Africa was so wonderful. Hearing from Christo Brand and Lionel Davis was witnessing living history. Highly recommend.

EDU Africa put together a program for us that allowed our students to experience new worlds in ways that they never have, or even would have thought to. We asked them to shape discussions around the UN Sustainable Development Goals and then to have our students talk with students in several African countries. It was truly transformative. It was in some ways better than many faculty-led study abroad programs (those that are basically enhanced tourist trips) because we met such a variety of people and perspectives in small groups. Having personal invitations to visit those countries made our students even more eager to travel. The connections with individuals was incredibly enriching.

This was an 'online' experience that was put together in a short timeframe by EDU Africa as students could not travel. It was very interesting and expansive, and had a great range of guests. Students really deepened their understanding, and I enjoyed hearing the different first person perspectives. We had such a great range of guest speakers, from city officials, to people living in different communities, and local academics and experts. Very good alternative to actual travel, and the students would love the opportunity to visit in real life.

Our South Africa Virtual Study Abroad programs in spring of 2021 really excited our students and faculty. Not being able to travel abroad has been a challenge in our office so we pivoted to virtual programming. The 4 part series was extremely well attended and gained momentum and interest for the study abroad program the college will run for 2022. My personal favorite was the storytelling series and hearing from local South Africans about various topics. We cannot wait to duplicate these events this upcoming academic year!