Middleton High School teacher Andy Hartman is raising scholarship funds for a student study tour in Ghana in March 2027.
“We are hoping to provide scholarships for six students to participate in our Ghana study tour,” Hartman said, emphasizing that it’s not a sightseeing vacation. “It’s a rigorous, curriculum-driven field study designed to challenge assumptions and help students understand history, economics, culture, and global citizenship through direct experience.”
Hartman has led student travel groups across Europe and Asia, and has seen firsthand how immersive academic experiences can transform students’ understanding of the world and their place in it. This will be Middleton High School’s first student travel group to the African continent.
“I want students to understand that the histories of Ghana, West Africa, and the United States are deeply connected,” Hartman said. “One powerful example is the evolution of West African drumming traditions, which helped lay the foundation for many forms of modern popular music, including rock and roll and hip-hop. This will be an academic tour rooted in culture, history, music, global learning, and human connection.”
He said the tour will explore the history of the transatlantic trade of enslaved people: “While this is a painful and difficult history, it is essential to understanding both Ghana’s history and the development of the United States. It is important for students to learn from the places, people, and experts who preserve these stories today.”
The study tour is being organized by EF (Education First) Tours. Hartman welcomes businesses sponsorships as well as contributions from individual donors
“Many of our students would benefit tremendously from this opportunity but face significant financial barriers to international travel,” Hartman said. “Our goal is to make this opportunity accessible to as many students as possible, which is why community scholarship support is so important.”
This document outlines sponsorship levels, giving opportunities and payment instructions.