BACK TO AFRICA 2005

Five years after visiting South Africa and discovering the overwhelming beauty of the continent and the unlimited potential for learning experience, Derrick returned with a new group of Brooks' Bunch members. "Brooks' Bunch - Back to Africa" launched September 2004 and concluded with a trip to Cape Town, Johannesburg, and Swaziland in June of 2005. Throughout the program, Brooks' Bunch members participated in bi-monthly lesson plans developed and conducted by Hillsborough County school teachers. These lesson plans prepared the students for their journey by teaching them the geography, culture, and political history of Southern Africa, as well as strengthened their social and life skills.

While in Africa, the group visited the following destinations: Johannesburg, Cape Town, Robben Island, Private Safari, Soweto, Lesedi Tribal Village, and the US Embassy.

Classes

Students earned their spot on the trip by performing well in the bi-monthly classes conducted in the Boys & Girls Clubs by Hillsborough County school teachers. In order to properly prepare each Brooks' Bunch member for the rigors of traveling overseas and the experiences they were exposed to, the lesson plans included the following:

• Geography
• Studies of Nelson Mandela & Apartheid
• Colonial history
• Economics of the region
• Culture & language
• Environmental & animals studies
• Dr. Ben Carson's Gifted Hands and other literature
• Videos such as Gumboots and A&E Biography of Nelson Mandela - Journey to Freedom
• Pen pal correspondence with South African students
• Developing a community service project to impact a South African school
• Job interview skills (mock interviews are taped for the student's review)
• Resume building
• Etiquette lessons

Along with successful completion of the course work, had to show proof of maintaining a GPA of 2.5 or higher in school, have taken or signed up for the SAT, and have no record of behavior issues at school or in the Boys & Girls Clubs while in the Brooks' Bunch program.

Each student also presented a "Me File" to a panel of community leaders at the end of the course work where they interviewed for a spot on the trip as if it were a job. Each "Me File" had the student's resume, SAT records, awards and honors certificates, updated report cards, and at least ten reference letters from teachers, school counselors, principal, family members, friends, church members, or employer before they are cleared to interview with the panel.

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