A generous donation leads to a new access initiative to help students study abroad in Africa
As announced in August, the Center for African Studies received a generous donation from the Mad Rose Foundation, a charitable organization founded by Neal Rosenthal, founder of the Mad Rose Group and a proud Rutgers alum (Class of ’67). The purpose of the donation is to enhance undergraduate education in African Studies at Rutgers University through travel support for study abroad programs in Africa.
The Center for African Studies has now joined together with Rutgers Global–Study Abroad to formally launch Access Africa, a new study abroad initiative that will provide significant financial support to undergraduate students who participate in a study abroad program in Africa.
Students will not need to apply for a scholarship, as the faculty applies for the support for each participating program. The awards process will vary per program; in some cases funds will be applied to cover the program costs, and in others funds will be applied to cover the airfare costs. In all, there is a great amount of support for all of the programs, making Access Africa an appealing and affordable study abroad option for all Rutgers undergraduate students.
There are currently several faculty-led short-term and semester programs across the continent for the Summer and Fall terms with open applications until March 1. Rocio Ruiz, Program Manager at Rutgers Global Study Abroad, shared: “For summer 2023 the programs in Senegal and Benin will cost less than $1000 and Rutgers students’ flights will be covered. The program in Kenya, a month-long field school popular among Anthropology and Animal Science students, will be offered at half of the typical program cost and flights will be covered.” Lauren Winogron, Assistant Director at Rutgers Global Study Abroad, shared: “For fall 2023 and spring 2024, all semester applicants headed to our programs in Africa will be awarded roundtrip airfare to/from their study abroad program in Africa. And, our Stellenbosch University program through USAC is also part of our Access the World semester programs that are "at or below the cost of Rutgers!'"
Visit this link to learn about programs in Botswana, Ghana, Kenya, Senegal, Benin, South Africa, and Tanzania. There are programs slated for Spring of 2024 that will have an application deadlines beginning on August 15. Please refer to our website in the coming months for details.
As noted on the Center for African Studies website, Access Africa funds will be dedicated to developing new programs, increasing the enrollment of existing programs in Africa, and providing equitable study abroad opportunities for students across the Rutgers campuses (in New Brunswick, Camden, and Newark). Genese Sodikoff, CAS Director, notes: “We are open to a range of ideas for new programs. They may be focused on one country in Africa or multi-sited; and they may be during the summer, inter-session, or embedded with a semester course.”
Access Africa allows for significantly reduced program fees for undergraduate students regardless of individual need (the amount will depend on how many programs operate in any given year), and it will provide stipends to faculty and graduate students directing new programs.
At the end of the program, students who have participated in Access Africa will attend an event where they will share about their experiences with other students, faculty, and administrators. The event will help to both expand the African Studies undergraduate community and promote the Access Africa study abroad initiative to other students in the future.
Executive Director of Rutgers Global–Study Abroad Dan Waite remarked: “We are honored to be partnering with the Center for African Studies on the Access Africa initiative to help realize the goals of the generous donation by the Mad Rose Foundation. We are committed to deepening our engagement in Africa and in creating opportunities for all of our students.”
For more information and to schedule an advising session, visit this page. You can email the Rutgers Global–Study Abroad office at ru_abroad@global.rutgers.edu.
Photo: Rutgers students studying abroad in Tanzania in Winter 2023.