Join the Office of Leadership and Civic Engagement and the Women and Minority Engineering Programs on a transformative Virtual Alternative Service Break Experience serving students in Rwanda! This experience focuses on cultural exchange and STEM Outreach. Through this experience, you will be able to learn about the culture of Rwanda through developmental workshops, create educational STEM videos for students in Rwanda, and participate in engaging virtual activities with partners organizations in Rwanda near the end of the semester.

In 1994, Rwanda suffered 100 days of an ethnic genocide killing as many as 800,000 people. Through a system of community justice known as the Gacaca Court, Rwanda has focused upon restoring peace through reconciliation.  Participants will not only have the opportunity to engage in impactful service during this experience but also broaden their understanding of the challenges this developing nation faces. As a country roughly the size of Maryland and comparatively devoid of the natural resources of its other East African neighbors, Rwanda has realized that their future truly lies in its people. With a goal of shifting away from a 90% agricultural sustenance society to a “knowledge based” society by 2050, there is an enormous push for the education of engineers in Rwanda. Therefore, this experience aims to share our passion and enthusiasm for STEM and maintain a bridge of cultural and information exchange for years to come.

This experience will take place over the course of the semester, and it will primarily be virtual. Event dates will largely be determined by the team's collective schedule, and meetings will be recorded for those who are unable to attend the event live. Please fill out this Google Form by March 5th if you are interested in participating in this experience.

Please contact Lindsey Jacobson at ltjacob3@ncsu.edu and Tahia Monjuli at tmonjul@ncsu.edu if you have any questions.