By Seynabou Camara (YES 2011-2012, Senegal, hosted by CCI Greenheart in Augusta, GA)

From March 26 to April 9, 2017, the 15 Senegalese YES 2017-2018 finalists and alternates participated in an English Camp. The camp took place at the Forestry Center in Thies (70 km from Dakar). It was conducted by American Councils staff, including Camp Director Tom Toomey, Program Administrator for the Vice President's Office, and teacher Mary Lisa Gustafson. They were assisted by Workshop for Youth Leaders in English Teaching (WYLET) alumni Haitham Suleiman (YES '15) from Tanzania and Emmanuel Godfrey (YES '16) from Liberia, as well as Moustapha Kébé (YES ’15) from Senegal and YES Abroad student Cricket Liebermann.

The goal of the camp was to improve the students’ English proficiency, to prepare them for their exchange year in the United States, and also to give them a chance to get to know one another. The curriculum included classes on reading, academic writing, and public speaking. Alumni organized a panel discussion for the participants, which was a great chance for participants to ask their many questions and share their concerns with alumni. For instance, a couple of the students were very concerned about school in the U.S. and asked questions like, “Are the classes easier or harder?” and “Did you fail any classes?” Another special feature of the camp was a visit from U.S. Embassy representatives Bob Post, Public Affairs Officer; Kiné Diakhaté, Exchanges Specialist at the Public Affairs Section; and Nadia Ahmed, Cultural Affairs Officer, who came to congratulate the group. Participants also had the opportunity to take part in athletic and artistic activities.

By the end of the camp, the students had improved their English, gained a better understanding of the YES program, and become very close to each other. According to Camp Director Tom Toomey, “the closer [they] are to each other, the more likely [they] are to have a successful year.”  Most importantly, they learned a lot about the United States and had a great time.