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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