Culture and Heritage in Ghana
July 12–August 16, 2019
(Summer Session II)
The Ghana program introduces students to African history, culture, and heritage that have informed the shape and growth of the African diaspora. The country's ancient Asante culture, peaceful democratic atmosphere, and steady economic growth make Ghana an idea African country for American students to visit. The program explores trans-Atlantic history and culture, ranging from traditional Ghanaian cultural expression and the trans-Atlantic slave trade, to contemporary Ghanaian cultural practice.
The program begins in the capital city, Accra, where lectures and readings will be complemented by visits to cultural and historic sites including the DuBois Center, the National Museum, the National Art Center, and popular Ghanaian theater institutions. The next place of focus will be Cape Coast where students will participate in PanaFest. PanaFest is a biennial festival that has been celebrated since 1992. It is described as an event that "consciously makes the most prominent European edifices through which the slave trade was conducted as sites for confronting the effects of enslavement, purging the pain of Diaspora, acknowledging the residual effects of the trade on the Continent and re-uniting to forge a positive future in the contemporary global environment." Students will visit the slave castles for further introduction to the historical and cultural contexts of Ghana.
Students will then travel to the city of Kumasi, center of the Asante cultural region, and home to one of the largest open markets in West Africa. Participants will be immersed in lectures and participatory activities such as music and dance workshops with the premier Ghanaian ethnomusicologist, Daniel Amponsah (Agya Koo Nimo), traveling to the kente-weaving villages and homes of eminent Ghanian artists and sculptors, and participating in lectures with Brooklyn College and Ghanaian professors at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (subjects range from literature and cultural performance in Ghana, to the history of African art). Students will also have the opportunity to engage in a service-learning component based in a peri-urban village that will include hands-on teaching and learning activities, and the opportunity to share art and culture with a Ghanaian community. Visits to kente-weaving and craft villages, traditional Asante cultural events, and the Kakum Canopy walk will highlight the stay in the region. Individual research projects can be arranged.
This program is open to all undergraduate and graduate students, and all majors.
Program Dates
July 12–August 16, 2019
Program Fee
$2,833 (includes CISI health/travel insurance, program-related transportation in Ghana, excursions, housing, and some meals)
Program Fee Payment Schedule:
- Nonrefundable Deposit Due: With Application—$300
- Second Payment Due: Friday, April 5, 2019—$1,267
- Final Payment Due: Friday, May 3, 2019—$1,266
Additional Costs
- Brooklyn College tuition for six credits.
- Out-of-pocket costs ($820 estimated minimum) for visa, vaccinations, personal expenses, laundry, Internet/phone, and out-of-pocket meals.
- $1,549 for international round-trip airfare to Ghana.
Estimated Total Basic Program Cost: $5,353, plus Brooklyn College tuition for six credits.
Courses and Credits
Participants will be registered by IPSA for two classes, a total of six credits. All students will take one of these summer seminar courses:.
- AFST 4412: Summer Seminar (undergraduates)
- AFST 7040X: Summer Seminar in Africa (graduate students)
Participants will also take a second course of their own choosing, selected from the courses listed below. Final course offerings will be dependent on course enrollment.
- AFST 3247: Literatures of the African Diaspora
- AFST 3290: Special Topics in Literature, Culture, and the Arts
Financial Aid/Scholarships
Financial aid may apply, and alternative loans are available. Scholarships that apply to this program are: Furman, Gould, and SASA, among others (see Scholarship Opportunities).
How to Apply
- Complete and submit the IPSA Notification of Study Abroad/Brooklyn College Study Abroad Application.
- A $300 nonrefundable deposit is due with your application. Students will pay directly at the Brooklyn College Bursar's Office and must attach their paid receipt to their application when submitting to IPSA. Applications will not be accepted or considered complete without a receipt. Please note this deposit of $300 will only be returned if you are not accepted to the program.
- Contact the program director to express your interest in joining the program.
Application Deadline
Friday, March 15, 2019
More Information
Dale Byam (Program Director)
Department of Africana Studies
3105 James Hall
P: 718.951.5597
International Programs & Study Abroad
1212 Boylan Hall
P: 718.951.5189
Cancellation and Refund Policies
Read and understand the IPSA Cancellation and Refund Policies Information and note that a participant wishing to cancel his or her program participation must send written notification to IPSA to officially withdraw. Program withdrawal will be official from the time and date that the written communication was received by IPSA.
Please note that all information listed above is subject to change at any time.
Page last modified on February 4, 2019.
