Comprehensible Input Comes Alive in Senegal
Not a typical educator trip, and not a typical CI workshop — both, woven together in one of the most vibrant francophone countries in the world.
Led by CI practitioner Elodie Channa (known to thousands of classrooms as Mme Pois Chiche) and organized by Vive founder Katy Wheelock, this program immerses French educators in Senegal’s culture while building practical, transferable Comprehensible Input skills grounded in real experiences.
Every day becomes source material: a conversation with a university student in Thiès, the rhythm of a djembé workshop, the layered history of Gorée, a meal shared around the bowl with a Senegalese family. Elodie’s workshops draw directly from these encounters and show how to turn them into compelling, comprehensible instruction back home.
Highlights
- Daily CI workshops with Elodie Channa
- Exchanges with Senegalese French teachers and university students in Thiès
- Meals with families; djembé and batik workshops
- Gorée Island with a historian guide
- Collaborative reflection and shareable units
- Small cohort: 12–20 educators, by application
Day by day
- Day 1 · Arrive DakarWelcome and program orientation.
- Day 2 · Toubab DialawCI workshop 1; djembé as source material.
- Day 3 · Toubab DialawBatik workshop; storytelling session.
- Day 4 · ThièsExchanges with French teachers; university visit.
- Day 5 · ThièsCI workshop 2; lesson design from encounters.
- Day 6 · Saint-LouisColonial history; fishing port.
- Day 7 · Saint-LouisCI workshop 3; Grande Muraille Verte.
- Day 8 · DakarMarkets, bookstores, mural walk.
- Day 9 · GoréeMaison des Esclaves; reflection.
- Day 10 · DakarShowcase of units; farewell dinner.
- Day 11 · DepartTransfer to DSS.
What’s included
Included
- CI-focused program with Elodie Channa
- 10 nights hotel
- Expert-led guided tours
- Workshops and hands-on activities
- All ground transportation
- All entrance fees
- All meals and tips
Not included
- International airfare
- Required travel & medical evacuation insurance
- Passport/visa fees
- Yellow fever vaccination and other health costs
- Private expenses
Free Discovery meeting on Zoom
We walk through this itinerary day by day, talk about goals and costs, and answer your questions. Can’t make it? Register and we’ll send the recording.
See dates5.0 on Google from 29 educators
Are you seeking inspiration, cultural insights, connection, community and a period of French immersion with like-minded educators? Vive provides all that and more. I felt trust and ease thanks to the skillful and warm communication leading up to the trip and throughout the journey around Senegal.
Fabulous trip! Personally and professionally a life-changing experience.