Ghana Field School

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Apply now via our Field School Application. 

Depart: December 17, 2024

Return: January 3, 2025

Destinations: Accra, Dzodze, Ho, Cape Coast and Elmina Castles, Tafi Monkey Sanctuary, Kakum National Park, Kente weaving villages, University of Ghana, Wli Water Falls, and more!

Join a group of 22 CapU students and two CapU instructors for an immersive, off-the-beaten path global adventure. Go deep into the rich and vibrant culture of Ghana and into places of cultural, historic, and ecological importance, with an emphasis on the indigenous music and dance traditions of the Ewe people of West Africa.

Exciting scholarships available! The Global Skills Opportunity (GSO) scholarship* is available to Indigenous students, low income students, and students with disability ($7,000 - guaranteed) and all other participants ($5,000 - guaranteed). *domestic students only

Why Ghana Field School 

Open to all CapU students across disciplines, the Ghana Field School 2024 will be a journey into the rich and vibrant culture of Ghana with a special emphasis on the indigenous music and dance traditions of the Ewe people of West Africa. CapU Jazz Studies instructors, Kofi Gbolonyo and Jared Burrows, will lead this immersive adventure from a base in Kofi’s hometown of Dzodze in the Volta Region of Ghana.

The journey is anchored in a long-standing relationship between CapU and the Nunya Academy, an independent, arts-focused school in Dzodze. It takes you to sites of cultural, historic, and ecological importance such as Tafi Monkey Sanctuary; University of Ghana; traditional religious sites; historic slave trade sites in Cape Coast and Elmina Castles; the forest canopy walkway in Kakum National Park; Kente weaving villages; Wli Water Falls; lively outdoor markets in Accra, Dzodze, and Ho; and more!

You will learn music and dance from Kofi and other traditional practitioners as well as from the students in the Nunya Academy. This takes place within the context of what Kofi calls “Orff Afrique”, an approach that ensures that music and dance learning are open to all students regardless of whether or not they have prior musical experience. Learning will take place within an experiential, aural tradition settings with students participating in daily dance and music classes, community cultural events, and the daily life of a small town in rural Ghana. 

You will also have many opportunities for interaction with local children and youth as Nunya students share their indigenous knowledge of music, dance, and language and as CapU students share knowledge from their own unique backgrounds and educational experiences.

Dates and Locations 

• Pre-trip classes: September 3 to December 2, 2024 – two to four on-campus class sessions taught by your field school instructors before you depart.
• Pre-departure sessions: September 3 to December 2, 2024 – four mandatory pre-departure sessions facilitated by CapU’s Study Abroad Team, covering topics such as Ghanaian culture and customs, Indigenous perspectives, travel and packing, budgeting and money matters, health and well-being, and risk planning.
• On the road: December 16, 2024 to January 4, 2025 – in Ghana across several locations, including Accra, Cape Coast, Ho, and Dzodze.
• Re-entry session: January 2025 – one mandatory re-entry session facilitated by CapU’s Study Abroad Team, covering topics such as reverse culture shock and post-trip reflections.

Field School Leaders 

 Kofi Gbolonyo, CapU Instructor, Jazz Studies Department

 Jared Burrows, CapU Instructor, Jazz Studies Department

Course

By completing Ghana Field School 2024, you will earn 4.0 CapU credits with this field school by completing JAZZ 422 Cross Cultural Pedagogy and Orff Afrique. The course is open to all CapU students. Once accepted, you will receive a pre-requisite override for this course. The course is designed in a way that embraces and employs your unique academic program skills and background. No prior musical experience necessary!

This is a Fall 2024 term course. Course requirements will be fulfilled during the field school in addition to the two to four on-campus class sessions taught by your field school instructors before you depart.

Cost

The Ghana Field School 2024 is priced at around $7000 (subject to slight change due to flight cost fluctuations). The cost covers return international airfare, double occupancy accommodation, airport transfer at the destination, in-country transportation, all activities (cultural visits, field trips), and most meals.

The program fee does not include tuition fees or surcharges for tuition, passport fees, entry visa, travel vaccinations (optional), some meals (about 20% of all meals), travel to and from Vancouver International Airport (YVR), transportation expenses other than those indicated on the itinerary, and other personal expenses.

Scholarships awarded to all accepted students!

All accepted Ghana Field School 2024 participants* will be awarded a $5,000-$7,000 Global Skills Opportunity (GSO) scholarship as part of the Government of Canada’s outbound mobility pilot program. The Global Skills Opportunity (GSO) scholarship* is available to Indigenous students, low income students, and students with disability ($7,000 - guaranteed) and all other participants ($5,000 - guaranteed). *domestic students only

The GSO scholarship is designed to support Canadian students at CapU to develop valuable intercultural skills by studying or working abroad. This generous scholarship aims to support Indigenous students, students with disabilities, low-income students (full scholarship), and all other students (partial scholarship) who have been accepted into Ghana Field School 2024.

Other exciting scholarships and awards are available such as the One World Scholarship, which weighs primarily on your past community and volunteer experience.

Ask us about Ghana Field School 2024 scholarships by contacting studyabroad@capilanou.ca.