I find summer (well, for those of us in the Northern Hemisphere!) to be an exciting time in academic life.
This summer, I am especially excited because I get to return to Senegal at the end of the month. I have been graciously invited to participate in a conference organized by the Organisation internationale de la Francophonie (OIF) to support the implementation of bilingual education policies in Senegal and neighboring countries. I am very much looking forward to reconnecting with a vibrant community of bilingual educators and practitioners and contributing in advancing the bilingual education agenda there! On the same occasion, I hope to make progress on my book about the militants of national languages in Senegal, those who have dedicated their lives to advocating for African languages as legitimate languages of instruction.
I am also very excited to support and help facilitate an online teacher training for the inaugural teachers of a new dual-language school in Utegi, Tanzania, called St. Felista’s Academy, together with colleagues from the University of Notre Dame. I look forward to writing more about this project soon. 🙂
And this is only the tip of the iceberg. I will share more about other projects in subsequent posts.
For me, summer is about possibility, fieldwork, and momentum.
Yay to summer!
What about you? What are your plans for the months ahead?