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Vive l'expérience offers travel to Senegal, Colombia, Tunisia, Spain, and France with other teachers and educators for language immersion experiences and adventures beyond a typical tour. Opportunities are available for Global Service Learning and teacher-led student trips. 🇸🇳 See Dates for 2025 🇸🇳 Senegal Itineary Contact us! Learn Experience Connect Travel with Vive l'expérience for enriching transformational experiences around the world. Our trips are designed by French teachers with decades of experience in Senegal. We offer unique trips for French immersion for French language educators: teacher trips with other teachers, and teacher-led student trips. A limited number of programs are available for those who don't speak French. French Educator Trips Vive crafts meaningful journeys for French language educators, exploring the rich cultures of the Francophone world, from Senegal to France to Tunisia. Language/Cultural Immersion Seize the chance to build lasting connections, experience cultures in a way few others do, deepen your language skills, and collaborate on new ideas for your classroom. about us Katy founded Vive to offer educators of French and Spanish immersive cultural experiences that go beyond typical sightseeing tours, inspiring them to bring fresh stories and authentic connections back to their classrooms. LEARN MORE

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Protect your rights and stay informed with our Website Terms and Conditions. From refunds to intellectual property, we've got you covered. Sign up now! Website Terms and Conditions This website is owned and operated by Vive l’expérience, LLC. These Terms set forth the terms and conditions under which you may use our website and services as offered by us. This website offers visitors opportunities to attend online webinars and meetings to learn more about our language educator and student travel programs to other countries, French and Spanish language teaching resources, social media links, and a souvenir shop. By accessing or using the website of our service, you approve that you have read, understood, and agree to be bound by these Terms. In order to use our website and/or receive our services, you must be at least 13 years of age, or of the legal age of majority in your jurisdiction, and possess the legal authority, right and freedom to enter into these Terms as a binding agreement. 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In this blog post, Matou, Vive's Country Director for Senegal, shares his personal experiences as a talibé when a young boy. The text which follows is a shortened version of a much longer text he wrote as part of his graduate studies. Whereas some may see talibés to be poor, abandoned children begging in the streets, the story can be more nuanced. Thanks to Matou, and the various contacts we have through Vive, we aim to share these nuanced details through our first-hand visits in Senegal. One of our teacher groups had the chance to visit and meet with a marabout's assistant in a daara, in St. Louis, providing a personal view into the life and studies centering on the Koran. The photos in this blog post are from our 2024 visit to this daara. De Talibé à Professeur : Le Parcours Extraordinaire de Matou Diallo Le mot talibé, dérivé de l’arabe talib signifiant « étudiant », revêt une profonde importance culturelle et religieuse au Sénégal, notamment parmi le peuple wolof. Traditionnellement, il désigne les jeunes élèves qui se consacrent à l’étude du Coran et des textes islamiques sous la direction d’un marabout (enseignant religieux) dans les daaras (écoles coraniques). Ces écoles, piliers de la société wolof depuis des siècles, mettent l’accent sur le développement spirituel, la mémorisation du Coran et la transmission des valeurs islamiques. Cependant, le rôle des talibés dans la société sénégalaise moderne est devenu plus complexe. Bien que les daaras restent des institutions respectées, de nombreux élèves y font face à des défis tels que la pauvreté, la faim et parfois même l’exploitation. Malgré ces épreuves, la quête de connaissance et de croissance spirituelle demeure une tradition profondément ancrée dans les familles sénégalaises. . Pour moi, le chemin d’un talibé n’a pas été qu’un simple parcours spirituel : j’ai été le socle de ma remarquable transformation, passant d’un jeune garçon confronté aux difficultés de la vie en école coranique à un professeur de langues et un expert en éducation internationale. Mon histoire est une véritable leçon de résilience, de persévérance et de la capacité de l’éducation à transcender les barrières sociales et économiques. Dans la tradition islamique, l’éducation coranique des enfants est considérée comme une obligation religieuse essentielle pour forger leur identité spirituelle et garantir leur développement moral. Les parents sénégalais perçoivent les daaras comme des institutions vitales pour inculquer des valeurs et principes intemporels. Pourtant, mon parcours montre qu’une éducation combinant foi et apprentissage académique peut offrir des opportunités bien au-delà de la préservation culturelle. Grâce à mon travail acharné et à ma détermination, j’ai surmonté les défis auxquels sont confrontés de nombreux talibés, poursuivant des études supérieures et devenant un érudit respecté. Mon histoire inspire non seulement le Sénégal mais également le monde entier, témoignant du pouvoir transformateur du savoir allié à une volonté inébranlable. Mon parcours nous rappelle qu’en dépit des obstacles, la quête de la connaissance peut ouvrir la voie à un avenir plein d’espoir, d’opportunités et d’impact profond. Les Aspects Positifs de Mon Expérience en Tant que Talibé Grandir en tant que talibé au Sénégal a été une période difficile de ma vie, mais aussi une expérience qui m’a appris des leçons inestimables et m’a façonné en la personne que je suis aujourd’hui. Malgré les épreuves, certains aspects de cette expérience se sont révélés positifs et transformateurs. Une Durée Limitée comme Talibé Contrairement à de nombreux talibés qui passent des années, voire toute leur enfance, dans un daara, mon temps en tant que talibé était limité aux mois d'été. Pendant l'année scolaire, je retrouvais un environnement plus structuré et favorable, ce qui me permettait de me reposer, de me recentrer et de maintenir mon progrès académique. De plus, je n'ai eu à mendier que pendant trois étés, une période relativement courte par rapport à d'autres qui passent des années dans la rue. Savoir que mon expérience dans le daara était temporaire m’a donné de l’espoir et m’a aidé à garder le cap sur l’avenir que je désirais. Des Leçons de Résilience, d’Adaptabilité et de Débrouillardise Vivre dans un daara avec des ressources limitées m’a appris la résilience. J'ai appris à surmonter des défis, de la mendicité dans les rues à la gestion des rejets et des conditions difficiles. Ces expériences m’ont inculqué une forte capacité à persévérer qui m’accompagne toujours aujourd’hui. J’ai également développé une grande adaptabilité. Naviguer dans des environnements inconnus et interagir avec des personnes de tous horizons m’a appris à m’ajuster rapidement à de nouvelles situations. Cette compétence s’est avérée précieuse dans ma vie personnelle et professionnelle, me permettant d’aborder les changements et les incertitudes avec assurance. En outre, j’ai cultivé ma débrouillardise. Avec peu de soutien financier ou matériel, j’ai trouvé des moyens créatifs de résoudre les problèmes et de tirer le meilleur parti des ressources limitées à ma disposition. Cette capacité à improviser et à innover m’a aidé à affronter les complexités de la vie et à atteindre mes objectifs. Cultiver l’Humilité, la Gratitude et l’Empathie Partager l’expérience du daara avec des garçons de divers horizons m’a appris l’humilité et la gratitude. J'ai appris à apprécier les choses simples de la vie et à valoriser le soutien des autres. Vivre en communauté m’a inculqué un profond sens de l’empathie et de la compassion, des qualités qui guident mes relations et interactions depuis lors. L’Impact sur Mon Éducation et Mon Développement Personnel Lorsque j’ai intégré le système scolaire français, je me sentais mieux préparé à affronter ses défis que beaucoup de mes camarades. La résilience et la détermination que j'avais développées en tant que talibé m'ont donné un avantage dans cet environnement académique structuré. J'ai prospéré dans ce cadre, utilisant l'éthique de travail que j'avais acquise au daara pour exceller dans mes études. Le contraste frappant entre mon expérience de talibé et les opportunités offertes par l’éducation formelle a approfondi mon appréciation pour l’apprentissage et le développement personnel. Cela m’a inspiré à rêver plus grand et à considérer l’éducation comme un moyen de construire un avenir meilleur. Un Meilleur Chemin pour les Générations Futures Malgré les leçons positives que j’ai tirées de mon expérience, je crois fermement que le système traditionnel des talibés n’est pas la meilleure manière d’éduquer les enfants. La décision de mon père d’envoyer un de mes jeunes frères dans un daara sans me consulter a renforcé cette conviction. Après avoir partagé mes expériences et mes préoccupations avec lui, mon père a finalement retiré mon frère du daara et adopté une approche éducative plus équilibrée pour mes frères et sœurs. Aujourd’hui, mes jeunes frères et sœurs bénéficient d’une combinaison d’école française et d’éducation islamique. Cette approche holistique leur permet d’exceller sur le plan académique tout en approfondissant leur compréhension spirituelle. L'une de mes sœurs, à seulement 15 ans, a déjà mémorisé l'intégralité du Coran—un accomplissement remarquable qui met en évidence l'efficacité d'une éducation équilibrée. Réflexions et Espoirs Mon parcours en tant que talibé a été marqué par des épreuves mais aussi par une croissance personnelle. La résilience, l’adaptabilité et la compassion que j’ai acquises durant cette période ont profondément influencé ma vie. Cependant, en réfléchissant à mon expérience, je m'engage à plaider pour de meilleures opportunités éducatives pour les générations futures. Chaque enfant mérite un environnement bienveillant qui favorise son bien-être physique, émotionnel et intellectuel. En combinant une éducation séculière et religieuse, nous pouvons donner aux enfants les outils nécessaires pour s'épanouir dans tous les aspects de leur vie. J’espère que mon histoire inspirera d'autres à repenser les approches traditionnelles en matière d’éducation et à donner la priorité au développement holistique des enfants partout dans le monde. A special thank you to Matou Diallo for sharing his personal experiences and helping others to understand the role of the talibé in Senegal. If you would like to learn more about our trips to Senegal, send a message to katy@vivelexperience.com or sign up for our next Discovery Meeting here: https://www.vivelexperience.com/info-meetings . We have many free resources available for French teachers, focusing on Senegal here: https://www.vivelexperience.com/resources .

New regulations coming our way for 2025... If you are like me, you are pulling out the computer looking for flights and planning vacations for next summer! Maybe you are finalizing your plans to join a Vive trip to Senegal or Colombia. Whatever your plans, there are a few new regulations in the travel world that you should keep in mind for the New Year. Do you know about STEP, the Smart Traveler Enrollment Plan  for US Citizens?  This one is not a regulation, but I'm always surprised how many teachers who travel with student groups don't know about this service for US Citizens. Whether you are traveling with students on an exchange, or going somewhere with your family, or headed to Colombia or Senegal with VIVE, this is a good service to know about. If you are traveling with Vive, we will sign up the entire group so your Trip Leader will get alerts, but you can always subscribe individually as well. There are three main reasons to join STEP for every trip you take outside of the USA. 1. Get real time updates about health, weather, safety, and security in the country. 2. Plan ahead using information from the local U.S. embassy. 3. Help the embassy or consulate contact you if there’s an emergency like a natural disaster, civil unrest, or a family emergency. Are you traveling to the United Kingdom anytime soon?  In general US Citizens will need to apply for an ETA  in the new year 2025. An ETA is an Electronic Travel Authorization that you will need to have in order to enter the UK. It costs 10£ and is valid for 2 years. It allows you to stay for up to 6 months, but you can re-enter multiple times. You can download the UK ETA App to begin the process, once it's ready to launch. You still will have to go through immigration with your passport. You need: the passport you will travel with - not a photocopy or digital passport access to your emails a credit card, debit card, Apple Pay or Google Pay You will need to upload or take photos of the: passport face of the person applying You do not need to enter your travel details. Are you traveling to the European Union (EU) in 2025?  Non-EU nationals will need to complete the Entry/Exit System (EES) once it’s up and running. It’s an automated IT system for registering non-EU nationals travelling for a short stay, each time they cross the external borders of any of the following European countries using the system. You can see more info here . Six months after the EES system is up and running, US Citizens will need to apply for an ETIAS . We don’t know yet when this will be required, but it’s something to keep in mind for those of you traveling to the EU in 2025. If you are traveling with a US passport to Senegal or Colombia, you don’t need a special visa.  T ravelers must complete the free Migración Colombia’s Online Check-Mig Form  within 72 hours of boarding an inbound or outbound flight from Colombia. Let us know what we can do to help your travel dreams come true in the New Year. We have informational meetings coming up for Summer 2025 trips - sign up here . I'm also available to meet 1-1 via Zoom. Reach out to me at katy@vivelexperience.com . We are not immigration experts, so we offer this general advice with links for you to determine your particular situation and requirements for travel in 2025.

Vive is busy finalizing the details of our inaugural trip this summer. Matou and I can't wait to head to Senegal with 18 French-language educators from all over the USA in June 2023. Those spots filled up very quickly but we still have room for 2024 programs. The best way to learn about our trips is to join an Informational Meeting. Our next one is April 25, 2023 at 7pm EST. You will learn details on the itinerary, what to expect, costs and more. You can sign up here for a Zoom link. If you have already attended a meeting, or have paid a deposit, you don't need to attend again. We are currently about 50% full for the two Summer 2024 sessions for French-language educators. We welcome educators from all over the world -- K-12, DLI, university/college, and retirees. Many have inquired about trips for non-teachers or non-French speakers so we may convert the Spring Break 2024 offerings to accommodate those interests. Stay tuned! We are pleased to announce that graduate credits are now available for Participants for $75-$220 (1-3-credits) with a workload in harmony with our program's goals to create curriculum while in Senegal. Learn more here . What about teacher-led student trips? I am drafting paperwork and pricing for those trips. I know these trips require even more advanced planning for teachers, families and school boards. Once these trips are available, we will let you know. If you reply that you would like to lead a student-trip, we will give you a sneak preview! Thanks again for your continued interest in programs to Senegal. Feel free to be in touch with any questions you may have. Learn. Experience. Connect. All the best, Katy Wheelock