Out of the classroom

Steven Cordle
ECB Publishing, Inc.

When we think of studying, we typically think of a classroom; with books, desks and, in the modern era, computers. Whether we realize it or not, a lot of learning happens outside the classroom, and, when one travels to another country, one will learn a lot. When Nursing Student, Jasmine Morris, made a spring break trip to Ghana, in 2019, as part of the Study Abroad program with Tallahassee Community College, she saw a lot. Her African American Literature Instructor recommended her for the program, which, according to the TCC Website, “allow students to experience customs, languages and cultures of the world firsthand. Students have up-close-and-personal encounters with some of the greatest accomplishments in history and get the chance to practice what they have learned about other customs, languages and currencies.”

According to TCC, the program provides students with captivating historical, educational, linguistic and cultural facets of Ghana, West Africa. Students will visit many historical sites, including the Kwame Nkrumah Mausoleum, Independence Square and the W.E.B. DuBois Centre to learn about the Pan African Culture, the History of the Gold Coast and the Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade. Students also take trips to the Ashanti King´s Palace and Museum in Kumasi (which was used by the Ashanti kings until 1974), and the Cape Coast Castle (which was used to hold slaves before they were transported and sold in the Americas). Lastly, students will stop over at a local primary school to teach a lesson for the children while learning about life in the village and participating in other exciting cultural events.

Morris and her fellow students moved around to different villages, learning about the local culture. The villages are small, Morris said, comparing their size to an apartment complex In one of the villages, they had lessons in the local culinary arts and spent time with school children observing their educational opportunities. Many of the schools in Ghana do not look like a typical American school. Many schools are more like pavilions we would see in a park, with open walls to allow for airflow, which makes up for the lack of air conditioning. Morris and the Americans she was with were able to interact with the Ghanaian children in school settings frequently.

Running water in our homes is something we are used to in America and take for granted. However, in many countries like, Ghana, water is drawn from a community fountain. It must be carried home in buckets or other containers, sometimes carried on the head of people, even children! It is common to see young children walk long distances carrying large buckets of water.

Now, back at home, Morris is continuing her education at FAMU with plans to enter the nursing program and become a nurse practitioner when she completes her studies.