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

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!