06 Oct Going Beyond the Classroom in Uganda and Rwanda
So far this year, we’ve enjoyed welcoming several school and university groups to Uganda and Rwanda to experience great educational visits.
During their trips, students connected with partner institutions to explore topics from national development to conservation. They’ve gained insight into the lives of local people and, of course, seen some classic African wildlife.
This month, as the new academic year starts in many countries, our thoughts turn to education and how we can build on many years of successfully delivering educational visits. We want to help young people experience our corner of the world and apply what they learn to their own lives and careers.
So, with that in mind, here are some of the educational activities we offer.
University field courses
University students are often surprised at the level of access they get on our field courses.
They are able to meet a wide variety of people, from government ministers and heads of organisations to community leaders and local farmers. These meetings are accompanied by field visits, and together, they allow students to apply what they have learned in the classroom to real-world situations. Here, they can assess the relevance and successes of different theories, strategies and initiatives.
For example, Rwanda has a clear plan for the modernisation of its agricultural sector. Students hear from central agencies about how this plan was developed and contributes to national development. After this, they visit commercial farms, solar irrigation schemes, cooperatives, climate specialists, local government, entrepreneurs and communities to examine the implementation of the plan and assess its success.
School visits
Many of our school visits involve partnering with a local school. This allows students to spend time with peers, understand the local education system and gain an insight into local life and culture.
We encourage the development of these visits into lasting partnerships, providing further learning opportunities for all involved.
Getting Involved
We try to make our programmes as participatory as possible for students, such as collecting data, joining in with activities as they talk to people and, as shown above, planting trees on a visit to a reforestation project.
We encourage the development of these visits into lasting partnerships, providing further learning opportunities for all involved.
Visiting National Parks
Most of our educational programmes include a recreational visit to a national park to see the wildlife. Sometimes, however, these visits are also part of an environment or conservation field course itself.
Students can learn about topics like anti-poaching, human-wildlife conflict, the role of technology in wildlife protection and monitoring, conservation education, and the contribution of tourism to conservation.
Educational Holidays
More than ever, our clients are keen to learn something about the destination they are visiting, so our safaris and adventure holidays are also including more educational activities.
As well as seeing the wildlife, experiencing the culture or hiking/cycling/kayaking, clients can learn about specific themes such as agriculture or local history.
We offer a huge range of participatory activities, for example, learning about beekeeping on a visit to a honey cooperative. We’re also always happy to research new visits to match clients’ interests, so please contact us to learn more.
Get In Touch
Our holidays are truly bespoke, so get in touch if you’re an educator interested in an educational adventure for your students or you’re simply looking for a holiday with the opportunity to learn more about these beautiful countries.