Introduction  

 
Education Bridge is a non-profit organization that seeks to create flourishing South 
Sudanese communities through holistic education and peacebuilding.  
 
Objective 
 
Our goal is to build international networks to expand opportunities for students and 
teachers and formalize relationships that support the development of Education Bridge 
in South Sudan.  
  
We want to offer students and teachers international experiences to expand their world 
views on an academic and cultural level. Additionally, we seek to build sustainable 
networks with various programs/organizations by sharing the vision of Education 
Bridge and more specifically Greenbelt Academy. These efforts, similar to Majak’s own 
international experiences, will:  
● Enhance Education Bridge’s reputation as a respected institution 
● Provide life changing travel and learning opportunities to selected faculty and 
students 
● Improve the education experience for all students through sharing of experiences 
of individuals participating in programs 
● Help efforts to hire and retain exceptional teachers 
● Create a culture of global awareness within the school community  
 
Our Strategy 
 
Through our research, negotiations, and talks with various groups, we were able to put 
together a few potential international networks for education bridge. These networks 
include the following, and are explained in further detail below:   
 
For Students 
● Notre Dame Leadership Seminars (​ On Campus) [Committed/Funded 2 Students] 
● Notre Dame International ILed ​(On Campus) [2 Students] 
● Intercultural Leadership & English Language Program (​SMC) [2 Students] 
 
For Teachers 
 ● Notre Dame ACE Training (​On Campus) [Potentially 2-3 teachers] 
● Young African Leadership Academy (​ Around United States) [no pledge yet] 
 
For Education Bridge 
● Alumni Association| We are ND Story 
○ Similar to “What Would You Fight For?” campaign that featured Majak a 
year or two ago, there is a “We are ND Story” that features alumni making 
a difference in the world. Dolly Duffy, Executive Director of Alumni 
Relations, Associate VP University Relations, asked that we connect her 
with Majak as they would consider featuring Majak and his efforts with 
Education Bridge. 
● Alumni Association| ND Awards 
○ Gaining recognition and support  
○ Meet donors or supporters 
 
Detailed now are the logistics of these programs, where we are in the process of 
working with them, and what students could give or take from these programs. Finally, 
after the programs, we have listed other areas that we have researched or reached out to 
that we believe are interesting to potentially look at in the future, but not in the context 
of our project. Finally, after the descriptions of the programs, we have laid out what 
next steps we believe are necessary to make these networks and programs a reality for 
students in South Sudan.   
 
 
 
Opportunities for Students 
 
● ND Pre-College 
○ Leadership Seminars 
○ Rising Seniors in High School 
○ Dr. Paulette Curtis, Angie Yugo, Kristina Wright 
○ 10 Days:​ July 13 - 24, 2019 
○ Classes based on conflict resolution and peacebuilding 
■ Students would be able to add a lot to these classes, and would also 
benefit from the group learning experience with a diverse set of 
students 
○ Living in dorms on campus, experience in the South Bend community, and 
in Chicago  
 ■ Would be very effective at opening up worldviews.   
○ Financial Aid request due: Jan 21, 2019 
○ Application due: Jan 28, 2019 
○ Joe will potentially be a Resident Counselor for this program. 
○ Have partnerships with ALA, LEAF Academy (Slovakia) 
○ Spots for two students along with funding for program and travel have 
been secured. 
○ Awaiting meeting between Paulette and Majak to confirm details and 
finalize the relationship. 
● Notre Dame International iLED 
○ International Leadership Enrichment and Development Program 
○ A 2-week curriculum taught by ND faculty for outstanding international 
high school students at least 15 years old and proficient in English 
(TOEFL iBT 80+ or IELTS 6+: Other forms of English proficiency 
considered. Skype interviews may be conducted). Program includes total of 
40 to 60 students from 15 to 20 countries over 2 sessions. 
■ Session 1: June 8-22, 2019 
■ Session 2: July 13-27, 2019 
○ Focus is on international leadership. All students participate in courses in 
College of Engineering, College of Science, Mendoza College of Business, 
College of Arts and Letters and the School of Architecture giving all 
participants an overall understanding of what is taught in ND classrooms 
in all colleges. Program includes extracurricular activities including 
weekend in Chicago.  
○ $4,000 tuition covers everything (room, board, extracurricular 
activities, and travel to and from O’Hare airport). Travel to and from 
O’Hare airport from home country is personal expense on top of 
tuition. This program is not currently funded by the university. 
Education Bridge would need to consider raising funds for this 
experience for its students. However, future conversations with ND 
Development office could potentially lead to some funding. 
■ December 15, 2018 - online application open 
■ March 24, 2019 - application deadline 
○ ND originally developed iLED to help bring top international 
undergraduate students to ND. iLED would love to include students from 
South Sudan if funding can be accomplished. Typically African 
Leadership Academy sends 1 or 2 students annually to the program 
○ Visa Requirements- Participants can use program admission letter to 
apply for a B-2 tourist visa.  
 
● Intercultural Leadership & English Language Program - Saint Mary’s College 
○ Dr. Mana Derakhshani, Center for Women’s Intercultural Leadership 
(CWIL) 
○ 2 weeks, July 21st to Aug 3rd for international high school students 
○ Estimated cost $2,500 - $3,000 plus travel costs. 
○ The inaugural year of the program 
○ Anticipated students will come primarily from China and India 
○ 2 spots are available for Education Bridge students 
■ Given meeting between the leadership of EB and SMC 
■ Also, money will need to be raised 
 
Opportunities for Teachers & Administrators 
 
● Young African Leadership Academy (YALI):​ The Mandela Washington 
Fellowship is YALI’s flagship program, bringing African civic, business, and 
community leaders for academic coursework, leadership training, and 
networking at U.S. colleges and universities.  
○ provides 700 outstanding young leaders from Sub-Saharan Africa with the 
opportunity to hone their skills at a U.S. college or university with support 
for professional development after they return home. 
○ fellows are between the ages of 25 and 35, have established records of 
accomplishment in promoting innovation and positive impact in their 
organizations, institutions, communities, and countries. 
○ in 2018, Fellows represented a diverse group of leaders from 48 countries 
across Sub-Saharan Africa. Twenty-five Fellows identified as having a 
disability, and 51 percent of Fellows were women 
○ Each Fellow takes part in a six-week Leadership Institute at a U.S. college 
or university in one of three tracks: Business, Civic Engagement, or Public 
Management. The intensive model includes linkages between academic 
sessions, site visits, professional networking opportunities, leadership 
training, community service, and organized cultural activities. 
○ Following the academic component of the Fellowship, the Fellows visit 
Washington, D.C., for a Summit featuring networking and panel 
discussions with U.S. leaders from the public, private, and non-profit 
sectors. 
○ Upon returning to their home countries, Fellows continue to build the 
skills they have developed during their time in the United States through 
 support from U.S. embassies, the YALI Network, USAID, the Department 
of State, and affiliated partners. Through these experiences, select 
Mandela Washington Fellows have access to ongoing professional 
development and networking opportunities, as well as support for their 
ideas, businesses, and organizations.  
○ Fellows may also apply for their American partners to travel to Africa to 
continue project-based collaboration through the Reciprocal Exchange 
Component. 
○ Applications made to US State Department 
○  
● A​lliance for Catholic Education (ACE) 
○ Opportunity for teachers to attend a summer program for ACE teachers at 
ND to learn and improve on teaching methods 
○ Staying in dorms 
○ Low-income low-resource training which would be of benefit to EB 
teachers. 
○ EB teachers who have worked in South Sudan could also be a great 
resource for other ACE teachers.   
○ Meeting with Fr. Joe was successful, demonstrated interest.   
○ Meeting scheduled with John Staud and other ACE leaders for 
potential 2-4 teachers being able to come for teacher training.  
 
Pre-Arrival for all international experiences| Preparing  
● NDI Orientation 
● ISSA Office - Acclimation 
○ Host families? 
 
Post-Experience for all international experiences| Sharing 
● CSC ISSLP Model 
○ Weekly Readings with reflections  
○ Daily journaling  
○ Final reflection paper 
○ Re-Entry retreat  
○ 3 weekly follow up discussion sessions  
○ Panel with previous participants  
○ Pre-Program retreat  
○ Weekly in class preparation sessions 
○ We have connected with ISSLP leadership, and Keven has materials 
that we hope to bridge into our final project. 
 ● Student Storytelling (camera, journal, ---) 
● NDI Storytelling 
○ Colleen Wilcox 
○ Benefits both ND & EduBridge 
○ A meeting is set with Colleen to see about possibilities of telling these 
students’ stories.  
● NDI Travel Help 
 
 
 
Appendix | Other Options Explored 
● Better World Books 
○ Provide books and resources for schools 
○ Supports Women’s Education 
○ We thought was out of scope 
● Room to Read 
○ ​http://www.roomtoread.org/​ -founded by John Wood formerly of 
Microsoft and author​ of 'Leaving ​Microsoft​ to Change the World'. ​Room to 
Read seeks to transform the lives of millions of children in low-income countries 
by focusing on literacy and gender equality in education. Working in 
collaboration with local communities, partner organizations and governments, 
we develop literacy skills and a habit of reading among primary school children, 
and support girls to complete secondary school with the relevant life skills to 
succeed in school and beyond. 
○ May use David Murphy’s name (Better World Books) when reaching out or 
he can help connect us. 
○ Did not pursue we thought was out of project scope. 
● NDI International Gateway Delegations 
● Holy Cross in Africa 
● Pre-College Programs Directors Conference 
○ This conference serves as an opportunity for University Pre-College 
Programs across the United States to gather and share insights and best 
practices with each other. In the past the conference has been relatively 
informal. The host university decides and prepares a program for the two 
day conference. If Education Bridge is able to build a sustainable 
relationship with Notre Dame Pre-College Program, they will look into 
presenting this opportunity to other universities in hopes of expanding 
opportunities for even more students.   
● Study of the US Institutes (SUSI) 
 ○ SUSI programs are designed to provide the undergraduate student with 
leadership skills, academic programs to deepen their understanding of 
U.S. society, culture, values, and institutions through intensive academic 
programs at U.S. Universities and study tours throughout the country. 
● Potential African Gateway 
○ Fr. Dowd  
○ (Couple of years away) 
 
Future Challenges 
 
We believe that we have established some great potential connections for 
Education Bridge here at Notre Dame. The challenge is in how we execute and 
maintain these relationships. Within the next few days, we hope, with the acquisition of 
internet at Education Bridge, to connect Majak, Jenny, and other board members of 
Education Bridge to the potential program leaders: Pre-College, Notre Dame 
International, Saint Mary’s, and ACE. This next step is very important, as it involves 
making sure that both sides have the information that they need in order to make this 
connection happen. The programs at ND need: 
 
1. An understanding of who the students are 
2. An understanding of how the students will add to the classrooms 
3. A baseline of how the students might react to being in a new context 
4. An understanding of how travel will take place to and from South Sudan 
5. Money, depending on the network 
 
Education Bridge Needs: 
 
1. An understanding of what these programs can bring for their students 
2. Application details 
3. Confirmations of spots for students or teachers 
4. Creation of what to do with students upon return to South Sudan 
 
To answer these questions, and potential other questions that will pop up along the way, 
meetings between Education Bridge and Notre Dame will be necessary.   
 
We also plan to present these opportunities and relationships to our client in a visually 
pleasing and easy to understand way.