Saint-Louis is the kind of city that teaches you about water by losing some of itself every year. Our field school sends a cohort each summer to learn from the people who decide what to carry away when the tide changes its mind.
Region
Saint-Louis, Senegal
Years
Annual, since 2023
Discipline
Field study, climate
Partners
Université Gaston Berger
A standing summer field school in Saint-Louis pairing university students with master fishers, boat builders and griots to study a coastal heritage under climate pressure.
The Cohort
Twenty postgraduate students from four continents spend six weeks paired with fishers, pirogue builders, griots and municipal archivists. Tuition is set so that half the cohort is funded by full bursary each year.
The Curriculum
The curriculum is rewritten each year by a council of Saint-Louis elders and reviewed by our academic partners. Students leave with a written contribution to the city's working archive, with named co-authorship.
The Returns
Every cohort leaves behind a documented case study, a Wolof and French summary, and a small physical contribution to the city archive. Three former students have returned as junior faculty; one now directs the boat builders' youth wing.
“The sea is teaching the city. We are teaching the students to take notes properly.”
Cheikh N., Lead Elder, 2024
