Study in Rwanda
Through our unique Study Abroad program in Rwanda, we teach students to facilitate Story-Based Learning, enable them to participate in authentic cultural expeditions, and immerse them personally in Rwanda’s reconciliation process following the 1994 Genocide Against the Tutsi in Rwanda.
Experience Rwanda with the Anne Frank Project
Each year we travel to Rwanda with university students, faculty, staff, community leaders, and AFP supporters who are committed to learning more about East Africa, reconciliation, and conflict management.
Our work in Rwanda is focused on training local teachers and community leaders to use Story-Based Learning in their classrooms, schools, and organizations. To support this work we visit schools, villages, Genocide memorials, government offices, national parks, and cultural centers to fully ‘feel’ Rwanda's culture.
Our goal is to "fill up" with stories, immersive experiences, community building, conflict management and reconciliation practices, to build strong vocabularies for social justice applications when returning home. To guide this process, students create projects and plays which tour schools in Buffalo to share their new tools, inspirations, and stories. This post-travel processing experience occurs within a course taught by AFP faculty.
Meet Our Partners in Rwanda
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Global Engagement Institute
KIGALI, RWANDA
GEI provides international students and professionals with transformative education and engagement programs in Africa and Asia. The programs reflect their mission to inspire and empower individuals and institutions to apply their passion and skills to create positive change in the world.
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Urukundo Learning Center
MUHANGA, RWANDA
Urukundo Learning Center was established to provide education for low and no-income families in Muhanga. The school believes that every child has the right to be all that he or she can be, and education is the tool to make that possible. ‘Urukundo’ means ‘Love’ in Kinyarwanda.
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Kigali Genocide Memorial Center
KIGALI, RWANDA
The center is the result of collaboration between Rwandan authorities and the Aegis Trust for Genocide Prevention. Opened in 2004, the Memorial became the starting-point for peace and values education now built into Rwanda’s national schools curriculum.
Apply
The Anne Frank Project invites university students from all disciplines to travel to Rwanda.
Since 2011 AFP has brought over 150 students to Rwanda. Previous delegations include students studying all areas including Education, Sociology, Women and Gender Studies, English, Theatre, Philosophy, Social Work, History, Dance, Design, Film, Political Science, International Policy, Law, and History.
All interested students must complete the online application from SUNY Buffalo State's International Education Office. Following the successful completion of the online application, selected students will be invited to in-person interviews. This is a competitive process—not all applicants are accepted. Buffalo State University and the Anne Frank Project provide scholarships for exceptional students; these scholarships vary in award amounts and involve separate application processes.
All accepted students to the Anne Frank Project’s annual Rwanda study abroad trip must register for the preparation course (Spring semester preceding summer travel) and the processing course (Fall semester following summer travel. Accepted students receive 6 total credits for this experience. These courses are taught by AFP faculty and staff.
Important Dates
Application Deadline: November 28, 2023
Decision Delegation: December 7, 2023
Travel Dates: June 2-18, 2024
Spring 2024 Course: INE 390: Rwanda 2024 (Details TBA)
Fall 2024 Course: THA 470: Ensemble Theater (Details TBA)
ENGAGE WITH RWANDA
Reflections on the Anne Frank Project in Rwanda
Bruce Fox, former Campus Photographer for SUNY Buffalo State University, shares his thoughts on traveling to Rwanda with the Anne Frank Project.
EXPERIENCE OUR WORK
Documenting the Anne Frank Project’s work in East Africa
The 2023 Rwanda delegation was honored to include two local film makers, Trish Phelan and Jim Gribbins. They accompanied us last summer in Rwanda to ‘eat up’ as much AFP in Rwanda as possible to create AFP’s first professionally created documentary about our work in East Africa. This 10-minute piece is a preview or ‘teaser’ for a larger, more detailed documentary to share with national and international audiences. We are fortunate to have Trish and Jim in the AFP family.
STUDENTBLOGS
Read about the experiences of students who have traveled to Rwanda with the Anne Frank Project.
SUPPORT
Join the Anne Frank Project and support our work in Rwanda.
Each year, the Anne Frank Project donates a cow to Buffalo's sister district, Muhanga, and brings school supplies to students. Click below to make a donation in support of our work in Rwanda.