Exploring the Cultures of South Africa: VAC Culture Series

FORUM CIGL Conference in Athens, Greece: The Takeaways from our attendance

Sean and Oliver attended the FORUM CIGL conference in Athens, Greece in October of 2024. The conference had a wonderful atmosphere (the location wasn’t too shabby, either!) and it was great to reconnect with old friends and make new ones too.

Career readiness was the underlying theme and focus of the CIGL. International internships deliver impactful learning experiences but remain a challenge for many US colleges to accredit. Delegates at the conference shared an attitude of “how can we make this happen” and we enjoyed some very productive meetings with institutions considering future programming in South Africa.

Programs located in non-traditional destinations like South Africa have to work so much harder to capture the attention of prospective participants. In the 2022-2023 academic year, approximately 3.3% of U.S. students studying abroad chose destinations in Africa. Globally, only 6% of study abroad students participated in internship and work exchange programs. This places VAC firmly in a niche within a niche but with more universities educating students on the benefits of studying abroad in Africa, we anticipate enrollment will continue to rise in the years ahead.

Africa’s rapid population growth and its increasing role in the global economy highlight the importance of fostering international engagement. By 2050, the continent will host a quarter of the world’s working-age population and one-third of its youth, positioning it as a central driver of innovation and sustainable development. South Africa, in particular, offers unique opportunities for students to engage with pressing global challenges such as urbanization, public health, and environmental sustainability while benefiting from a dynamic educational and cultural environment.

The University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (UIUC), the University of Cape Town and VAC have designed a new hybrid semester study abroad and internship program and the inaugural cohort arrived in South Africa on February 2nd. Students enroll in two classes at the University of Cape Town for the Winter/Spring academic semester and will also participate in an internship that runs concurrently with their studies. The internship will be scheduled for approximately 15-20 hours per week for the duration of the semester.

This program offers a unique blend of academic learning at the most prestigious university in Africa and practical work experience through internships, allowing students to immerse themselves in South African culture while gaining both academic and professional skills.

Albany State University

In November, we hosted Katherine Stievater from Gap Year Solutions in Cape Town. Katherine, a GYA Accredited Gap Year Consultant, spent two days with the VAC team learning how we successfully host gap year students in our program. Her site visit included visits with gap year students at their internship sites, a tour of program housing, a review of our program orientation, and participation in one of our weekly program activities. Over the past few years, we’ve seen a significant increase in participants taking gap years before, during, and after college. Numerous studies continue to highlight the incredible value of taking time off to travel, volunteer, or work before or during higher education.

Hellen Gerolymatos McDonald joined us for a site visit in early December. Hellen is the Associate Director of International Programs and a Clinic Professor from the College of Social Work at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. VAC hosts both undergraduate and MSW students from UIUC and Hellen visited some of our best social work sites that have hosted her students over the years.

This visit was also a homecoming of sorts because Hellen was born in Johannesburg and spent a good portion of her youth living in South Africa. We hope to see you back in Cape Town soon, Hellen!

During her internship, Leyla worked at Manelisi’s Farm, an urban farming project in Gugulethu, and appears in the video below. Some of our gap year and 1st year college students often worry that if they are not finding the “perfect” internship, they will be falling behind their peers. Leyla is testament that there is great value to be found in exploring multidisciplinary learning opportunities with an open mind. It fosters creative thinking and improves your ability to solve problems.

Congratulations, Leyla, and we will continue to cheer for you from afar as your career literally heads towards the stars!