College credit, scholarship for Ghana trip

By KELLIE FOSTER

Under the direction of Yaw Oheneba-Sakyi, professor and chair of the Africana and American Indian Studies department, Fresno State students have the opportunity to visit the African nation of Ghana and earn three units of credit.

Offered as Africana and American Indian Studies (AAIS) 130T, the two-week trip will allow student participants to explore many historical monuments of Ghana including: the W.E.B. DuBois Memorial Center for African Culture, the Ashanti Palace Museum and the Bonwire Kente Village.

Jason Gatewood, a senior Mass Communications and Journalism major, said he feels the trip will allow him to see the world from a different perspective.

Students will leave on July 6 and return on July 20. The cost of the trip is $3,595.

To encourage more participation, AAIS, through Associated Students, is offering several scholarships to students.

The Instructionally Related Activity (IRA) scholarships range from $2,000 to $2,500. Students can request a scholarship application by e-mailing Oheneba-Sakyi at [email protected].

Applicants must explain why they want to participate and how others will share their experience.

Oheneba-Sakyi, a native Ghanaian said the purpose of the program is to help students establish the historical relationship between Ghana and the western world.

Africana Studies major Mark Harris said he’s going because he realizes “that so much of civilization has been influenced by Africa.”

Oheneba-Sakyi lived in Africa for 30 years, and has worked in the United States educational system for 20 years.

“This trip will help people understand the history and contemporary images of Ghana,” Oheneba-Sakyi said.