Morocco through a Sliding Glass Door

Yellow Door in Ighls, Morocco

May 2025: EHHD students recently returned from a two-week travel abroad course in Morocco beginning in the mystical city of Fez, venturing to Agoudim village in the Zawiyah Ahansal region of the High Atlas Mountains, heading south to the desert oasis of Ighls on the edge of the Sahara, and concluding in Marrakesh, Morocco’s vibrant red city. One of the course objectives was to use children’s books as a bridge between cultures, and service-learning opportunities for EHHD students were embraced in both Agoudim and Ighls, with MSU students using children’s books to engage with local students who are learning English.

Part of the inspiration for the trip for course instructor Dr. Sue Stolp, who teaches Children’s Literature among other courses for EHHD, was M.O. Yuksel’s 2022 stunning picture book One Wish: Fatima al-Fihri and the World’s Oldest University (New York: Harper Collins), illustrated by Mariam Quraishi, that documents the story of Fatima al-Fihri, a ninth century Muslim woman who is credited with founding the world’s oldest continually operating institution for higher learning that still stands in Fez, the University of al-Qarawiyyin. While exploring the winding alleys within the centuries old Fez medina, students were able to view the courtyard of al-Qarawiyyin, its green roof in the spirit of Islam soaring above.

EHHD students Piper Finley, Paige Mackenstadt, and Carolyn Burrill in the Fez medina portal to al-Qarawiyyin courtyard with M.O. Yuksel’s One Wish.

al-Qarawiyyin rooftop from inside the medina

The Fez medina is one of several UNESCO World Heritage sites that students visited while in Morocco, the others being the Roman ruins of Volubilis, the village of Moulay Idriss Zerhoun (currently being considered by UNESCO), the village of Ait Ben Haddou, and the Marrakech medina.

Wendy Morical, co-leader of the course, who works as a field supervisor for MSU pre-service teachers in rural Montana settings, supported coordination of students’ efforts while working with children in the Moroccan villages of Agoudim and Ighls, who speak their local dialect, Tamazight, as well as Arabic, and who are learning French and English. Language learning activities EHHD students employed included scribing the English alphabet, reciting numbers and colors in English, crafting simple sentences, and creating artistic representations of their learning.

EHHD students were immersed in other aspects of the culture in Agoudim, including a cultural exchange with the local women’s empowerment group, adventure hiking to the nearby village of Taghia, and sampling the abundance of delectable Moroccan tagines, couscous dishes, breads, fresh fruits, and teas. While in the southern village of Ighls, students learned about sustainable agriculture, local cooking, and carpet making, in addition to practicing basic English language instruction with village children. Students emerged from this experience with a greater sense of cultural humility and competence as participants in global connection and collaboration.

Atlas Cultural Adventures (ACA: atlasculturaladventures.com) is the tour operator that managed all the logistics for our travel. ACA guides Chafia Hammoudu and Ismail Barda were unsurpassed in terms of their knowledge, patience, and kindhearted personalities that captivated instructors and students alike.

The Atlas Cultural Foundation (ACF: atlasculturalfoundation.org) is the non-profit sister organization that allows access to the community activities with locals (tutoring with children and women’s empowerment) and was founded by MSU alum Cloe Erickson in 2009.

ACA and ACF have partnered in the past with MSU’s Architecture, Sustainable Food and Bioenergy Systems (College of Agriculture), and Modern Languages departments. This is the first collaboration with Education, Health, and Human Development.

In Agoudim

EHHD Students with Agoudim children: See if you can spot Paige Mackenstadt, Piper Finley, Hope Greene, Henry Marcum, Carolyn Burrill, Reesa Artz, Laine Sanders, Sophia Bourriague

EHHD Students hiking above Taghia Village