IPS Teacher Leads Sister School Project in Senegal

An Indianapolis school teacher is helping to build a school in his native country of Senegal and he is getting support from his employer, Indianapolis Public Schools. Massiga Seck, a special education teacher with IPS’s Newcomer Program, wants IPS to be a sister school to the Senegal project.

The Newcomer program provides newly arrived students with a unique education experience to fit their academic and language development needs.

Seck immigrated to the U.S. in 2012 and since then he has focused on creating more educational opportunities in the west African nation.

“I am helping build a modern school that will allow Senegalese youth the same academic chance as most developed countries,” said Seck, who taught in his native Senegal before immigrating to the United States and enrolling in the Indianapolis Teaching Fellows program. “Having served both teaching settings and environment, I have realized that Senegal’s education system is far behind, as far as technologies and teaching resources are concerned, to promote an equitable chance for success as in developed countries.”

Seck is leading the planning process and is joined by colleagues from the IPS Newcomer Program.

Construction on the school has begun, but Seck wants the project to extend beyond brick and mortar. He sees an opportunity for academic growth and cultural awareness between the two communities.

“Our project will provide students authentic learning opportunities through engagement with students from other cultures, to build language and intercultural capabilities in a purposeful way,” said Seck. “This will also impact IPS students by realizing that they are given a great chance of success in their studies compared to third world schools and they should be grateful for this.”

Seck and his partners have created a GoFundMe page. Plans call for the new school to start later this year or in early 2023.