Lehigh University Study Abroad

* A limited number of need-based scholarships are also available. Applications will be evaluted according to a student's financial need and an essay describing the possible significance of this experience to their academic and professional development.

$4,500* - This includes tuition for one course (three credits), double-occupancy housing, and breakfast. The program cost also includes field trips and group activities. Not included are some meals outside the program, laundry, local travel, personal expenditures or any other costs, such as extra nights lodging and meals due to unforeseen events.

* Admission Requirement: 2.5 GPA or higher

PROGRAM OVERVIEW

The Africana Studies program proposes a four-week summer study abroad program around the theme of "Economic Development, History, and Culture in Ghana" in partnership with Ashesi University in Accra, Ghana. One objective of the Lehigh in Ghana program is to offer students who may not have opportunities to travel abroad (students of color, working class students, first generation college students) access to, as well as support and preparation for overseas travel and education. Students will learn through cultural immersion, including tours, university campus visits, and experiencing African Diasporic and Africana Studies-related sites such as originating points of the transatlantic slave trade along the coast of Ghana. Professor Essien will offer one 3-credit course, A History of the Culture and Development in Ghana (AAS/History). This course will be taught by Professor Essien (LU), with units and lectures provided by Stephen Armah (AU). Besides the faculty from LU and AU, other Ghanaian professors and professinals from diverse backgrounds/disciplines and with a great deal of expertise will lead various discussions and activities in the program in order to provide students with a broad overview covering a wide range of thought-provoking themes and subjects.

LOCATION
The current population of Ghana (approximately 25 million people) consists of a wide range of linguistic, cultural and ethnic groups. After Ghana became the first nation in West Africa to gain political independence from the British on March 6, 1957, she became a center for African diasporic history and a repository for transatlantic cultural exchanges. Many people of African descent trace their ancestral roots to Ghana because of its geo-political history in the Trans-Atlantic slave trade and the significance of sites of memories along the coast. Ghana's rich history with the middle passage and its economic and political stability has attrached many returnees, tourists, investors and students in various study abroad programs to visit the country since the 1960s. Ghana remains pivotal in the study of Africa, African Diaspora history and tourism. In terms of its governance, Ghana is the most stable and safest country in West Africa.

TRAVEL & ACCOMODATIONS

Students will depart with the group flight on Sunday, June 2, 2013 and return on Tuesday, July 2, 2013.

The main residential site of the program is a hotel near the campus of the University of Ghana in Accra. Accra is the capital city of Ghana and the most diverse area in the country (located in the Greater Accra Region). Greater Accra is the second most populated region, after the Ashanti Region, accounting for 15.4% of Ghana's total population. Students will spend part of their course time at Ashesi University, a private university located in the hills of Berekuso (about 40 minutes drive from Accra International Airport); and on the campus of the University of Ghana, Legon, Accra, one of the major public universities in Ghana. While in Accra, students will spend some time on AU's campus but 'home base' will be a hotel/hostel near the University of Ghana's campus. These selected locations are close to the airport, the main shopping mall, restaurants and major highways that connect Accra, the Tema Industrial Area/Harbor, the Aburi Mountains and other coastal areas.

Other program sites that we will visit as a part of this summer study abroad program include Kumasi, Cape Coast and Elmina, all of which offer opportunities for experiential learning and cultural immersion in Ghana. These locations are sites for various slave-related monuments and memories. Visiting these sites will consist of a 2-3 day visit. Students will spend the nights in hotels. In all of these locations, students will enjoy Ghanaian cuisine, visit historical sites and travel to a number of towns and villages to immerse themselves in Ghanaian societies and cultures. A confortable minibus will be provided for group transportation between sites of learning and residence.

Summer 2013 Ghana Schedule COMING SOON!

COURSE OPTIONS

AAS/History. A History of Culture and Development in Ghana (3 credits, HU) TBA.
The course will provide an overview of development, Ghanaian history and culture - especially how these phenomena have shaped Ghana, the African Diaspora and the global world. Students will critically re-evaluate their knowledge of Africans/Ghanaians and different cultures. Students will do so by participating in lectures and discussions on several university campuses (including Ashesi) across Ghana. Students will share their social and educational experiences with Ghanaian students in related fields of interest. Students will learn basic Akan Ghanaian vocabulary and also have the opportunity to engage in 'organized' informal and social interactions with Ghanaians. Course requirements include reading quizzes, participating in a research fair developed by students and developing a multimedia final project. No prerequisite.

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Lehigh University
Study Abroad Office
32 Sayre Drive, Coxe Hall
Bethlehem, PA 18015

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