Monroe College and SEED Project Announce Innovative Program to Increase College Access and Affordability for Students in Africa

We are delighted to announce today an innovative partnership to make nine of our undergraduate programs available to students in Senegal this fall. We have collaborated on this initiative with SEED Project, an international non-profit organization that provides academic, athletic, and leadership development programs to promising students in Africa.

Through this academic collaboration, African students accepted into the program will be able to pursue an Associate or Bachelor’s degree program through our fully accredited online platform, while receiving academic support, tutoring, mentoring, advising and student life activities on-site at a conveniently located facility housed at the International School of Dakar (ISD) in Dakar, Senegal.

Students successfully completing their degree program will earn their U.S diploma from Monroe, joining its alumni from all around the world.

A celebration was held at ISD today to launch the program and welcome the first six SEED Monroe students. They will start their courses this Thursday.

“We are excited to partner with the SEED Project on this incredible program to help gifted students in Senegal obtain their undergraduate degree from Monroe,” said Marc Jerome, president of Monroe College. “SEED has been doing amazing work to open doors of opportunity for Africa’s future leaders, and we are honored to help make the college dreams of these deserving kids come true.”

The SEED Project is equally excited about this promising venture.

“This innovative SEED Monroe College pilot project is going to bring about enormous opportunities and open-up life changing pathways not only for these six competent youth but for many other youth in Africa to follow,” said Joseph Lopez, President of SEED Project. “We are honored to have partnered with the reputable Monroe College that has considerable experience with online learning and international students, and the generosity of our sponsors really bring it to fruition.”

The students’ tuition and fees for the program are generously covered by student scholarships funded through SEED Project’s dedicated partners. Longtime SEED supporter Africa Development Solutions (ADS) was the first to provide support by offering SEED Monroe College scholarships to some selected students through its subsidiary, Social Nation Africa. Donors wishing to contribute to the initiative may contact Begay Downes-Thomas (begaydt@seedproject.org) or Brian Benjamin (brian@seedproject.org) for more information.

Students accepted into the program may choose from nine initial areas of study. Our Academic Affairs team retains full academic oversight, with the online programs leveraging the College’s existing curriculum, course content, and learning management system.

The first programs offered are:

• Accounting (Associate or Bachelor’s)                                  
• Business Administration (Associate)
• Business Management (Bachelor’s)
• Computer Information Systems (Associate or Bachelor’s)                                 
• Criminal Justice (Associate or Bachelor’s)                                 
• Health Services Administration (Bachelor’s)
• Hospitality Management (Associate or Bachelor’s)                                 
• Public Health (Bachelor’s)
• Sports Management (Associate or Bachelor’s)                                 

Classes will be held online, with in-person academic and personal support offered in space graciously provided by the International School of Dakar in the Mermoz area. Student activities will also be available to provide a robust college experience. Equally exciting, students will have the opportunity to participate in an academic and cultural immersion trip to New York during their third semester of the program.

Students interested in applying to the program may contact Jennifer Melbourne in New York at 914-740-6543 or jmelbourne@monroecollege.edu.