Ghana: Origins of African Identity

  Ghana

• Other Cities in Ghana: 
Cape Coast

Term: Fall, Spring 
Dates: September to December/February to May

Description: The history of West Africa is intimately linked with the history of humanity. Millions of people of African descent originated in West Africa and migrated--voluntarily and involuntarily--to points around the globe. Understanding the history and cultures of the African Diaspora begins with understanding the history and cultures of West Africa. On this program you will explore these themes in Ghana and Benin to deepen your understanding of West Africa's links to the world.

Ghana's history includes powerful empires, highly developed forms of cultural expression, and its role as a nexus of the Atlantic Slave Trade. Cape Coast, home to one of the oldest slave forts in West Africa, provides an ideal location for your study of the complex history and cultures of this human migration. As you explore Ghanaian culture, politics, economics, and society, you receive a thorough introduction to African views of Pan-Africanism and the global African Diaspora.

Highlights: Five-week homestay in Cape Coast and a one-week rural visit in Komenda. Educational excursions to Accra, the central region, and the ancient capital, Kumasi, and to Benin, site of West Africa's largest slave trade.

Degree Level: Bachelors Degree (Undergraduate)

Cost in US$: contact sponsor

Experience Required: no

This Program is open to American and Worldwide Participants.

Participants Travel to Ghana Independently or in Groups

Scholarships are Available.

Application Process Involves:

• Essay
• Letters of Reference
• Physical Exam/Health Records
• Written Application

Post-Program Services Include:

• Alumni Network
• Exit Debriefing Abroad
• Job and Internship Network

SIT Study Abroad's Mission Statement: SIT Study Abroad is the accredited higher education institution of World Learning, a private, nonprofit international organization promoting international and intercultural understanding, social justice, and economic development through education, training, and field projects around the globe. SIT prepares students to be interculturally effective leaders, professionals, and citizens through SIT Study Abroad, undergraduate, field-based academic programs operating in more than 50 countries worldwide, and thorough short-term professional training and graduate degrees in language teaching, conflict transformation, international education, social justice in intercultural relations, management, and sustainable development.

Year Founded: 1932