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SFF/MAPCS Circle of Friends and Donor Community Celebrates Team Senegal
Thanks to See Forever’s Washington Semester Intern from American University, Nicole Ballis for submitting this article.
 See Forever celebrated the triumphant return of MAPCS-Team Senegal – the nine students who had the opportunity to travel to Senegal, West Africa as a part of the “Real World Exposure @ MAPCS” program. The reception was held in the auditorium of our MAPCS-Shaw campus, which was transformed into a Senegalese-inspired café. More than 70 members of the See Forever & Maya Angelou Public Charter School Community joined us for the affair which and culminated our students’ life-changing international excursion. The evening also served to thank our Circle of Friends and other donors who contributed to this summer exposure activity and allowed our students to have this journey of a lifetime.
Attendees to the event were able to journey back to West Africa with the students through their slide show and music presentation, personal reflections and picture displays. Following the slide show, the students shared some of their favorite memories, “talk-show” style and further allowed others to truly capture their trip through a student question and answer opportunity. SFF/MAPCS Director of Academics, Principal Support and Accountability Dr. Marian White-Hood was a part of the delighted audience and said, “We are fortunate to have opportunities which broaden student perspectives, activate prior learning experiences and connect them with historical antecedents.” Another attendee and supporter of Team Senegal, Dr. Thomas Stewart said, “based on my own experiences, traveling abroad is one of the most significant things a person can do in a lifetime. I was extremely excited to support the students to go abroad, and it was very gratifying to hear how excited they were about their trip to Senegal.”
Not only were attendees able to understand Senegal from the students’ perspective, but they were also given the unique opportunity to experience the true flavor of Senegal, first-hand. Chez Aunty Libe, a premier restaurant in Washington, D.C. specializing in traditional Senegambian dishes, catered the entire event and helped all in attendance to truly appreciate the Senegalese culture.
The See Forever Foundation would like to thank everyone who made this evening and other elements of the “Real World Exposure @ MAPCS” program possible. A special thank you goes to our Circle of Friends members, who have each made a four-year $1,500 per year commitment in support of three years of wrap-around services, and one year of alumni support for MAPCS students. Please also stay abreast of other Circle of Friends events and activities, and contact Development Director Ingrid Padgett, at ipadgett@seeforever.org to learn how you can become more involved in this unique program. |
