By Jack Conor-Scharf, William & Mary
My name is Jack Connor-Scharf, and I’m a junior at William & Mary, where I study Biology. Before transferring to William & Mary, I earned my associate degree from Germanna Community College. My academic path has been shaped by a deep interest in research, a passion for cross-cultural understanding, and a desire to make a meaningful impact—especially in education and peacebuilding. Outside the classroom, I’ve served as a volunteer firefighter and EMT, coached swim, and worked in student government, all of which shaped how I see leadership and service. In my free time, I love hiking, traveling, and working on creative projects like music and short films.
This summer, I’m honored to be working on the ABC Project (American Bosnian Collaboration), a long-standing intercultural teaching initiative based in Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina. The project brings together U.S. and Bosnian university students to teach local youth—ages 9 to 15—through creative and experiential learning activities. Our goal is to promote peace and intercultural competence through education. This year’s focus is especially exciting: we’re investigating how leading works of children’s literature can be used as a tool to develop students’ intercultural communication skills (ICC), empathy, and nonviolent communication.
Our research asks: How do literature-based experiential teaching strategies affect children’s development of intercultural skills, attitudes, and knowledge? To explore this, we’re running a three-week summer program in Sarajevo. We’ll collect data using baseline and endline surveys, daily teacher reflections, and a final student-authored creative project. These methods allow us to evaluate growth in students’ intercultural awareness using a well-established rubric (Lazar et al., 2007), and adaptively improve our teaching strategies throughout the program. The final student projects—original works of “peace literature”—will be shared with local libraries, contributing to the community beyond the classroom.
As someone who’s passionate about both science and social change, this project brings together many of my interests. I’m especially drawn to the way this initiative blends academic research with direct community engagement. It’s not just about collecting data—it’s about building relationships, reflecting on our teaching, and learning from the students we work with.
In terms of travel, I’ll be based in Sarajevo from late June through mid-July. Our team is working with local partner Creativus, an early learning NGO, to host the camp in classrooms and public spaces that are accessible to youth from diverse ethnic and socioeconomic backgrounds. Participants are recruited through social media campaigns and school outreach, ensuring we reach students from across the city.
I’m looking forward to being immersed in Bosnia—not only as a researcher and teacher, but also as a learner. Having studied Balkan politics and history, I know that Sarajevo’s past and present offer important context for our work. This project isn’t just theoretical: it responds to real social needs in a post-conflict society still grappling with interethnic divisions and polarization. I’m excited to see how the children engage with literature as a bridge to empathy and understanding.
Of course, there are uncertainties too. I wonder how language differences will affect communication, especially with younger students. I’m also aware that teaching intercultural skills—especially in a place with complex social dynamics—is a sensitive and sometimes unpredictable task. To navigate these challenges, I plan to rely on my team, listen deeply, and remain flexible. Our daily teacher reflections will help us adjust our approach in real time, and our Bosnian partners are an invaluable resource for cultural insight and feedback.
My hope is that by the end of this journey, both the students and the co-teachers—including myself—will walk away with a deeper sense of what it means to listen, to learn from difference, and to lead with compassion. I also hope to contribute meaningful data to a growing body of research on peace education and experiential learning—areas that are under-studied but urgently needed.
Ultimately, the ABC Project is about more than teaching or research. It’s about planting seeds of empathy, critical thinking, and intercultural understanding in a generation that will shape the future of Bosnia—and beyond.
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