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Center for International Studies
Yamada International House
56 E. Union St.
Athens, Ohio 45701
Dancers of the National Dance Company of Ghana and 91̽»¨ perform in a dance concert on College Green on March 23, 2022. The performance was a part of OU’s Global Arts Festival.
OHIO Fulbright-Hays Program: Ghana
For Primary, Secondary, Community College and University Educators

OHIO Fulbright-Hays Group Project Abroad: Ghana

OHIO Fulbright-Hays Group Project Abroad in Ghana

Transnational African and African Diaspora Identities

Apply by November 17, 2024

Join the Center for International Studies on a fully-funded Fulbright-Hays Group Project Abroad (GPA) in Ghana.

OHIO Ghana GPA: Transnational African and African Diaspora Identities is a four-week curriculum development program focusing on the culture, language, history, politics and society of Ghana through the lens of the transatlantic slave trade.

It is designed for primary and secondary, community college, and university educators in Ohio, with a preference for Appalachian Ohio. It is offered by the 91̽»¨ Center for International Studies with support from a from the U.S. Department of Education.

Starting in June 2025, the OHIO Ghana program leaders will lead four weeks of daily experiential learning engagements in Accra, Kumasi, and Cape Coast, plus 10 hours of Akan language training. The goal of the program is to provide ways for educators to infuse West African perspectives into U.S. classrooms and curricula.

The OHIO Ghana program will strengthen understanding of the historical and contemporary relationships between West Africa and Appalachian Ohio established through the transatlantic slave trade and shaped by global connections across time.

  • Program Details

    This is a four-week program. Program participants will arrive in Ghana on June 16 and return to the United States on July 14, 2025.

    This project has been developed by CIS under a grant from the Fulbright-Hays Group Projects Abroad (GPA) of the U.S. Department of Education. These contents do not necessarily represent the policy of the Department of Education and should not be assumed as an endorsement by the federal government. For more information on the Fulbright-Hays Group Projects Abroad, please visit the .

    Question? Please reach out to CIS Associate Director Dr. Catherine Cutcher at ghanagpa@ohio.edu.

  • Program Eligibility

    The program is open to primary and secondary school, community college, and university educators in the state of Ohio. Program participants must be citizens, nationals or permanent residents of the United States and currently employed full-time in a U.S. school system, institution of higher education, local education agency, or state education agency (not applicable to students). Eligible participants include current teachers who either include topics related to Africa in their curriculum or would like to incorporate African Studies into their curriculum. Administrators with direct responsibility for curriculum development are also eligible to apply. Fifteen eligible applicants will be selected for participation.

OHIO Ghana Program Phases

The OHIO Ghana program provides an in-depth, immersive, and guided exploration of Ghanaian history and culture. Program participants will gain appreciation for the roots of African and Ghanaian culture in the United States and understand more deeply how it has shaped U.S. cultures and societies, particularly in Appalachian Ohio.

Teachers who have the opportunity to visit Ghana and learn about West African history, arts, culture, politics and language will be uniquely positioned to incorporate new curricular materials, created through first-hand experience, into their commonly taught core and elective courses in world history, fine arts, geography, social studies, literature, foreign languages, and environmental studies. They will have lived experience, cross-cultural teaching strategies, and ready-to-use lesson plans or instructional materials to incorporate in the existing school curriculum.

The OHIO Ghana program will be led by two program directors with significant expertise in African languages and cultures: Dr. Catherine Cutcher (Associate Director of the Center for International Studies) and Dr. Assan Sarr (Associate Professor of History).

The OHIO Ghana program will have three broad phases:

  1. Pre-departure training and orientation phase: In spring 2025, program participants will engage in online learning modules including 20 hours of learning about Ghana’s history, culture, society and arts and 10 hours of Akan/Twi language training. In April 2025, all participants will gather in Athens for a five-hour workshop session focusing on West African identities and Black Appalachian communities in Southeast Ohio.
  2. Ghana travel overseas phase: In June-July 2025, program participants will engage in four weeks of daily experiential learning engagements in Accra, Kumasi, and Cape Coast and 10 hours of Akan language training and daily experiential learning engagements in Accra, Kumasi, and Cape Coast in Ghana.
  3. Post-travel follow-up phase: Following the trip, program participants will engage in one-on-one and group consultations for curriculum development, curriculum implementation, and follow-up.

Grant-Funded Program Costs

This project has been developed by the Center for International Studies under a grant from the Fulbright-Hays Group Projects Abroad of the U.S. Department of Education.

The OHIO Ghana program will cover the following costs for program participants:

  • Round trip international travel between the United States and Ghana
  • Ground transportation within Ghana
  • Hotel accommodations and meals in Ghana
  • 91̽»¨ fees for museums, ecological sites, and historical sites
  • Funds to purchase project-related artifacts, resources, and teaching materials in Ghana
  • Travel health insurance

Participants are required to pay for their own travel to and from the Columbus, Ohio airport to participate in group international travel. Passport ($165), visa ($60), and required yellow fever vaccination ($170-200) are not covered by the grant and must be paid for by participants. The estimated cost for these required components is $395-$425 total. Yellow fever vaccine is required for all arriving travelers over the age of 9. Participants may choose to get additional recommended and optional vaccines and medicines, in consultation with their doctor. Please see the CDC Traveler's Health information for Ghana at this link: . 

The OHIO Ghana Schedule

The OHIO Ghana program is designed to be both academically challenging and rich in experiential learning. The program includes academic talks by local scholars, visits to museums and cultural sites, explorations of different environments and types of societies, attendance at music and dance performances, hands-on engagements in traditional arts classes, and opportunities to interact with local educators.

Participants also will build on their pre-travel language study with an additional 10 hours of in-country Akan/Twi instruction, as well as talks addressing the politics surrounding language, identity, power and cultural expression in multilingual Ghanaian society. These first-hand experiences will give participants greater insight into the cultures and histories of the region and bolster their ability to share knowledge with US students.

Note: This schedule is subject to change.

Five Nights in the Capital City of Accra

  • and
  • Arts & Crafts Market
  • UNESCO heritage sites and Fort Crèvecoeur
  • Observations and consultations at local school

Five Nights in Kumasi, Capital of the Ashanti Region

  • and
  • , the residence of the Ashanti King
  • on Ashanti culture and history; and Kejetia Market (Central Market)
  • Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST)
  • Ashanti crafts villages of Ahwiaa, Ntonso, and Bonwire
  • Folklore show featuring dancing, singing, and traditional fashions

Two Weeks in Cape Coast

This includes engagements with University of Cape Coast.

  • and Assin Manso Ancestral Slave River Park
  • and Fort Coenraadsburg
  • Centre for African and International Studies at the University of Cape Coast
  • Kormantse, with visits to Fort Amsterdam/Kormantine
  • Meetings with local environmental justice NGO and national youth development NGO
  • Axim, with visits to and Fort Metal Cross
  • Service projects with educational initiatives

Three Nights in Accra

  • tour and engagements