Exploring Community Through Service in Cape Coast, Ghana: A Faculty Led Program

Exploring Community Through Service (ECTS) is a service-learning faculty-led program designed for ten undergraduate students through a third-party provider. It is a personally, professionally and academically rigorous program. The ECTS program will take place in the city of Cape Coast, Ghana which is on the Gulf of Guinea in the Central Region of the country in the Summer of 2020. Students will need to be of at least Sophomore academic standing and have a GPA of 3.2. The ECTS program is well suited for students who can take initiative in their own learning, work well in teams and groups, and are mature. Students must also be flexible, as the pace of life is different in Western Africa than what they might be used to. The program’s thematic focus is on Ghanaian Women Entrepreneurs and Women in Business and will offer student participants the opportunity to explore this topic through participating in service- learning, site visits, interactive activities and guest speakers. In the spring of 2020, students will take a required course in Intercultural Communications in preparation for their time in-country. Taking the course before the in-country portion of the program will allow participants get to know the other participants in the group, learn concepts and theories of intercultural communications and allow for adequate time to prepare for the trip. In addition to the courses mentioned above, a Ghanaian history and internship seminar will be offered. The excursions and field trips offered on the ECTS program are closely aligned with the curriculum to allow students to put theory to practice and apply their learning to life outside of the classroom. Through staying with a Ghanaian homestay family, students will be able to expand their understanding of the Ghanaian culture, people and further their intercultural communication skills