It's a long trek from the crisp mountains of Vermont to the sultry rainforests of West Africa. But then, as Vermont NEA member Carol Smith will tell you, that's what summers are for.

The summer before last, Smith spent five weeks in Ghana, much of that with three families. She observed funerals and other ceremonies, spent time at a dancing and drumming school, learned to cook African dishes, and visited schools. "Then I used my trip to teach my students about another culture," explains Smith, a grade 6-8 teacher at the Shelbume Community School.

Smith has made her time in Ghana the foundation for a cultural study unit for her students. Hundreds of photos and hours of videotape, along with artwork she brought back, have helped bring Ghana to life. "My students need to grow and learn about other parts of the world," says Smith. "I had to get the experience of other cultures firsthand before I could try to teach that experience to my kids."

Smith's trip has led to a sisterschool exchange program with a school in Oda, Ghana. Smith's students have raised money and sent books to the school. Penpal letters arrive regularly, as Ghanian students share their lives with the Vermont students.

"My kids learned about another part of the world," says Smith. "They've learned that, in many ways, we are more the same than different."

Coming up on Smith's itinerary: a visit to Southern Africa.

Click HERE to learn more about Ghana (from the "Country Studies/Area Handbook", a comprehensive text only research by the U.S. Library of Congress - November, 1994).

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Last updated: May 21, 1997