Southeastern Regional Vocational Technical High School English teacher Sara Mulcahy, center, took pictures with students at a school in Senegal called Ousmane Sow De Diamniadio during her trip to the African country as part of the Fulbright Teachers for Global Classrooms Program from April 13-27. (Photo Courtesy Southeastern Regional School District)
SOUTH EASTON — English teacher Sara Mulcahy of Southeastern Regional Vocational Technical High School recently returned from a transformative trip to Senegal, where she taught, learned, and connected deeply with local students and educators as part of the prestigious Fulbright Teachers for Global Classrooms Program.
Mulcahy, a world traveler who has visited 51 countries, was selected as one of 80 finalists out of 288 applicants nationwide by the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs. She received the news while checking her email during a trip to Indonesia last August.
She and 20 other U.S. educators arrived in Dakar, Senegal, on April 13. Mulcahy was stationed in the village of Diamniadio, where she spent most of her time at Ousmane Sow De Diamniadio, a middle-high school of about 2,000 students. There, she engaged deeply with the students and culture, while reflecting on what effective education looks like in a very different context.
“The students of Diamniadio were absolutely amazing. They were so eager to learn. They’re just intrinsically motivated,” said Mulcahy. “I think one of the things a lot of us took away is that sometimes simple is effective. They don’t have electricity in schools. They don’t have all the bells and whistles that we do here. But they make it work with 80 kids in a classroom. It makes me think — sometimes I need to go back to basics. The classic stuff works.”
Beyond the classroom, she experienced the warmth of Senegalese culture — including the concept of “teranga,” the Wolof word for hospitality — and was welcomed with a powerful two-hour ceremony featuring songs, dancing, and gymnastics performed by students at the school.
“It was a moment I’ll never forget. It was all in honor of us, too, which is so humbling,” said Mulcahy, now in her 11th year of teaching at Southeastern.
Each day, Mulcahy worked with a host teacher who taught English, and had previously spent six months in Alabama in 2012. The host teacher, a Christian in a predominantly Muslim country, even invited Mulcahy and others for a traditional Easter meal.
“We would go and teach classes with her, and taught the students about American culture,” Mulcahy said. “We were basically celebrities around the campus. They don’t often see American or English-speaking people. Everyone wanted to invite us into their class, and every student wanted to take a selfie with us. They really liked having us there. I felt like Taylor Swift. Everyone wanted a picture with me.”
Mulcahy brought fun and energy to the classroom, leading students in the “Hokey Pokey” and using a whiteboard to play “Heads Up!” — all in English — helping students develop language skills in a lively, immersive way.
“Having up to 80 kids in a classroom can be intimidating,” Mulcahy said. “When the school day was over, we’d do different cultural activities. We would go to museums. We stayed in a hotel 10 minutes away. It’s a fairly new hotel, and we were the only people staying there. Our host teacher paired us with a driver who would take us to and from school every day.”
Before traveling, Mulcahy completed a 10-week intensive course and attended a symposium in Washington, D.C. As part of her Fulbright work, she created a travel blog and focused her research on this guiding question: What kind of hands-on opportunities do students have to learn in Senegal, and how does that impact student engagement?
“I need to find more ways to incorporate global education in my classroom going forward,” she said. “The students in Diamniadio did a lot of performances in class and would get up and talk. Having an authentic audience that will see what you’re doing seems to drive up engagement. They took ownership in creating something that’s artistic or making a product.”
Since returning home on April 28, Mulcahy has brought her experiences into her world literature classes at Southeastern. She introduced students to Senegalese food, such as spicy bean sandwiches made of black-eyed peas, onions, and pepper on a baguette — a staple lunch at the school she visited.
“I had them make friendship bracelets,” said Mulcahy, explaining that she plans on mailing the bracelets to Senegal. “They definitely seemed interested. They asked a lot of questions. They were very enthusiastic. They looked at my pictures on a blog. Sometimes with teenagers, I’m unsure they will be receptive. But they have genuine excitement.”
She also brought postcards written by Southeastern students to share with their Senegalese peers, and set up learning stations focused on Senegalese fashion and culture.
Mulcahy will share her findings and reflections with the Southeastern Regional School Committee on June 24.
Superintendent Holly McClanan and Acting Principal Christina Guarini praised Mulcahy’s efforts and her contributions to the school community.
“Congratulations to Ms. Mulcahy for taking advantage of such an incredible, once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to travel the world and learn from the educational system in Senegal,” said Acting Principal Guarini. “We hope she is able to continue sharing this experience with our students to help them appreciate how different life can be in other parts of the world.”
“Ms. Mulcahy has always brought a global perspective to the classroom, and I was thrilled when she was selected to participate in the Global Classrooms Program, added Superintendent McClanan. “We’re grateful that she had such an insightful experience exploring the educational system in Senegal and excited that she’s able to share what she’s learned about Senegalese schools, life and culture with our students and her colleagues.”
To learn more about Mulcahy’s international journey, visit her travel blog https://sites.google.com/sersd.org/saramulcahysglobaleducationgui/travel/travel-blog.
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Southeastern teacher Sara Mulcahy spent most of her time during her trip to Senegal in the village of Diamniadio, together with two other educators. (Photo courtesy Southeastern Regional School District)
Southeastern teacher Sara Mulcahy was selected for the competitive Fulbright Teachers for Global Classrooms Program in August 2024, joining a total of 80 finalists who were selected from 288 educators across the country who applied with the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs. (Photo Courtesy Southeastern Regional School District)
During her time at Ousmane Sow De Diamniadio, Sara Mulcahy said many students and teachers wanted to invite her and her fellow visiting teachers into their classes and wanted to take selfies. (Photo Courtesy Southeastern Regional School District)
Students at Ousmane Sow De Diamniadio look into a window of a classroom. (Photo Courtesy Southeastern Regional School District)
Students at Ousmane Sow De Diamniadio have a half-American, half-Senegalese flag. (Photo Courtesy Southeastern Regional School District)
About 2,000 students attend Ousmane Sow De Diamniadio. (Photo Courtesy Southeastern Regional School District)
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