CAH : Spring Break in Ghana - The Gold Coast

Program overview

Spend ten days in Ghana with CWU professors Maurice Amutabi (History) and Cynthia Coe (Philosophy), and fellow CWU students! If you've never been to Africa but have ever wanted to go, this trip will be a perfect introduction -- Ghana's people are friendly and English-speaking, the course will give you a chance to study Ghana's rich cultural and political heritage, and you will have the opportunity to explore on your own all that Ghana has to offer.

Ghana sits on the west coast of Africa -- an area that is culturally vibrant and historically important. Before it became independent in 1957 (the first country in Africa to do so), Ghana was known as the Gold Coast, and the British, Dutch, and Portuguese governments and traders competed to control its natural resources -- including establishing the trans-Atlantic slave trade. Prior to European colonization, Ghana was the site of the Asante empire, with its hallmark "Golden Stool" as its throne, and the distinctive kente cloth as its ceremonial regalia; the latter art form has been taken up as an important symbol by African- Americans seeking to establish their cultural roots.

This course will focus on how the history of Ghana and the history of the United States have been intertwined and still continue to have an impact on each other, particularly in our conceptions of race and identity, as well as the position of the U.S. in a postcolonial world. Through lectures each morning and visits to historic and cultural sites in the afternoons, we will attempt to answer questions such as: What is the impact of the colonial period and the institution of slavery on Ghana and on the United States? How does race shape our self-understanding? Is colonialism continuing in a different form?

Our excursions will take you to 400-year-old slave forts (Elmina and Cape Coast), music and dance performances, the monuments to independence and the Pan-African movement (including the mausoleum of W.E.B. Du Bois), the University of Ghana (with its collection of colonial-era documents), and museums devoted to the arts and history.

Students will stay in youth hostels and hotels, with double occupancy rooms. In Elmina, students will have the chance to stay in a bed and breakfast located in the restored house of an early Dutch merchant. Breakfast served at the hotel will be included on most days, and approximately three group dinners will be arranged by the program. For other meals, students can choose from a variety of restaurants. It is suggested that students budget approximately $100 for meals.

This program is open to students of any academic level or major with a GPA of 2.5 or greater. Acceptance is based on personal commitment, flexibility, and maturity and suitability for study abroad.

Applications available here: $50.00 nonrefundable application fee is part of the application.
Deadline for applications:January 12, 2007
$300 program deposit due: February 2, 2007
Non-financial aid students program balance is due: February 16, 2007     
Financial aid recipients program balance is due: when aid becomes available in winter quarter.

The program fee is $1,725, and includes CWU credits, housing, some meals, travel within Ghana (train), cultural events/excursions, and the cost of instruction abroad. Fee does NOT include travel to or from Ghana (est. $1,400-$1,800), meals (est. $100) personal expenses, health insurance, passport or visa fees.

Please visit the study abroad website for a sample budget.
Note: Program will run only with sufficient enrollment. Prices and dates are subject to change.

Three required classes and an orientation will be held prior to departure - dates TBA.

Most types of financial aid apply toward program costs. For more information, please refer to the Financial Aid & Scholarships page at Study Abroad.

Interested? Contact one of the faculty coordinators (information on reverse), or come to one of our information sessions:

• 11/15, 4-5pm, SURC 135
• 11/28, noon-1pm, SURC 140
• 11/30, 4-5pm, Int'l Center, room 101

Students are responsible for securing their own passports and visas for entering Ghana. Visa information will be sent with acceptance packets. A passport is required to apply for a visa, and passports can take up to 6 weeks to arrive. (The visa can take up to one month to process.) Vaccination information can be found at www.cdc.gov, under and also by contacting the Kittitas County Health Department at 962-7515. Yellow fever vaccination is required; please also be sure to check carefully the recommendations for malaria.