Ghana: Intercultural Immersion in Africa

The application is now closed. Please contact studyabroad@smccd.edu if you have any questions.

Join professors Danielle Powell and Dr. Frederick Gaines on a two-week study abroad journey in Ghana! This will be a great cultural immersion opportunity to experience the socioeconomic, political, historical, and spiritual beliefs that contribute to the Ghanaian cultural identity, while studying African American history and culture, and the ways of intercultural communication.

Ghana offers unique cultural traditions, characteristics, and a geographical location in West Africa that you will easily connect to. The program will offer hands-on experiences such as introductions to the Twi/Twi language classes, Ghanaian dance workshops and a tour of the University of Cape Coast, as well as leisurely visits to places such as the Makola Market and the Boti Waterfalls.

Program Dates

Arrive ACC: Sunday, June 16, 2024

Depart ACC:Sunday, June 30, 2024

Duration:14 Days

Activity Level:Moderately Active

Program Provider:Cultural Links

Apply by: March 8, 2024

Info Sessions Planned Itinerary Important Dates

Course Information

ETHN 105 - African American History/Culture (3 units) | Professor Gaines

Prerequisites: None

AA/AS Degree Requirements: Area E1a, E1b, E5b, E5c

Transfer Credit: CSU (CSU Area C2 or D or F and US-1), UC (IGETC Area 3B or 4 or 7)

COMM 150 - Intercultural Communication (3 units) | Professor Powell

Prerequisites: Recommended Eligibility for ENGL 846 or ESOL 400, or equivalent

AA/AS Degree Requirements: Area 9A1, 9D3

Transfer Credit: CSU (CSU GE Area A1; Area D), UC (IGETC Area 1C; Area 4)

Program Costs, Inclusions, and Payment Policies

The program fee is $4,900 per participant for students (including round-trip International flight). Scholarships of various amounts are available.

Payment Schedule for Students

The 1st payment of $300 due March 20th, 2024
The 2nd payment of $2,225 due April 10th, 2024
The final payment of $2,375 due May 8th, 2024

The program fee for community members as below:

Program fee with round-trip international flight: $5,750 (including 14 days of single hotel room accommodation, two meals per day, and in-country flight). Please note that this is the group flight and if selected, there will not be an option to upgrade your seat to the next class.
Program fee without round-trip international flight: $3,980 (including 14 days of single hotel room accommodation, two meals per day and in-country flight). A few participants are booking British Airways via London for this route (the current airfare is approximately $1900) and you will have the flexibility to upgrade your seat.

Payment Schedule for Community Members

The 1st payment of $300 due March 20th, 2024
The 2nd payment of $2,225 due April 10th, 2024
The final payment due May 8th, 2024: $3225 (including group flight) or $1,455 (without group flight)

Program Fee Includes

Round-trip International flight (for students and community members who chooses the round-trip international flight option)
Double-occupancy accommodations x 13 nights/14 days;
Two meals daily: breakfast plus either lunch or dinner (vegetarian/vegan options available)
All on-the-ground activities per scheduled itinerary, air-conditioned buses and vans w/ daily sanitization;
24/7 security;
24/7 host country travel guides;
24/7 host-country chaperones;
Host country lecture fees (University of Cape Coast/University of Ghana/Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology/Asheshi University; Center for National Culture; Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology);
Akwaaba Welcome and Closing Dinner Reception;
Photography sessions;
Service-learning materials;
Bi-weekly health check with Cultural Links certified travel nurse;
Four pre-travel group orientations;

* Costs are subject to change due to air hikes or significant host- country currency exchange rate drops.

Refund and Withdrawal Policy

Withdrawal for any reason on or before April 10^th, - The student is entitled to a 50% refund of all fees and/or deposits paid.
Withdrawal for any reason after April 10^th and before May 8^h - The student will receive a $500 personal circumstance/consideration refund and no other fees paid will be refundable as they will have been applied to program fees.
Withdrawal for any reason after May 8^th - no refund, and the student is responsible for the full program cost.

Program Eligibility

At the time of application to the program, you must satisfy the following program eligibility requirements:

18+ years old
Be in good academic and disciplinary standing
Complete an interview with the Professor of the course

Community Participants

Community participants are welcome to attend the 2024 Ghana Summer Program. Spots are limited and available on a first-come, first-served basis. You are not required to take any course.

A $500 contribution to the San Mateo County Community College District’s study abroad scholarship fund is included in the program fee for the community participants. This is the same practice as other Community Travel Programs offered by SMCCCD Study Abroad. You may pay it separately at the SMCCCD Foundation webpage after you apply for the program and before April 8, 2024 (the final program payment deadline).

* Information about how to make the $500 donation will be sent to you via email after you are officially accepted by the program.

About Cultural Links

Since 2005, Cultural Links has established itself as a premier global education program provider, specializing in offering U.S. students, educators, and community, exceptional study abroad experiences in Africa, alongside programs in the Caribbean and Mediterranean. Participants select from summer, semester, or year-round programs in Ghana, South Africa, Cuba, Rwanda, Ethiopia, Kenya, Egypt, Belize, Columbia, Malta, and more. Cultural Links offers academic-bearing study abroad, service learning, community travel, and internship opportunities. Cultural Links prioritizes affordability, promoting equity in study abroad by automatically enrolling students in a payment plan, offering substantial discounts, waiving application fees, and accepting applicants without a minimum GPA requirement when proof of enrollment is provided during application.

Meet The Professors

Professor Danielle Powell

Professor Powell is a high-energy educator who values the learning and educational process for students of all demographics and abilities. She has taught Communication Studies for 28 years at both 4-year universities and community colleges, including James Madison University, Wake Forest University, and at Cascadia College where she was a tenured faculty member before coming to Skyline. Professor Powell is a native of North Carolina but has lived and worked in diverse communities on both coasts of the United States. She earned a B.S. in Speech Communication from James Madison University, an M.A. in Communication and a Master’s of Divinity degree, both from Wake Forest University; and, a graduate certificate in Non-Profit Management from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro. She is currently pursuing her PhD in Higher Education Leadership at Colorado State University.

Professor Powell has participated in and led multicultural immersions and vocational formation workshops for college students, and provided opportunities for her students to connect with students in Indonesia, United Arab Emirates, Ethiopia and Japan via international teleconferences. She has traveled abroad to European, Central American, Caribbean and African countries, including taking Skyline College students on an International Service Learning Experience to Antigua, Guatemala in Summer 2015, and led short-term study abroad programs to Cape Town and Johannesburg, South Africa, in Summers 2017 and 2018, and to Costa Rica in summer 2022.

In addition, Professor Powell has participated in a missions' project in inner city London in which she worked alongside individuals from several different countries and helped at-risk youth whose parents emigrated from various countries across the globe. She also coordinates Skyline College’s Women’s Mentoring and Leadership Academy (WMLA). Through her travels and experiences, she’s acquired deep insights into the acculturation and adaptation process of living and working in cultures different from her own culture. In her spare time, she enjoys spending time with family and friends, reading a good book, and finding creative ways to rest!

Dr. Frederick Gaines

Frederick Gaines has been the Chair of Ethnic Studies since 2008 at the College of San Mateo (CSM) in San Mateo, California, and has worked in higher education since 1998. For 10 years, he worked as an adjunct professor at several community colleges including Contra Costa College, City College of San Francisco, Solano Community College, College of Alameda, and also San Francisco State University. Before he transitioned to higher education, he was the Principal of Walden Academy which was a part of a therapeutic community for adolescents. He served as the Educational Coordinator at Samaritan House, as Coordinator of the Urban Institute’s Stay-In School Family Resource Center at San Francisco State University, and as Executive Director of Aspire, a college prep and after-school program in North Central San Mateo. Frederick was born and raised in Prague, OK, and attended High School at Putnam City High School in Oklahoma City, where he excelled in football and received a scholarship to play college football at Wichita State University. There he earned his B.A. in psychology. He later earned his M.A. in Ethnic Studies at San Francisco State University and his doctorate in Educational Leadership at the University of California at Davis. His research interest includes the African-American Male Community College Athlete and the African-American Male in higher education. He has taught a variety of Ethnic Studies courses which include: Asian-American Studies, Latin-American Studies, African American Cinema, Black Leadership Theory, The Evolution of Hip-Hop Culture, Black Leadership, and African-American History and Culture. He also served as Co-Coordinator of the Umoja Learning Community at CSM from its inception to 2023 (10 years). He has been married for over 31 years to Jamie and has three adult children: Chrissa - USC graduate, Freddie - CSM, Cal Poly Graduate and Tiger – CSM graduate and presently attending U.C. Berkeley.

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