The Experiment: Ghana Internship: Contemporary Art & Culture

My experience in Ghana was a once in a lifetime experience. While getting to experience a new culture, I also got to make memorable connections with 9 of the other students on the trip. Being in a different country as a teenager without your family is hard, but the people that I was surrounded with on the trip made it so much easier to adjust. As soon as we got there we were immersed into Ghana's rich history and culture. It was super fun to learn fun facts about the country and how Ghana first gained its independence. We tried new foods, went to many museums and cultural sites, explored the rainforest, went on hikes, and walked through the bustling streets of Accra. I am so grateful that I had the chance to experience Ghana with EIL. I will never forget how monumental this trip was to my self discovery and overall growth as a high school student.

Going into Ghana I had no expectations. I didn't know what I was getting myself into, which helped me have the best time ever. I remember my first day there I looked outside the window and saw a different world. Kids were running around in the streets, the people carried buckets on their heads, and everywhere you looked there was someone selling food on the streets, it was beautiful. My time there was the liveliest I had felt in a long time. There is no place in the world as beautiful as Ghana.

The SIT staff did an amazing job at welcoming us into the Ghanian space and culture by allowing us to partake in presentations from renowned artists, exploration of Ghanaian’s night life, bargaining in the markets, and much more during our month long stay. The internship, and homestay experience was also very fulfilling. I learned to cook multiple cultural dishes, I made a dress using printed kentes, and learned words and phrases in the languages of the region including Twi and Ewe