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Following graduation in May, University of Wisconsin Oshkosh alumna Samantha Walvort ’18, of Sheboygan Falls, wasted no time in putting her bachelor’s degree in education to work.

She immediately set off for Tanzania, Africa, with the Growth International Volunteer Excursions (GIVE) program.

The two-week trip took Walvort to the small village of Kairo on the island of Zanzibar, where she had the opportunity to teach and provide fundamental English lessons to local children, teens and adults and help with local infrastructure projects.

The GIVE program and the Zanzibar Ministry of Education support the Skuli Ya Kairo GIVE school, which provides more than 140 children with access to primary education. Today, 147 students are enrolled in the school.

Students at Skuli Ya Kairo engage in the standard curriculum with supplemental tutoring and extra curriculum supplied by GIVE volunteers. Walvort said her education at UW Oshkosh gave her an edge to dive right into the classroom experience.

“I channeled so much of what I learned at UWO while in Tanzania. Being able to apply the knowledge and skills from my teacher education program in this classroom has quite possibly been one of the greatest experiences of my life. I used my knowledge of positive learning environments and differentiated instructional strategies to teach my student important English language concepts quickly,” Walvort said.

Global impact
The highlight of the trip for those volunteering in the primary classrooms was presenting each student with a personalized conversation book.

Written in both Swahili and English, the book included introductory conversation phrases that the students could use to describe things about themselves. Walvort said they decorated the cover of each book with the child’s name and a fun pattern.

“The schools have extremely limited resources so the students have to share materials. I will cherish the light in their eyes and the endless smiles on their faces as they received their individual books. It is the best gift an educator can ask for… to make an impact,” she said..

Working with GIVE has strengthened Walvort’s passion for education and enriching the lives of children through knowledge.

“A common phrase spoken in Tanzania is tupo pamoja meaning ‘together we are.’ And although we had our moments of struggle throughout this trip, the most important lesson is that we got through those moments together,” she explained.

Citizen in action
The construction portion of the service experience had Walvort and her group focused on working with the local fundis (carpenters) to paint a new classroom building, clearing the land for a permaculture plot and assisting with the bricks and cement for the construction of a new main office for the school and tutor rooms for students.

Toward the end of the trip, they also traveled to Arusha to build chickens coops for the Tengeru women’s co-op. The coops empower the women to provide their families with a steady source of food and income.

Of course, a trip to Africa can’t be all work and no play. Walvort’s group took time to swim with wild dolphins in the Indian Ocean, sail and snorkel among vibrant coral reefs in the crystal-clear waters and embarked on a two-day safari through the African savanna.

“We were so fortunate to see a vast array of animals while on the safari. I loved seeing the natural habitats of giraffes, zebras, lions and hippos. As if going on a safari wasn’t already the coolest thing I’d ever done, casually getting in arms reach of a wild African elephant made it, even more, rad,” she said.

Homeward bound
In September, Walvort will begin teaching third grade at Oconto Falls Elementary school. She looks forward to taking the motto of tupo pamoja into the classroom to remind students that they are not alone.

As she gets ready for her first year in the classroom, she credits her own teachers throughout her formative years for inspiring a love of education and a desire to help instill knowledge, values and self-confidence in students of all abilities.

It is the main reason she chose the UW Oshkosh to pursue a career in education and, ultimately, securing a dual licensure in elementary and special education.

“I vividly remember walking around campus and feeling right at home. After learning about the high-impact experiences that the College of Education and Human Services provides for their students… there was never a doubt in my mind that one day I would become a UWO alumnus,” she said.

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