Cedar Hill Partners With School in Africa

Students, parents and teachers from Cedar Hill elementary, in conjunction with Pagus Africa, a volunteer-based program benefiting education in Africa, have partnered with the Bishop Forson School in Ghana.

According to a release from the school, Cedar Hill students have collected two barrels worth of educational supplies to donate to the children of Bishop Forson, as well as a donation of $515 to help a Ghanaian student. The money was raised by school’s Fifth Grade Character Education Committee, which is lead by Dori Pintabone, a fourth-grade teacher, Michelle Volt, a special education teacher and Bonnie DiCola, the school’s nurse.

Pagus Africa, established in 1996 as a non-profit art gallery, expanded its efforts in Ghana to include educational support in 2004, according to the group’s website.

“Our mission is to strengthen poor rural communities through targeted projects in education, health and poverty reduction,” a statement on the groups website says.  “We believe the most effective ways to facilitate long term sustainable change is through education of children and through working with adults to build self reliance and sources for sustainable income. We seek to empower communities to improve their schools, water sources and health conditions.”

In the coming weeks, Cedar Hill students will continue to support Bishop Forson School through a pen-pal letter writing campaign, according to the release. Teachers at the school have volunteered to be video taped so that Gahanna teachers can learn best practices, the release says.