An Unforgettable Cultural and Educational Journey for Austin International Students!
Experience the ultimate student immersion Spring Break trip to Senegal—a journey designed to enrich your teaching, deepen your cultural understanding, and inspire your classroom. This 8-day, 7-night educational travel program offers a first-hand chance to experience Senegalese teranga (hospitality) through unforgettable cultural experiences rooted in authenticity and connection across Senegal’s vibrant towns, coastal villages, and historic landmarks. Expect to return energized, inspired, and ready to share Senegal’s magic with your students.
✅ Collaborate with fellow educators to create and share culturally enriched curriculum units and lesson plans
✅ Immerse yourself in Senegal’s diverse cultural landscape—languages, religions, ethnicities, cuisine, and daily life
✅ Prioritize authentic 1-on-1 and small group interactions with students, teachers, artists, artisans, and local families
✅ Engage in hands-on workshops like batik-making and djembé drumming while learning about Senegalese artistic and oral traditions
✅ Visit schools, universities, bookstores, and markets to gain deeper insights into local life and Senegalese communities
✅ Practice your French in real-world settings—everyone is encouraged to speak French 100% of the time, with a little Wolof added for fun
From the coastal calm of Toubab Dialaw to the historical resonance of Gorée Island and the energy of Dakar, this is more than a trip—it’s a transformational opportunity to see the Francophone world through a new lens and return to your classroom with lived experience, new resources, and renewed inspiration.
Pickup/Drop-off at Blaise Diagne International Airport (DSS) in Senegal
Families will coordinate with Austin International School Trip Leaders for flights from and return to Austin-Bergstrom International Airport.
3/15/26 – 7:15am Arrival at Dakar (DSS) Airport
This time could vary depending on flights selected by the group.
Participants arrive at DSS. Vive will provide for bus transfer at designated times to our starting point hotel, an our art center hotel, a magical location overlooking the ocean, typically with check-in after lunch. Spend the morning relaxing by the beach in lazy chairs and hammocks; get to know the other parents and students. Practice a little Wolof for greetings and then head out to bargain with local artisans selling fabrics, jewelry, wood carvings, drums. Enjoy your first Senegalese meal together at lunch.
Participate in a hands-on activity to learn about Senegalese products, perspectives, and practices through a specially-designed cultural orientation while you explore the local village and people. Try your hand at Senegalese drumming with a djembé lesson.
Share your experiences together with the group at the end of the day. Go for a walk by the ocean to see the local fisherman’s pirogues and see the sunset over the Atlantic Ocean. Enjoy the ocean view from our dining area. Settle into your rooms for an early, good night’s sleep.
Pack up and head to the capital of Senegal, Dakar. Participate in a beach clean-up on Pointe des Almadies with a local environmental activist, “Plastic Man.” Enjoy lunch on the westernmost point of Africa. Check into our Dakar hotel and do a little afternoon sightseeing. Climb the stairs for a great view of Dakar at the Monument de la Renaissance and view the Mosquée de la Divinité along the coast. Return to the hotel for some rest and dinner, and bed.
Plan on an early departure to beat the traffic downtown to the port to take the ferry to Gorée Island, a beautiful pedestrian island just 30 minutes off the coast. Visit the Slave House and other monuments on Gorée. Pause for lunch along the water and then take the afternoon ferry back to Dakar. Afterwards, stroll the stands of the Artisanal Village of Soumbédioune, an urban fishing village in Dakar. Continue to a local centre commercial for anything you might need at the supermarket and discover a local bookshop focusing on African books and games. Enjoy dinner at or near our hotel. Pack up before bed, as you will head to your homestays tomorrow. Spend the night at our Dakar hotel.
Students will spend the entire day discovering this Senegalese IB school. Attend classes and make new friends!
Parents will enjoy some sightseeing around Dakar. Head to downtown Dakar to the Plateau neighborhood. Get a feel for this historical and also contemporary neighborhood. Discover the Place de l’Indépendance, the Catholic cathedral, local boutiques, and other historical landmarks on a bus and walking tour of downtown Dakar. See the Presidential Palace, the National Assembly, and more. Enjoy a local family style lunch at a classic restaurant with a chance to savor your favorite local dishes. Tour the inside of an impressive nearby mosque and learn about Islam in Senegal.
Head back to the school to meet up with your student and homestay family.
Students will start the day at a private school in Dakar. They will attend some more classes, meet with teachers and their students, and maybe share a little informal lesson about your hometown or special interest.
Parents may enjoy lunch at a salon de thé and hear about the work of an NGO for village weavers and see their work in the first fair trade shop of Senegal. We will meet with some other local international organizations and NGOs in the neighborhood. At the end of the school day, meet up with your student and spend the night with your homestay. Pack your bags tonight, as we will be leaving Dakar tomorrow morning.
Travel from Dakar to Thiès, the 2nd largest city of Senegal. Because today is the religious holiday of Korité, or Eid al Fitr, we will have the unique opportunity to visit with a Senegalese family, help prepare the communal meal, go for a neighborhood walk, and share a meal together around the bowl. End our time together with some Senegalese ataaya, or thé à la menthe. Afterwards, we will head to our guest bungalow lodgings just a short drive away. Share the day’s experiences in our group discussion “l’arbre à palabre”.
We will start the day with a visit to the Réserve de Bandia. Here you will see wildlife and the sacred baobab tree during a mini-safari of 2 hours of touring. Following the tour, we will enjoy a leisurely lunch but watch out for the cheeky monkeys who will try to steal your French fries!
Finish up the day with some visits to local souvenir shops.
If your group has an evening departure, you will head to the airport around 6pm to check in. If your flight is tomorrow morning, you will head back to your bungalow lodging in a village near Thiès to spend the night.
It’s time to say goodbye. Your group will likely have a very early morning flight for your return. Check-in at the airport and have breakfast there while you wait for your flight to depart. Depending on your routing, you will likely arrive home today.
