General Information: Kennesaw State University has received a grant from the U.S. Department of Education to organize a Fulbright-Hays Group Projects Abroad program to West Africa. The countries four-week program will take participants through West Africa from the Atlantic coast to the heart of the Sahara desert, covering the two countries of Ghana and Mali.
Purpose: The overall purpose of the project is to expand the knowledge base and improve the teaching strategies about Africa in Georgia’s high schools. Focusing on two countries--Ghana and Mali--the project takes a team of 12 World Geography, World History, and Social Studies teachers to West Africa for four weeks to study the region’s geography, people, and culture.
Participants: Participants will consist of eight high school teachers and four university faculty selected from across the state of Georgia.
Activities: (a) Mandatory two-day pre-departure orientation in Winter/Spring 2004 will focus on essential information and preparation for the trip. (b) The trip to West Africa. While in West Africa, participants will receive formal instruction from university faculty and experts, and deep insights from citizens, chiefs, palace historians, and religious officials. They will visit places of historical and cultural significance, collect instructional materials and artifacts, keep a journal, and take photos and video clips. (c) Upon their return, participants will develop lesson plans, presentation strategies, and course modules on Africa and integrate their knowledge into their lessons and teaching. They will also produce a series of workshops across the state in which they will showcase to their colleagues the knowledge they have gained and, importantly, the resource materials they have produced. (d) A resource center to be called “TeachAfrica Resource Center” (TARC) will be established at Kennesaw State University (KSU) to promote the African curriculum in World Geography, World History, and Social Studies in Georgia. TARC will continue to acquire and store instructional resource materials to be checked out by teachers for their classroom presentations. (e) A website will also be established at KSU for posting electronic resources on Africa prepared by team members.
Program Costs: The U.S. Department of Education grant will cover approximately 80% of participants’ costs overseas, including round-trip airfare, in-country travel in Ghana and Mali, lodging. In addition to a registration fee of $500, participants are to expect out-of-pocket expenses related to pre-departure orientation in Georgia and a few meal expenses in West Africa.
Application Process: Please complete the application form and checklist, and mail completed application to Dr. Akanmu G. Adebayo, Executive Director, Institute for Global Initiatives, Kennesaw State University, 1000 Chastain Road, Kennesaw, GA 30144-5591. To ensure consideration, complete applications must be received by Friday, October 31, 2003. Final selection is subject to approval by the U.S. Department of Education. Expect to be notified by Friday, November 19, 2003.