If you only have a few weeks in which to volunteer, then our 3-week program focused on promoting creative and critical thinking skills is a rewarding way to direct your efforts – it is designed to tap, unleash and set in motion the reservoir of creativity, imagination, and agency within students at the Bishop Forson School. Assist or create your own workshop that is in-line with your skills and interests. Open to ages 18 and older.
We have observed that critical to any change we may hope to ignite is a student’s ability to think imaginatively and act independently. In this three-week period volunteers with various skills and teaching backgrounds work with teachers to share ideas and then lead students through creative projects and processes, empowering them with new skills and confidence in one’s ability to problem-solve and create.
“Cultural exchange” is a much used catch phrase but in this program we are actually seeing the richness and complexity of such an exchange. It is transformative for all involved. The deepening of our mutual understanding through the sharing of hands-on workshops challenges our presumptions and opens us to new, effective ways for working together. For this reason, Painting Possibilities will continue to play an important part in our future with the Bishop Forson School.
Program Goals:
- Professional development for teachers and staff in Africa to learn new ways of teaching children through positive models focusing on the child’s creativity and individuality
- Cultural exchange for students and teachers alike
- Incorporating and learning about African crafts and traditions
Setting:
The Bishop Forson School is a rural school beautifully situated between the town of Kpando and Torkor near the Volta Lake in the Volta Region.
Group Size:
Space is limited to 10 volunteers plus the group leader.
Funding/Cost:
The cost for 2012 is estimated at $1500 but we always try to reduce this when possible. Fees cover all expenses while in Ghana including hotels (generally two in a room), meals, ground transportation, and a percentage of the cost of running the program. Other expenses (prices estimated at time of posting) include airfare(est $1300-1500), visa ($60), travel insurance (est $60-100) and medical costs of immunizations and malaria pills.
Participants in the past have raised funds as a group and as individuals that have paid for all or part of their costs.
All expenses related to the program are tax deductible. As with all our volunteer programs, Pagus assists volunteers in their efforts to raise the necessary funds and makes no profit from this or any of our programs. Should the funds raised for the project exceed the actual costs, those funds will be used for supplies for the school.
Our next trip is scheduled for July 2012. If you are interested in learning more, email or call Ellen at 610-645-0753.
