Georgetown University: School of Foreign Service in Qatar

Planet Georgetown International Day programming for the spring semester wrapped up on April 23, as 27 giggling girls, grades seven through eight, left the Education City campus with their Georgetown University backpacks and freshly-painted African masks in hand.

Throughout the month of April, local middle school and high school students were invited to Georgetown University School of Foreign Service in Qatar (SFS-Qatar) to participate in a series of day-long events featuring educational curriculum focused on Nigeria. Participating schools included the Hamad bin Abdullah bin Jassim Independent Secondary School for Boys, Khalid bin Al Waleed Independent Preparatory School for Boys and the Amna bint Wahab Preparatory School for Girls.

These events are part of SFS-Qatar’s ongoing efforts under the Office of Educational Enrichment to reach out to schools throughout Qatar by engaging local schoolchildren in creative learning with an international focus. “Being at Georgetown has opened the door to knowledge of other countries, people, and cultures,” said Amna bint Wahab English Coordinator, Fadia Ezz Edin Akash. “It’s good for our students to be exposed to learning in and about multicultural environments.”

At each event, SFS-Qatar staff and students facilitated a variety of educational activities showcasing Nigeria, including mapping exercises designed to challenge the students’ geographical knowledge of West Africa and an introduction to the dances of Nigeria’s nomadic Wodaabe tribe. Wumi Akinade, SFS-Qatar staff and a native Nigerian, helped lead classroom sessions on the language and culture of the Yoruban people, one of the three main tribes in Nigeria. “I enjoyed talking with the students. They were very eager to learn about the history, traditions, and cultures of Nigeria,” Akinade said.

A scavenger hunt of the LAS building and lunchtime reception, featuring traditional Nigerian cuisine such as fragrant bean stew and meat pies, allowed the young visitors to interact with the greater SFS-Qatar community. Following lunch, students spent time crafting their own masks modeled after those used in Yoruban ceremonies. “My favorite part of the day was making the African masks, and learning the fun Nigerian language,” said Yahya Zakaria Hanash, a student from the Hamad bin Abdullah bin Jassim school.

“It has been an adventure for me to learn about Nigeria. I have taken lots of pictures for my brothers and sisters. I hope I can come again to Georgetown,” said Razan Mahmoud Al-Jazairi, an eighth grade student from Amna bint Wahab. Select students will have the opportunity to continue their international studies with Planet Georgetown events planned for this summer. Two Planet Georgetown camps, offered in June and July, will combine curriculum based on worldwide peace and humanitarian efforts with daily activities including art, recreation, and local field trips.

“The Planet Georgetown program has served to connect us with a number of strong preparatory and secondary schools, and we look forward to working with even more students in our continuing commitment to educational excellence in Qatar,” said Liz Kepferle, Director of Admissions at SFS-Qatar.