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Ghana Study Abroad Group
  • Ethelyn R. Strong School of Social Work
  • Abroad with Prof Auntie-E
  • Curtisa Davis
  • Ethelyn R. Strong School of Social Work
  • Abroad with Prof Auntie-E
  • Curtisa Davis
  • Tameka Young
  • Shevelle King

Ghana Study Abroad Group

Getting ready to change lives... Read more
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  • Trip start
    May 20, 2025
  • Ghana Study Abroad Group

    First Session!

    May 20, 2025 in the United States ⋅ ☁️ 18 °C

    First In-Class Session: Ghana, Here We Come!

    Today we kicked off the first of four in-class sessions before our journey to Ghana begins! The room was full of energy, curiosity, and anticipation as we started preparing for what promises to be a life-changing experience.

    From cultural insights to travel logistics, the excitement is building—and we’re counting down the days until we land in Accra! The group is ready, motivated, and looking forward to immersing ourselves in the rich history and vibrant communities of Ghana.

    Stay tuned as we continue our preparations and get closer to takeoff. Ghana, we're coming your way!

    #StudyAbroad #Ghana2025 #EthelynRStrongSSW #GlobalSocialWork #FindPenguinsAdventures    Read more

  • Ghana Study Abroad Group

    2nd Class Session - Before Takeoff

    May 22, 2025 in the United States ⋅ ☀️ 24 °C

    🌍✨ Class Highlight! ✨🌍
    In our second session preparing for our upcoming study abroad trip to Ghana 🇬🇭, we dove deep into conversations around U.S. identity abroad—especially as students from an HBCU entering a Black-majority country with complex histories and powerful cultural ties.

    Using Beyond Guilt Trips: Mindful Travel in an Unequal World as our guide, students reflected on race, privilege, discomfort, and diasporic connection. We set our personal intentions for the journey ahead and explored what it means to engage ethically and mindfully across global difference.

    Students worked in small groups using the Identity Abroad Reflection Guide, shared with vulnerability, and built community through honest dialogue. The energy in the room was thoughtful, open, and inspiring. 🌱💬

    So proud of this cohort for leaning into growth, discomfort, and connection. Ghana, we’re coming with open minds and full hearts! 💫✈️

    #StudyAbroad #MindfulTravel #BeyondGuiltTrips #GlobalLearning #HBCUAbroad #InterculturalGrowth #DiasporaConnections #SocialWorkEducation #IntentionalTravel    Read more

  • Ghana Study Abroad Group

    4th Class Session!

    May 29, 2025 in the United States ⋅ ☁️ 23 °C

    In our class session, we took a deep dive into the complexities of Black identity development as part of our preparation for studying abroad in Ghana. The session began with a lecture exploring several foundational theories, including Chickering & Reisser’s Seven Vectors of Identity Development and Cross’s Nigrescence Model of Black identity formation.

    We discussed Du Bois’s powerful concept of Double Consciousness—the tension of navigating life with both a Black identity and the awareness of how that identity is viewed through the lens of a dominant society. We also looked at Chestang’s ideas of Sustaining and Nurturing Environments, which helped us think critically about how different social settings can either support or challenge our identity growth.

    After the lecture, students engaged in reflective work, using Cross’s Nigrescence Model to explore their own identity journeys. This exercise prompted meaningful conversations about personal growth, cultural pride, internalized messages, and the evolving understanding of self in both American and global contexts.

    As we prepare to immerse ourselves in Ghanaian culture, this session laid the groundwork for approaching the experience with greater self-awareness, historical insight, and openness to transformation. Understanding our identities is not just personal—it’s also political, cultural, and deeply connected to our heritage and the global Black experience.    Read more

  • Ghana Study Abroad Group

    Last Class Before Takeoff 🛫

    June 3, 2025 in the United States ⋅ ☀️ 25 °C

    📚✈️ Ghana, Here We Come! 🌍✨

    Our final class before departure is this Friday, and we’re thrilled to take our learning to the next level with a special in-service session led by Jerolyn Brown, Apple Tech at NSU! 🍎💻

    She’ll be showing us how to use interactive digital journals to document our journey through Ghana. With our University iPads, we’ll be able to capture and integrate photos, videos,and concept maps — bringing our experiences to life in real time! 🎥📸🧠

    We can’t wait to share our adventure, insights, and discoveries through technology as we explore culture, history, and learning abroad. 🌍🇬🇭

    #NSUAbroad #TechInTheClassroom #DigitalJournals #Ghana2025 #iPadLearning #JerolynBrown #StudyAbroadNSU #NextStopGhana    Read more

  • Ghana Study Abroad Group
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    📦✨ Packing with Purpose for Ghana! 🇬🇭

    June 4, 2025 in the United States ⋅ ☁️ 29 °C

    📦✨ Packing with Purpose for Ghana! 🇬🇭💜💛
    Our home is overflowing (in the best way!) with love, donations, and school supplies as we pack up for our journey to Ghana with the NSU Social Work Study Abroad Program! 🧳📚

    Thanks to the incredible generosity of our Spartan family, we are bringing TONS of items to share with schoolgirls in Ghana — including:

    🎒 Bookbags & sling bags
    🖊️ Pens, pencils, & stickers
    📓 Journals & notebooks
    🧦 Socks & keychains
    💪🏽 Workout tools & feeling dice
    🎉 Pom-poms, NSU swag, and so much more!

    Special thanks to our amazing contributors:
    💜 Dr. Sheryll Heard – for all the NSU swag!
    💚 Dr. Vanessa Jenkins in Counseling and Dr. Tarrye Venerable in Student Affairs – your donations mean the world.

    🌟 And deep gratitude to my friend in Student Success, My’Chael Hyman, for supporting this vision from day one!

    Our suitcases are packed to the brim and our hearts even more so. My dynamic organizing team Infighter Addy and friend Lisa Whittaker have been instrumental in preparing for Thursday’s Pre-Departure Meeting before we take off on Friday! 🛫

    We are carrying gifts, knowledge, and love across the ocean — and we can't wait to share our journey.

    ✨🌍 #NSUToGhana #SocialWorkAbroad #SpartanLoveInAction #GirlsEmpowered #BlackStudentsAbroad    Read more

  • Ghana Study Abroad Group

    I Am Overwhelmed—in the Best Way! 💕🧦

    June 4, 2025 in the United States ⋅ ☁️ 25 °C

    I Am Overwhelmed—in the Best Way! 💕🧦

    I am truly overwhelmed, overjoyed, and elated by the outpouring of love and support for the SOCKS of HOPE campaign!

    The number of socks I’ve received has absolutely blown me away. I even have more deliveries coming tomorrow. Every delivery is a reminder of the power of community, kindness, and collective action.

    To my friends, family, Sorors, and community—THANK YOU. Your generosity is helping us reach little girls across the globe with something as simple, but powerful, as a pair of socks.

    Because of YOU, girls at Atasemanso School in Kumasi, Ghana will be able to walk into their classrooms with confidence, dignity, and pride.

    Let’s keep going—because every pair matters, and every girl deserves to be seen, supported, and equipped for success. 💫

    #SocksOfHope #GratitudeOverflowing #GlobalLove #ThankYou #OnePairAtATime    Read more

  • Ghana Study Abroad Group

    SOCKS of HOPE – Mission Accomplished! 🎉🧦

    June 5, 2025 in the United States ⋅ ☁️ 21 °C

    SOCKS of HOPE – Mission Accomplished! 🎉🧦

    With full hearts and overflowing boxes, I’m thrilled to share that we collected a grand total of 409 pairs of socks! 🙌🏾

    Thanks to your incredible generosity, we now have more than enough to give both groups of girls at Atasemanso School in Kumasi, Ghana a full week’s worth of socks—and we even have enough left to support two additional classes!

    What started as a simple goal to meet a small but vital need has grown into a beautiful, community-powered mission of love, dignity, and opportunity.

    To everyone who donated, shared, prayed, and supported:
    THANK YOU for helping these girls step confidently into the classroom and into their bright futures.

    This is what global sisterhood and service look like. 💜

    #SocksOfHope #409PairsStrong #Gratitude #CommunityLove #OnePairAtATime #ServiceWithImpact    Read more

  • Ghana Study Abroad Group
    11

    ✈️🌍 And we’re off! 🌍✈️

    June 6, 2025 in the United States ⋅ ☁️ 26 °C

    ✈️🌍 And we’re off! 🌍✈️

    The NSU Social Work students are officially wheels up and Ghana-bound! 🇬🇭💜 After months of preparation, learning, and anticipation, we’re on our way to an unforgettable journey of cultural exchange, service, and growth.

    Stay tuned as we document our experiences, the people we meet, and the impact we hope to make — and the ways we know this trip will transform us just as much.

    #NSUSocialWork #TravelWithPurpose #Ghana2025 #GlobalSocialWork #SharksInGhana #NSUAbroad #CommunityConnection #LearningWithoutBorders    Read more

  • Ghana Study Abroad Group
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    🇬🇭✨ A Journey at the Kwame Memorial Park

    June 8, 2025 in Ghana ⋅ ⛅ 28 °C

    🇬🇭✨ A Transformational Journey at the Kwame Nkrumah Memorial Park ✨🇬🇭

    Today, our NSU Social Work students had the profound honor of walking through the legacy of one of Africa’s greatest visionaries — Dr. Kwame Nkrumah, Ghana’s first president and a powerful advocate for unity, justice, and Pan-Africanism. 🌍🖤

    As we stood beneath the towering mausoleum and walked through the museum, students were visibly moved — not just by history, but by how Kwame Nkrumah’s collective spirit, vision of collaboration, and relentless push for African unity spoke directly to their own evolving identities.

    In group discussions, students reflected deeply on self-identity, the concept of Pan-Africanism, and what it means to belong to something greater than oneself. We meditated together on this powerful quote from Nkrumah’s July 1, 1965 speech:

    🗣️ “We must develop our own ideology in our own political and economic institution suited to our needs and aspiration.”

    These words stirred something deep in all of us. 🌱 For many students, this was more than a museum visit — it was a life-changing moment that affirmed their voices, their heritage, and their power to build change from within.

    To connect this experience to their future practice as social workers, students were given an assignment to create a Community Cultural Map. This exercise encourages them to:
    🔍 Analyze a local social issue in Ghana
    🌿 Identify cultural strengths and community voices
    🧠 Reflect on how to apply culturally competent, anti-oppressive approaches in their work

    We are not just visitors here — we are learners, listeners, and global citizens in the making.

    This experience will stay with us for a lifetime. 💫
    #NSUToGhana #SocialWorkAbroad #PanAfricanismInPractice #CulturalCompetence #KwameNkrumahLegacy #FutureSocialWorkers #SpartansAbroad #BlackStudentsAbroad #StudyAbroadWithPurpose    Read more

  • Ghana Study Abroad Group
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    🎨🪘 From Legacy to Living Culture: A Day

    June 8, 2025 in Ghana ⋅ ⛅ 30 °C

    🎨🪘 From Legacy to Living Culture: A Day of Art, Rhythm, and Identity 🇬🇭✨

    Following our powerful visit to the Kwame Nkrumah Memorial Park, where we explored Ghana’s historical fight for unity and self-determination, our NSU Social Work students immersed themselves in the vibrant present-day culture at the Alliance Française Gallery & Cultural Center in Accra.

    What a transformational day! 💫

    We were welcomed into a hands-on cultural experience filled with traditional drumming, West African dance, wood carving, and painting — not as spectators, but as active participants. The talented Ghanaian artisans shared the rich history and meaning behind their crafts, reminding us that art is not separate from social identity — it is identity.

    🎶 Students felt the rhythm of the drums not just in their hands, but in their spirits.
    🖌️ Carving and painting became more than creative acts — they were expressions of heritage, pride, and resilience.
    💬 The conversations with the artists illuminated how art serves as a tool for community connection, cultural preservation, and even activism.

    Together, these experiences deepened our ongoing reflections on Pan-Africanism, cultural competence, and self-identity. We saw how Ghanaian traditions continue to thrive — rooted in the very ideals Kwame Nkrumah envisioned: unity, pride, and self-defined expression.

    Our students are working on their Community Cultural Map assignment, where they will apply what they’ve learned to explore a social issue through the lens of Ghanaian cultural values, traditions, and leadership. Today gave them real tools to understand how to honor culture while engaging in meaningful social work.

    From museums to music, this journey is shaping us all — mind, body, and soul. 💜
    #NSUToGhana #SocialWorkAbroad #CulturalCompetenceInAction #PanAfricanPride #DrummingAsHealing #ArtAndIdentity #BlackStudentsAbroad #KwameNkrumahLegacy #AllianceFrancaiseAccra #StudyAbroadWithPurpose    Read more

  • Ghana Study Abroad Group
    1112

    A Place of Rich Culture and Heritage

    June 8, 2025 in Ghana ⋅ ⛅ 30 °C

    Today was amazing! We immersed ourselves in African culture—learning to play the drums, performing traditional dances, painting, and practicing hand carving. It was a powerful and inspiring experience. We are truly amazing people.Read more

  • Ghana Study Abroad Group
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    21

    🌍🍽️ A Taste of Ethiopia in Ghana

    June 8, 2025 in Ghana ⋅ ⛅ 27 °C

    🌍🍽️ A Taste of Ethiopia in Ghana – A Night of Culture, Connection & Community ☕💃🏽

    Tonight, our journey of cultural immersion continued with a beautiful and delicious experience at Abyssinia Ethiopian Restaurant in Accra! 🇪🇹❤️🇬🇭

    From the moment we arrived, the atmosphere was alive with the scents, sounds, and spirit of Ethiopia. Students eagerly embraced the full experience — eating traditional dishes with their hands, just as it’s done in Ethiopian culture. No forks, no hesitation — just curiosity, open hearts, and full bellies! 🙌🏽✨

    We dined family-style, sharing platters of injera, lentils, stews, and spices — a true reflection of community and unity, values deeply rooted in both Ethiopian and African traditions.

    💃🏽 And then came the dancing! Students let loose and celebrated with joy, moving together in rhythm and laughter — fully immersed in the moment.

    To end the evening, we participated in a traditional Ethiopian coffee ceremony — complete with fresh roasted beans, not Colombian, but the original Ethiopian brew that holds spiritual and communal meaning across East Africa.

    This dinner was more than a meal — it was a lesson in cultural humility, connection, and celebration. Food has a way of bringing people together, and tonight, we didn’t just eat — we bonded, we learned, and we honored another piece of the rich African diaspora.

    Every moment of this journey is shaping our students into more reflective, empathetic, and culturally competent social workers — and more connected global citizens. 🌍💜
    #NSUToGhana #SocialWorkAbroad #TasteOfEthiopia #CulturalImmersion #EatWithYourHands #UnityInDiversity #BlackStudentsAbroad #StudyAbroadWithPurpose #GlobalSpartans    Read more

  • Ghana Study Abroad Group

    📍 Cape Coast Castle – Central Region, Gh

    June 13, 2025 in Ghana ⋅ 🌧 28 °C

    📍 Cape Coast Castle – Central Region, Ghana
    🗓️ Bearing Witness: Memory, Trauma, and the Work of Healing
    #NSUInGhana #CapeCoastCastle #SocialWorkAbroad #IntergenerationalTrauma #PostTraumaticSlaveSyndrome #HealingJourney #3EsOfTrauma #DiasporaReflections

    Today we stepped into history—and into pain.

    At Cape Coast Castle, one of the major departure points for enslaved Africans during the Transatlantic Slave Trade, our lesson came to life:
    📚 “Collective Memory, Intergenerational Trauma, and Healing Through Witnessing.”

    As social work students, we examined the space not just as tourists—but as descendants, healers, and witnesses. We stood in the dungeons where thousands were imprisoned, walked through the Door of No Return, and felt the spiritual weight that still lives in the stone.

    We connected our visit to academic frameworks:

    🔥 Post-Traumatic Slave Syndrome (PTSS): A theory by Dr. Joy DeGruy that examines the multigenerational trauma of slavery and its lasting effects on Black communities.
    🧠 The 3 E’s of Trauma (Event, Experience, and Effects): We explored how the traumatic event of enslavement was experienced collectively and how its psychological, spiritual, and cultural effects still ripple through time.
    We asked:

    How do we carry this pain in our bodies, our communities, our systems?
    How can we turn witnessing into action—and mourning into mobilization?
    Tears were shed. Silences were heavy. But this was not just about sorrow. It was about remembrance with purpose.
    We concluded with an Emancipation Circle, offering space to speak names, release pain, and reclaim power. A sacred ritual of healing and belonging.

    🕊️ We are our ancestors’ return. We bear witness so we may build a future rooted in truth, resilience, and liberation.    Read more

  • Ghana Study Abroad Group
    4

    📍 Bɔss Abɛrɛwa Museum – Cape Coast, Ghan

    June 14, 2025 in Ghana ⋅ 🌧 26 °C

    📍 Bɔss Abɛrɛwa Museum – Cape Coast, Ghana
    🗓️ Sankofa in Real Time: Returning to Ourselves
    #NSUInGhana #BossAberɛwa #BlackFemininePower #Sankofa #SocialWorkAbroad #DiasporaHealing

    Today’s visit to the Bɔss Abɛrɛwa Museum was not just a tour—it was a spiritual awakening.

    Our lesson, “Sankofa, Spirituality & the Power of Black Feminine Identity,” came to life in a space filled with ancestral echoes and sacred symbolism. Surrounded by the strength of the feminine spirit, we walked through a curated narrative of Black womanhood—bold, resilient, mystical, and divine.

    We explored the Sankofa principle, which teaches us to go back and reclaim what we’ve forgotten. And today, we remembered ourselves.

    🌿 From the stories of African goddesses to the lived experience of Black women resisting colonization and patriarchy, students were overwhelmed with emotion. Some wept openly. Others stood in quiet awe. All were deeply moved.

    We discussed:

    What it means to honor the divine feminine in ourselves and our work.
    How ancestral memory and spirit inform our healing and advocacy.
    The role of Black women as carriers of wisdom, nurturers of resistance, and anchors of community.
    🕊️ This space held our pain, but it also held our power.

    Students reflected on how identity, legacy, and liberation are intertwined. As future social workers, this moment called us to center not just social justice—but spiritual justice.

    We left forever changed, carrying the energy of the women before us and a renewed commitment to reclaim our stories, our names, and our sacred roles.

    📖 "I remembered who I was. And I wept. And then I stood taller."    Read more

  • Ghana Study Abroad Group

    Naming Ceremony

    June 15, 2025 in Ghana ⋅ 🌧 26 °C

    “We took part in a powerful naming ceremony led by His Majesty Nana Iture Kwerku and his council of elders—a moment of spiritual return and ancestral connection.

    🗣️ “You were taken, but not forgotten. Africa has always known your name. Today, we simply return it to you.” – His Majesty

    We were given names that reflect our purpose and identity—welcomed home not as strangers, but as sons and daughters. This sacred act grounded our spirits and deepened our social work journey with ancestral wisdom and cultural pride.” Dr. Erica Brown-Meredith

    Having gone through all the necessary rituals / customary rites. I have been fully accepted as a member of Eku-Na Nsona Royal Family of Iture - Elmina.
    My name is ESI FORUWA.    Read more

  • Ghana Study Abroad Group
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    📍 Central Region, Ghana – Naming Ceremon

    June 15, 2025 in Ghana ⋅ 🌧 27 °C

    📍 Central Region, Ghana – Naming Ceremony Garden
    🗓️ Day of Return: A Homecoming of Spirit and Identity
    #NSUInGhana #NamingCeremony #ReturnToAfrica #DiasporaAwakening #AfricanIdentity #SocialWorkAbroad

    Today, beneath the trees and sky of our ancestral land, we were honored to take part in a traditional African naming ceremony, led by His Majesty Nana Iture Kwerku and his council of elders. It was not just a ceremony—it was a sacred act of restoration, remembrance, and spiritual reclamation.

    In his powerful message, His Majesty reminded us:

    “You were taken, but not forgotten. Africa has always known your name. Today, we simply return it to you.”
    💫 This ceremony was deeply emotional. As descendants of those stolen through enslavement, we have lived lives of fractured identity, our names erased, our origins hidden. But today, we were called by our true names. Names that root us. Names that reflect our purpose. Names that welcome us home.

    We expressed our deepest gratitude to His Majesty and his council for welcoming us into this sacred space and reminding us that our spirits are no longer wandering. Through this ceremony, we are re-centered, re-connected, and reborn as Africans—not in theory, but in truth.

    This moment will stay with us forever, grounding our social work practice in ancestral wisdom, cultural integrity, and a global sense of belonging.

    🕊️ “We have returned, not as strangers, but as sons and daughters.”    Read more

  • Ghana Study Abroad Group
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    📍 Pra River, Ghana

    June 15, 2025 in Ghana ⋅ 🌧 27 °C

    📍 Pra River, Ghana
    🗓️ Today’s Journey: Environmental Justice at the Source
    #NSUInGhana #SocialWorkAbroad #EcoJustice #DiasporaHealing #PraRiverReflections

    Today we journeyed to the Pra River, one of Ghana’s most significant waterways and a site rich in ancestral history and environmental struggle.

    Students explored the complex layers of this river’s past and present—once a vital resource for agriculture, daily life, and traditional rituals, now facing the devastating effects of pollution from illegal mining (galamsey), deforestation, and industrial runoff.

    💬 As social work students, we asked big questions:

    What does environmental justice look like in a post-colonial African context?
    How are marginalized communities affected by ecological degradation?
    What is our role as global social workers in amplifying local voices and protecting natural resources?

    🌍 We learned that the fight for clean water is also a fight for dignity, sovereignty, and survival. This experience helped us connect environmental harm to broader social justice issues like poverty, displacement, and intergenerational trauma.

    🧭 As part of our experience, we reflected by the river and discussed what it means to advocate for both people and planet. We also began developing ideas for community education campaigns around sustainable practices and environmental restoration.

    This was more than a field visit—it was a moment of awakening. 💧🌿    Read more

  • Trip end
    June 30, 2025
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