High School Experiential Learning Programs in Ghana

I went to Ghana as my second GLA program, we were so warmly welcomed into the community as we taught at the local schools, played in the park with the children and were welcomed into local homes to learn the language. The teaching at the school however was the highlight of the trip, we got to know all our students well and teach them some new things, like songs and harder vocab. I would definitely recommend!!

The Children of Africa program has been the best GLA program I have done yet! Staying in a small village in the Krobo region of Ghana, we really connected with the local community and we made such good friends with the local children and our students in school. We saw the struggles it had with educating children with special needs, and when we came back we all were so inspired with how the local community pushed through that we started a fundraiser and raised almost $10,000, which we sent to the schools that we taught at. I came back to my life with so much more appreciation for the luxuries that we have, and a new mindset about taking all the opportunities that i am given.

I’ll never forget the four weeks I spent in Ghana while on this program and the experiences I was able to have! As a group, we traveled to Kumasi, the Volta region, and Cape Coast which gave us the chance to truly explore the country. While on program, I was also able to intern with Untamed Empire, an incubator for young artists in Ghana, where I learned more about artistry and the mechanics of a business. I enjoyed every second of my trip, down to driving through Accra’s heavy traffic and visiting multiple museums. It was a great way to spend my summer!

I loved the time I spent in Ghana over the summer! I learned a lot about the art scene in Ghana and the culture. During the month, I interned at Dikan Center, a non-profit organization committed to visual education through the advancement of visual storytelling in Africa. Through the internship and the projects and discussions had there, I was able to gain a deeper understanding of Ghanaian culture and history. It was nice to go on different excursions throughout the month like Kumasi, Cape Coast, and the Volta Region because of the different people we got to interact with and how the lifestyles differed from place to place.

Participating in The Experiment and being able to go to Ghana allowed me to fully immerse myself in Ghanaian culture and learn a lot more about it. I was able to gain insight into the contemporary art culture in Ghana, and how the history of Ghana including the various ethnic groups and the Transatlantic slave trade impacted current Ghanaian art and culture. My program also included an internship, where I interned at Untamed Empire, an organization dedicated to spotlighting up-and-coming Ghanaian artists. Getting first-hand experience in another country was incredibly informative. My favorite part of the trip was probably getting to explore different cities in Ghana, including Accra, Cape Coast, and Kumasi, and diversifying my perception of Ghana as a whole rather than being confined to just one city through the whole trip. The program leaders was also very welcoming and helped me feel at home in country. I think the only downside to this program was that I wasn't able to do a homestay because of Covid restrictions, but other than that it was amazing! I'd definitely recommend this program for anyone who wants to do an international summer program!