In July 2024, 13 Kent State University students participated in the Kigali Summer Institute, where they traveled to the heart of Africa to study peacebuilding and reconciliation in post-genocide
Rwanda. One student noted that their experience in Rwanda opened their eyes to the possibilities of forgiveness and the role of individual people in creating safe, peaceful, communities.
Among the 13 students who made the trip, six are members of CommUNITY Lab, a comprehensive college transition and success program that offers scholars a network of culturally responsive coordinated care resources at Kent State University.
CommUNITY Lab (CLab) programming is built on four pillars: 1) Service to Self, 2) Service to others, 3) Passion to purpose, and 4) Leaving a legacy. CLab student, Amaya Berry, senior Marketing and Business Administration major, described what this experience meant to her, stating “Having the opportunity to study abroad in Rwanda this summer was an amazing experience. While in Rwanda we got to travel the country, to connect, to grow, to explore. It was such a unique class experience because not only were we able to learn the history, but we were also able to see the things we were learning about firsthand.”
This immersive study abroad course is offered annually through the Kent State University School of Peace and Conflict Studies and was co-developed and led by Dr. Sarah Schmidt, Assistant Professor in the Department of Political Science, and Pacifique Niyonzima, Program Manager for the Kent State Center in Rwanda.
Across the 3-week trip, students explored the post-genocide reconstruction of Rwanda after the 1994 genocide, where more than a million Rwandan Tutsi were murdered. Students participated in site visits that exposed them to the many mechanisms facilitating peace and social cohesion in today’s Rwanda that is now a pillar of economic stability, health, safety, and security.
Participants engaged in facilitated dialogues with government ministries, the Rwanda National Police, civil society actors, and engaged directly with Rwandan communities. Staying overnight at the Lycee Saint Marcel de Rukara reconciliation village, students heard first-hand accounts from both survivors and perpetrators of the genocide who are now living in peace as neighbors. Finally, students took part in "Umuganda", a day of community service, to help build a home for a widow of the genocide.
Learn more about the national award-winning CommUNITY Lab program at www.kent.edu/community-lab.