For 20 Philadelphia school students, their classroom doors opened to a land far beyond the 10-block radius they know as home, reaching to the shores of West Africa. The trip transported the 7th-grade scholars from Global Leadership Academy Charter Schools (GLA) from abstract textbook chapters into a very real world, where countless Africans were forced into the transatlantic slave trade centuries ago.
The expedition was an opportunity to step into the time of their ancestors, feel the weight of history, and return home with inspiring stories.
It was also an event that netted GLA more than 50 media placements worldwide through Sylvia Marketing & Public Relations, including Ghana Web, Yahoo News, every TV news station in Philadelphia, and 16 mentions on KYW News Radio 1060.
As reported by KYW education reporter Mike DeNardo, the stories and reactions from both students and staff show that such expeditions can influence perspectives and provide lessons far deeper than any textbook.
Purpose and Preparations
Dr. Naomi Johnson Booker, founder and CEO of GLA, emphasized how rare yet essential it is for American students to experience rather than just read about the events that shaped the African diaspora. While books convey dates and facts, experiential learning generates empathy, deeper understanding, and a shared sense of legacy.
Planning the trip involved significant logistical and emotional preparation: passports, vaccinations, chaperones, educational materials, and, most importantly, conversations about the emotional weight of what students would encounter. For many, it was their first time leaving the United States; for some, their first time on an airplane. The prospect of visiting the continent of their ancestors filled them with excitement, pride, and understandable apprehension.
In the weeks before departure, educators led conversations about the significance and sensitivity of the sites ahead, ensuring each student would arrive as a thoughtful, inquisitive learner.
Immersing in Ghanaian Culture
Upon arrival, the students were greeted by a nation rich in culture, tradition, and resilience. Over ten days, they explored the sights, sounds, and tastes of West Africa. Seeing how Ghana honors the memory of those who were taken, while also witnessing the nation’s progress, helped the young travelers situate their own histories within a global context of stories about suffering, survival, and growth.
Visiting the Departure Points
The emotional core of the expedition was the visit to the forts and dungeons of the transatlantic slave trade. On KYW News Radio, Dr. Booker described how students saw the dungeons where enslaved people were brutally confined before forced passage to the Americas. A GLA student who interviewed alongside Booker KYW said, “We went to a dungeon, and we saw how our ancestors were treated. We went through the door of no return.” That haunting threshold, the last point enslaved Africans would see of their homeland, left a lasting mark on all who passed through it, especially GLA’s scholars.
This Ghana excursion is part of a broader GLA tradition of experiential education. GLA 6th-grade scholars annually complete a Human and Civil Rights Tour through southern states, tracing the sacrifices made in the fight for equal rights. 7th-grade students follow the Underground Railroad into Canada, retracing Harriet Tubman’s steps. International expeditions have also taken students to the Bahamas, China, Haiti, Jamaica, and Kenya.
A Life-Changing Experience
For many students, Ghana was transformational. Participants returned with a renewed pride in their heritage, deeper empathy for their ancestors, and a commitment to sharing what they’d learned with friends and family.
GLA’s trip to Ghana stands as a testament to the power of exposing students to real-world opportunities through learning excursions. By stepping outside the classroom and experiencing history where it happened, GLA’s scholars bridged the gap between past and present, abstraction and reality. Their trip is a potent reminder of what education can achieve at its best: bringing history to life, shaping compassionate leaders, and honoring those who came before.
And because of GLA’s partnership with Sylvia Marketing & Public Relations, the story of its Ghana excursion has been heard throughout the world. The trip cost the school $5,000 per student. But the vast public awareness campaign Sylvia Marketing & PR generated will help administrators in their quest to raise funds for an endowment that supports such trips.
How could a powerful public awareness media campaign help your organization? Contact Sylvia Marketing & PR at results@sylviamarketing.com to discuss.