World Leadership School

The Republic of Rwanda is a small landlocked country in the Great Lakes region of east-central Africa. Known as the “Land of a Thousand Hills” due to the verdant, fertile hills that blanket much of the country, Rwanda is home to approximately 10 million people, making it the most densely populated nation in Africa. Agriculture is the fastest growing sector of a national economy that reported a 9 percent growth rate in the first half of 2009.

Rwanda has received considerable international attention due to its 1994 genocide, during which between 800,000 and one million people were killed during a 100-day period. Nevertheless, Rwanda has charted its own path toward reconciliation and recovery by using local gacaca courts, national trials, and UN tribunals to achieve some measure of justice. Broadly speaking, the Rwandan people seem to accept the notion that no legal process can provide adequate comfort to the families of genocide victims. It is remarkable that the Government of Rwanda has been able to effectively focus the populace on unity and prosperity as a vehicle for national salvation.

The safety of our programs rests on the experience and skills of our Staff, Country Coordinators and Instructors, who convene at our annual training in Colorado’s Arkansas Valley.

• The Staff of World Leadership School have decades of experience working in different educational environments. Their focus is logistics, risk management, program design, professional development, and consulting.
• Our Country Coordinators live and work year round in our overseas countries. They screen our homestay families, evaluate our transport and other service providers, and provide ground support for our groups.
• Our Instructors are veteran educators with extensive international experience. They have wilderness first responder training and often have past affiliations with Peace Corps, Outward Bound, NOLS, and/or independent schools.

We strive to responsibly manage risks. Our itineraries minimize highway travel and maximize immersion in rural communities that we know well. We update our risk management protocols, integrate feedback into program design, and invest in safety and communication equipment. Despite these efforts, World Leadership School cannot guarantee safety nor can it eliminate the inherent and other risks of international student travel. For information regarding program activities and associated risks, risk management, and student and parent responsibilities, please contact our office.