Twelve days of history, faith, the arts, and hands-on service for Saint Ignatius students — the travel component of the African Studies summer program, from Gorée Island to a Jesuit community on the Petite Côte. No French required.
* Final dates and duration still to be confirmed.
Fadiouth
Teranga
ServiceSenegal is the ideal classroom for the African Studies program: a stable democracy, a country where Islam and Christianity coexist with genuine warmth, the birthplace of poet-president Léopold Sédar Senghor, and home to Gorée Island, where the Maison des Esclaves stands as a sobering witness to the transatlantic slave trade — a place every student should see, and one that calls for reflection rather than sightseeing. Students will have opportunities to meet Senegalese students, artists, activists, and religious leaders, and the group will pause regularly for an arbre à palabre — a West African conversation circle where the group reflects on what they’ve seen and heard.
The program is organized by Vive l’expérience — the same company that took Saint Ignatius students to Senegal in 2025 — and led on the ground by a Vive tour leader and a multilingual Senegalese guide. Saint Ignatius chaperones Mme Guzik (French) and Mr. McPherson (Social Studies) travel with the group throughout.
Possible locations for Mass include the church on the island of Fadiouth, Dakar’s cathedral, and the Jesuit Center at Gandigal. Visits to a mosque and the Mosquée de la Divinité. Two nights living with a Jesuit community — sharing meals and daily work.
Gorée Island’s Maison des Esclaves. The childhood home of Senghor. The Musée des Civilisations Noires. Senegal’s path from colony to one of Africa’s most stable democracies. History students can touch.
Batik fabric design, djembé drumming, and Senegalese dance — learning from local artists and craftspeople at an art-center hotel on the Atlantic cliffs.
Everyone receives an introduction to Wolof and French — greetings and other simple phrases. Enough to greet a fisherman, thank a host, and make a vendor smile. No prior French needed.
Time with the students of Village Pilote — an organization working with youth in difficulty. A community cleanup with environmental activist Modou Fall. Helping the Jesuit community at Gandigal with daily tasks. Service in the Jesuit spirit of being men and women for others, built into the program rather than added on.
A planned visit to Africulturban in Pikine to meet Zeinixx — Senegal’s first female graffiti artist — and some of Dakar’s rappers, slam poets, and urban artists. If timing allows, the Fête de la Musique in the streets of Dakar.
A representative sample of activities, not a guarantee. The order and timing of days will change as flights are finalized, and activities are adjusted according to the interests of the group and local conditions.
I’m Katy Wheelock — a French teacher with decades of experience, a former resident of Dakar, and the founder of Vive l’expérience. I’ve guided nearly 150 educators and students through immersion programs in Senegal and Tunisia, including Saint Ignatius students in 2025. My team and I maintain a formal working agreement with Senegal’s Ministry of National Education, and every program we run is built on real relationships and deep local expertise.
We go overseas as travelers, not tourists. There is nothing quite like watching a student experience teranga — Senegal’s spirit of hospitality — for the first time.
Katy WheelockMme Guzik and Mr. McPherson at Saint Ignatius are happy to share more about the African Studies program and the trip — one email reaches them both.
Send us an email!
