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Africa Comes to Portland for Daylong Youth Forum
From APO NEWS
December 8, 2007
The Africa Society of the National Summit on Africa and The World Affairs Council of Oregon partnered for a Youth Forum with 500 students from Portland and Southwest Washington. Titled Teach Africa, the daylong interactive program on African issues took place on Friday, December 7th at Portland State University.
The highly motivated students outlined an Africa action project to be
implemented when they return to their schools with their classmates.
The program, which involves young people and educators, addressed the
lack of Africa education in American curricula by providing both groups
with a better understanding and a greater appreciation of Africa and
its role in the global community.
The Youth Forum opened with a keynote panel of ambassadors and leaders
in media, education, and international development. Students subsequently
had the opportunity to learn from and interact with international experts
during workshops on Trade and Economy; Women and the Family; Education
in Africa; and the Role of Health Organizations. There were also opportunities
for students to sample African culture with quick courses in West African
dance and drumming. Lunch will feature East African cuisine.
Featured speakers included:
- Her Excellency Hawa Ndilowe, Ambassador from the Republic of Malawi
- Dr. Gail Ifshin, Executive Director of Discovery Channel Global Education Partnership
- Mr. Wayne Blackwelder, Regional Director of the Peace Corps
Funded by the Ford Foundation, Teach Africa is a three-phase program. Its overarching goal is to educate students about African cultures, peoples, languages, natural resources, global contributions, and political relationships with the United States and the world. The first phase took place in October 2006 and encouraged superintendents and principals to include more education on Africa in their curricula. The second phase, in December 2006, was a training session with more than 180 teachers from public, private, and parochial schools on new strategies for teaching about Africa. The Youth Forum, the third and capstone phase, is aimed at stimulating interest and thought about Africa.
The Africa Society introduced a pilot program of Teach Africa in the
San Francisco Bay and Washington, DC areas in 2002. In September 2004,
former Secretary of State, Colin Powell opened a Teach Africa Youth
Forum at the State Department before an audience of 1,200 students.
The Africa Society just completed another Teach Africa Youth Forum in
Pittsburgh, PA in October 2007, with more than 2,000 participants. The
Africa Society’s goal is to introduce Teach Africa in every state
of the Union.
The Teach Africa Youth Forum is sponsored by the Ford Foundation; The
PacifiCorp Foundation; and Portland State University’s Office
of the President, Office of International Affairs, and Office of Student
Affairs.
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