The Senegal Service Learning Project exemplifies Lick’s commitment
as a private school with public purpose
to develop the qualities of Head, Heart and Hands in our students.
During the summer of 2007, a group of faculty from Lick-Wilmerding High School and Drew School traveled together to Senegal to assess the needs that could be realistically accomplished by a team of skilled teachers and students in the rural village, Keur Sadaro. This team met with various leaders of the community including elders, women and school authorities to determine what projects could be pursued. The result is the Senegal Service Learning Project, a three-year innovative educational program between Lick-Wilmerding High School, Drew School and Keur Sadaro designed to benefit all the communities involved.
During the following school year, 21 Lick and Drew students joined the teachers to continue the work. The group took language, shop and acculturation classes, as well as collected supplies such as tools, microscopes, soccer uniforms and funds to bring to the village.
In the summer of 2008, students, faculty and partners worked with the community of Keur Sadaro on the following projects:
- Irrigation of a garden for the benefit of the school
- Restoration of a former Peace Corps building -- the building was restored, cleaned and painted for use as a clinic. They also installed solar LED based light
- Solar lighting for the public spaces in Keur Sadaro
- Collaboration with Bruce Baikie of Green Wi-Fi to train students and teachers to use the One Laptop Per Child laptops, 40 of which were donated to the community and aided in bringing wireless internet to the village
- Repair of the leaking school roof
- Repair of all school desks
- Donation of tools, establishment a community tool lending center and classes taught on how to use the tools
- Collection of data about the health needs of the village
- Collaboration with an American doctor supplying the clinic with medication and teaching local midwives how to use the medication and aid in the treatment of patients
The next phase of this project will take place in June 2009. Planning and fundraising are already underway and student applications for the trip are available (see Senegal Downloads at right). A committee of community leaders, women and school officials of Keur Sadaro are currently refining the list of projects for next summer. Possible projects are:
- Refinishing the concrete floors and renovating the blackboards, tables, benches and cabinets of the village school
- Fencing and planting a school garden
- Installation of plumbing, cabinets and beds in the clinic
- Building a women’s resource center, including a sewing room to house the six machines donated last year
- Building a solar bread oven to increase the local economy
- Installing additional solar lighting for the public spaces in Keur Sadaro
- Exploration of a solution to the problem of plastic litter in the environment
If you are interested in helping with the project or want more information about the project, please contact Senegal@lwhs.org.
Gratitude to the adults who have organized this project and/or helped to made it happen: Jacques Cusin, Dr. Katarina Cusin, Daouda Camara, David Clifford, Mariel Triggs, Kate Boyd, Andrew Kleindolph, Johanna Cusin, Bruce Baikie, Erika Solis, Thelonious Johnson, Sam Cuddeback and Dr. Al Adams.
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