Associate professor Dr. Jennice McCafferty has returned from her five-week summer fellowship in Tanzania-Zanzibar. She was one of 12 professors and teachers nationwide to receive a Fullbright-Hays summer fellowship. The School of International Training hosted the fellowship.
During her fellowship, she researched ways for educators to bring African perspectives into their classrooms when discussing climate change.
Were you able to experience everything you set out to?
Yes, and more! From Swahili lessons to learning from Maasai communities, our work was packed with memorable moments. One highlight was collaborating with a local artisan in Zanzibar on a climate data quilt, which sparked conversations about how he and other community members are experiencing sea level rise.
I’m especially excited about the collaborative relationships I was able to build through this program. I’ve returned with several projects we’re now working on. Some of these projects include bringing teacher trainees from Tanzania into the College of Education’s virtual exchange and the development of socioenvironmental projects for afterschool programs.
Whom did you meet and what impact did they leave?
One of the most impactful conversations I had was with Laurian Mchau, an incredible innovator and educator focused on sustainable energy. He builds windmills from recycled materials and works with children in local communities to teach about renewable energy solutions.
Mchau’s creativity, resilience and positive approach left a lasting impression on me. He’s a living example of how one person can harness education and innovation to address global challenges such as climate change while empowering local communities.
What was the most valuable takeaway from this experience?
This experience was a profound reminder that some of the people who are best positioned to create real change aren’t always the most visible. They’re often embedded in their communities, responding to challenges with local, creative solutions.
I met educators, farmers, innovators, and advocates who are quietly but powerfully addressing climate change and other global issues with solutions rooted in their contexts. Their work reminds us that transformative change is driven by those who know their land and communities best.
What can other people learn from your time in Tanzania-Zanzibar?
We could all learn from the Swahili phrase Tuko Pamoja – “We are together.” Even in the face of complex issues such as climate change, small, united actions can ripple outward. Whether it’s a shared lesson in a classroom or a community effort to replant mangroves, working together on solutions makes all the difference.
