VALDOSTA — Organizers hope a concert will help send several city school students to Africa.
Ghana Concert III is scheduled for this weekend. The concert features performances by Antonio “The Voice” Jones, Bruce & Tamika Edwards, and Antonio Hall.
Proceeds from this concert will benefit Valdosta High, J.L. Newbern Middle and Valdosta Middle students’ planning a trip to Ghana in the summer of 2011.
This past June, J.L. Newbern Middle School students made the school’s first exchange with Woodbridge International Takoradi in Ghana.
“All participants benefited from the cultural, social, and educational experience,” according to organizers. “During our stay, we visited several schools, lived in homes of our partners, and donated surplus textbooks from our schools. We also visited historical sites such as the slave castles that President Barak Obama visited as part of his recent visit to Ghana, rain forest and the famous canopy walk.”
While visiting Mpfanthism High School for boys, the school’s headmaster asked about a possible exchange with Valdosta High School students.
For the 2011 trip, Valdosta High and Valdosta Middle students will join the Newbern students.
Ghana students are also scheduled to visit Valdosta this fall.
The Ghana Concert is one fundraiser designed to help students in this program. The estimated cost per participant is $1,500. The Ghana Exchange program also seeks sponsorships for local students to travel to Ghana as well as to bring Ghana’s students here.
For more information about the program, contact Marilyn Johnson, exchange director, at 110 Burton Ave., (229) 333-8555, or majohnson@gocats.org.