After a week with students and teachers in Ghana at Kyerekrom Roman Catholic Primary School, Assistant Professor in Curriculum & Instruction Lakia Scott, Ph.D., and Baylor senior Branda Greening knew two things: they longed to return the following year and they wanted to write a children’s book. The book, The Children of Kyerekrom, is available now on Amazon and will raise money for the school.
“We really wanted a product that would benefit the school and that would help us show people what (or whom) we are raising money for,” said Greening who is studying elementary education in the School of Education.
In May 2016, Scott and Greening joined Baylor Missions’ annual Ghana Leadership mission trip. They taught school lessons at Kyerekrom and built relationships with students and teachers alike. As a middle grades education major, Greening said her trip to Ghana changed her perspective about education and her views of other cultures. For Scott, the mission trip experience amplified her love for education and passion for students all around the world. (Read about their trip here.)
Greening with Kyerekrom students
Crafting a children’s book with colors to illustrate their personal experiences at Kyerekrom was the ideal way to demonstrate their love and gratitude for the lessons they learned from Ghana. Before the trip was even finished, Scott and Greening began writing their book.
Scott said, “When we returned to the states, we had already finished writing the book. We spent the next two months securing an illustrator, getting the pictures back, and communicating about where the picture would best fit with the text.”
After several additional months of editing the artwork and book layout, they submitted the book to be self-published through CreateSpace. Through self-publication, Scott and Greening minimized the cost of producing the book as much as possible to maximize the proceeds for Kyerekrom.
Dr. Scott with Kyerekrom student
“This book project was a great way for us to give to the community and provide them with the items they truly felt would help their students,” said Greening.
Scott and Greening hope to raise money through book purchases and donations to buy a printer for Kyerekrom, additional computers, and more teacher and student resources for the school library. The Children of Kyerekrom is available for purchase via Amazon, and a selection of original artwork from the book is also available for purchase.
“We know we have done as much as we can in order to demonstrate our spiritual and educational commitments to the children in the school in Ghana,” Scott said.
Scott and Greening plan to return in May 2017 for another mission trip to Ghana, where they look forward to being reunited with friends and learning more about the beauty and power of education from the students and teachers at Kyerekrom.
Visit www.thechildrenofKyerekrom.weebly.com for more information.
— By Molly Meeker
For more news from Baylor School of Education, visit the Instant Impact home page.
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Baylor University is a private Christian University and a nationally ranked research institution. The University provides a vibrant campus community for more than 16,000 students by blending interdisciplinary research with an international reputation for educational excellence and a faculty commitment to teaching and scholarship. Chartered in 1845 by the Republic of Texas through the efforts of Baptist pioneers, Baylor is the oldest continually operating University in Texas. Located in Waco, Baylor welcomes students from all 50 states and more than 80 countries to study a broad range of degrees among its 12 nationally recognized academic divisions.