Hewitt Upper Schoolers Learn About Global Leadership in South Africa 

Hewitt’s Venturer Program offers opportunities for students in kindergarten through twelfth grade to engage in cultural exchanges, language immersion, community service, and global travel. Through The Venturer Program, Hewitt girls develop into independent thinkers who are capable of making meaningful contributions locally and globally. 

Throughout the school year, Hewitt high school students partner with Angelrock Project South Africa to develop meaningful relationships with their peers in Johannesburg. As they participate in monthly virtual meetings with 8th grade Journey for Change scholars, upper school members of Hewitt’s Journey for Change club learn across cultural differences and provide mentorship to younger girls. 

This July, members of the club extended their education beyond the classroom as they traveled to South Africa for three weeks of real-world learning. This immersive travel experience combined cross-cultural exchange, leadership development, experiential learning, and community service.  

The trip began at the African Leadership Academy (ALA) in Johannesburg, South Africa, where Hewitt students participated in the Global Scholars Program. Just as they do in their Hewitt classes, at ALA our students worked with peers from all over the world to develop ethical leadership and entrepreneurship skills, solve global issues, and make impactful change in the world. Students also had the chance to visit many local museums and cultural institutions, and enjoyed trying South African food at local restaurants.

After 10 meaningful days of learning at the Global Scholars Program, students traveled to Kruger National Park to take part in a safari. Through game drives and nature walks, they experienced South Africa’s incredible wildlife up close and learned about the country’s deep rooted commitment to animal and nature preservation. 

For the final leg of the trip, Hewitt students engaged in volunteer work in the informal township of Diepsloot. In close collaboration with their peers from the Leap School of Science and Maths, Hewitt students partnered with ten local families to determine their greatest needs and shop for and deliver critical supplies. These supplies, which were paid for with funds raised by Hewitt’s Journey for Change club and a donation from the Angelrock Project South Africa, included school uniforms, mobile phones, bedding and mattresses, and even large appliances like stoves and refrigerators. Additionally, several of the families’ homes were reinforced with new sheet metal and concrete to stop leaks during the rainy season. Our students also got to meet members of the local community through volunteer work at a daycare, soup kitchen, children’s home, and community garden. 

Reflecting on the trip, Hewitt students noted how their experiences in South Africa impacted them as individuals, as students, and as global citizens capable of effecting change in the world. 

• “In South Africa I connected with people from different backgrounds and realized we are much more similar than different. I learned more about myself and who I am as a person.”
• “The most meaningful moment of my trip was giving back to the families that we worked with. It felt good to see our hard work pay off and know that it had a great impact on someone’s life.”
• “I researched education inequality in New York City for my Extended Inquiry Project. Being able to get an education is such an important part of life that everyone should have access to, and this experience made me want to deepen and expand my research - it really gave me new perspectives that I wasn’t fully thinking about before.”

We are grateful to Angelrock founder and executive director Malaak Compton-Rock P’26 for helping organize this meaningful opportunity for our students.