Gambiaj.com – CAMDEN – Thirteen Camden Academy Charter High School students and two chaperones recently returned from an enriching trip that took them far beyond the city’s borders—roughly 7,000 miles to Senegal and The Gambia.

The trip was conceived by Ernest Grice, a city native and one of the school’s teachers. Grice, inspired by his own transformative experience traveling to South Africa and Ethiopia during his time at Stockton University, was determined to provide a similar opportunity for his students.

“Where we come from, a lot of students do not get the opportunity to travel outside of Camden, let alone another country,” Grice said in an interview.

Initially, 121 students expressed interest in the trip. However, through a selection process involving essays on cross-cultural collaborations, reasons for wanting to visit Africa, travel history, and knowledge about the continent, the list was narrowed down to 13. Academic performance and discipline records also played a role in the selection, as explained by Grice and chaperone Joselyn Ureña, a school social worker.

Sophomore Manuela Gonzalez, originally from Colombia, saw the trip as a chance to connect with her roots. Other students, like juniors Elianor Sandoval, Yanibel Torres, and her twin sister Lusmeri, wrote about their desire to compare life in Gambia and Senegal with their experiences in Camden.

The trip coincided with the school’s spring break, giving the students and chaperones 14 days to immerse themselves in African culture. They visited beaches, attended cultural parties, sampled local cuisine, and even interacted with lions and tigers. Yanibel recounted how the lions were trained to respect sticks, which helped alleviate some of their fear during that excursion.

Language barriers were overcome with the help of translators and the students’ knowledge of Spanish, facilitating meaningful exchanges with their African peers. One of the profound experiences of the trip was a visit to Gorée Island, a former outpost for the slave trade. The students participated in a symbolic ritual to honor those who were forcibly taken from the island.

Grice was struck by the resilience and positivity of the people they met in Africa, noting their ability to thrive with limited resources. This contrasted with the many opportunities available in Camden that are often taken for granted.

The students documented their experiences through journals, blogs, websites, pictures, and frequent texts to family back home. These materials were later used to create a presentation for the school’s board of directors.

The trip fostered personal growth and stronger bonds among the students. Sandoval noted the newfound sense of family among the group, while Yanibel observed that Grice intentionally selected students who might not have interacted otherwise, resulting in lasting friendships.

Grice and Ureña highlighted the maturity, leadership, and newfound confidence in the students post-trip. They plan to continue this initiative, sending another group of students to Africa next year, ensuring that more students can benefit from such a life-changing experience.