FILM-RELATED WEBSITES
Visit the filmmakers' website to learn more about the co-directors of the film, get news updates and join the mailing list.
RESOURCES
African and Ghanaian Organizations
Africa Action
Africa Action is the oldest organization in the United States working on African affairs. Its website has a list of initiatives in which people can get involved, related to issues such as HIV/AIDS awareness in Africa, the situation in Darfur and Africa's debt. There is also a substantial resources section that offers analysis of African policies and current events.
Association for the Study of Classical African Civilizations (ASCAC)
The mission of the Association for the Study of Classical African Civilizations is to promote the rescue, reconstruction and restoration of African history and culture by supporting the study of African civilizations. The ASCAC hosts conferences and provides articles for people interested in learning about African history and celebrating African culture.
BBC Country Profile: Ghana
The country profile provided by this broadcaster includes links to current news stories about the country, as well as more general information. The website offers a guide to the history, politics and economic background of Ghana, including additional resources from BBC archives.
CIA World Factbook: Ghana
The CIA World Factbook provides general information about Ghana.
Ghana Broadcasting Corporation (GBC)
This website is dedicated to providing media that promotes "national consciousness, loyalty, integrity, self-reliance and a strong sense of national identity," and it offers news reports from a Ghanaian perspective. A similar site not affiliated with the government is http://www.modernghana.com.
Ghanaian Americans
Offering a helpful profile of Ghanaians living in the United States, including links to related organizations, this website provides an understanding of how Ghanaian Americans maintain close ties to their cultural heritage.
National Council of Ghanaian Associations
The National Council of Ghanaian Associations exists to provide information about Ghana to people in the United States and focuses on building positive relationships between Ghanaians and African Americans. The website showcases initiatives that the organization has developed to improve the Ghanaian-American community.
New America Media
A search for "Ghana" on the website of this ethnically focused news organization provides a variety of articles related to Ghanaians living in the United States and U.S. policies related to Ghana.
First-Generation College Students
What Kids Can Do
What Kids Can Do (WKCD) is a national nonprofit founded by an educator and a journalist with more than 40 years' combined experience supporting adolescent learning in and out of school. The website has first person accounts about school from youths, details about WKCD's publishing platform Next Generation Press, short publications that support youth voices and a Resources section that links to education information. WKCD also has free, full text books (for both high school age students and students attending college) available online for first generation college students.
The State Journal-Register: "Some College-Bound Kids Making Family History" (PDF)
Journalist Kelsea Gurski argues that the growing social pressure to have a college degree is raising the number of first-generation college students. This piece discusses the challenges first-generation college students face, the role parents' play in students' success and the importance of guidance in the college application process. (Dec. 7, 2008)
American Federation of Teachers: "Accessibility to the Ph.D. and Professoriate for First-Generation College Graduates: Review and Implications for Students, Faculty and Campus Policies" (PDF)
This academic report from the American Federation of Teachers uses both qualitative and quantitative data to draw conclusions about the under-representation of first generation college students in higher education. Researcher Kevin M. Kniffin found that inequalities in education begin at birth. (January 2007)
San Francisco Chronicle: "Shades of Gray in Black Enrollment: Immigrants' Rising Numbers a Concern to Some Activists"
This article discusses the growing division between African Americans and African immigrants in the United States in higher education. Some argue that affirmative-action programs in colleges are still excluding African-American students rather than increasing their numbers. (Feb. 22, 2005)
Higher Education, College Readiness and Scholarship Information
American Council on Education (ACE)
Through advocacy, research and innovative programs, the American Council on Education represents the interests of more than 1,800 campus executives, as well as the leaders of higher education-related associations and organizations. Serving as a liaison between universities and Washington, D.C., ACE works to promote the interests of college students and advocates for widespread access to higher education.
Black Alliance for Educational Options (BAEO)
The Black Alliance for Education Options was launched in 2000 to advocate for parental choice to empower families and increase quality educational options for African-American children. With a focus on low-income and working class black families, BAEO exists to educate and inform parents about the educational options available.
Coca-Cola Scholars Foundation
This scholarship program supports exceptional young people's thirst for knowledge and their desire to make a difference in the world. The website also has a resources section that directs students to other scholarship opportunities.
Council for Opportunity in Education
The Council for Opportunity in Education is a nonprofit organization, established in 1981, dedicated to furthering the expansion of educational opportunities throughout the United States. Working in conjunction with colleges and universities across the nation, the council hosts a number of services and programs to help low-income students overcome financial obstacles and receive higher education.
First Generation College Bound
First Generation College Bound is a nonprofit organization in Maryland that helps underprivileged first-generation students get to college. The group's website provides information on its programs and ways to donate.
Glow Foundation
The Glow Foundation's website outlines financial aid and scholarship possibilities for low-income students from under-resourced communities.
KnowHow2Go
The KnowHow2Go campaign is a project of the American Council on Education, Lumina Foundation for Education and the Ad Council. The campaign was designed to use television, radio and outdoor public service advertisements (PSAs) to encourage eighth through tenth graders to prepare for college using four simple steps. The website details the four steps, includes links for students in the abovementioned grade levels and offers a section for mentors.
The Nellie Mae Educational Foundation
This foundation provides grants and technical assistance for underserved learners in the six New England states.
The Pathways to College Network
The Pathways to College Network is an alliance of national organizations that advances college attendance opportunities for underserved students by raising public awareness, supporting innovative research and promoting evidence-based policies and practices across the K-12 and higher education sectors. The group's website provides a college planning resources directory, a college readiness toolbox and publications on college access and related issues.
The Posse Foundation
Founded in 1989, the Posse Foundation identifies public high school students with extraordinary academic and leadership potential who may be overlooked by traditional college selection processes. The foundation hopes to provide students of all backgrounds the opportunity to gain a higher education, as well as to foster diverse communities on college campuses across the country. The group's website offers additional information about the program, as well as opportunities to nominate a scholar or to find out about the foundation's university partners.
ReadySetGoToCollege.com
This website offers information for high school students looking to prepare for the college admissions process and offers tools for calculating higher education costs, as well as offering advice on how to pick the right major.
The Steppingstone Foundation
Founded in 1990, the Steppingstone Foundation is a nonprofit organization that develops and implements programs geared to preparing urban schoolchildren for educational opportunities that lead to college. Currently focused on Boston and Philadelphia, the group's website offers ways to get students involved and information on how to start similar programs in other communities.
College Scholarships.org: First in Family Scholarships
This page lists scholarship opportunities for students who are the first in their families to get a higher education. Information on specific university programs and the various awards is also available.
The Education Resources Institute (TERI)
This organization provides college assistance to low-income and underserved individuals. Through financial aid resources and college planning centers, TERI works to make college more accessible and easily available to all students, regardless of socioeconomic barriers.
United Negro College Fund (UNCF)
As the nation's largest and oldest minority higher education assistance organization, the United Negro College Fund provides resources for historically black colleges and universities, as well as scholarships for students who wish to receive a higher education despite financial challenges. With a long list of notable alumni, UNCF offers college guidance and assistance on its website in hopes of increasing the number of students it helps to send to college.
Women's Organizations
Girls Inc.
Girls Inc. is a national nonprofit youth organization dedicated to inspiring girls to be strong, smart and bold. With roots dating to 1864, Girls Inc. has provided vital educational programs to millions of American girls, particularly those in high-risk, underserved areas. The website provides fact sheets about women's issues and suggests ways for people to advocate for girls.
National Coalition of 100 Black Women (NCBW)
The NCBW is a national organization comprised of over 7,000 members aimed at fostering black communities comprised of strong women leaders who encourage gender equity and sociopolitical advancement. The group's website covers upcoming programs, resources and membership information.
National Council of Negro Women
The National Council of Negro Women connects nearly 4 million women worldwide so that they may lead, develop and advocate for women of African descent as they support their families and communities. The organization conducts research and hosts advocacy services and programs at both the national and community level, with a focus on health, education and economic empowerment.
Sauti Yetu Center for African Women
The Sauti Yetu Center for African Women is a not-for-profit organization linking social justice activism with academic scholarship to promote and protect the rights of African women and girls. With the aim of empowering and advancing the lives of African women, the center's website provides information on its numerous resources and outreach programs in communities in New York City and across the United States.
Sistas on the Rise
Located in Bronx, N.Y., Sistas on the Rise is a space for young women of color between the ages of 13 to 24 to collaborate and build a community focused on developing leadership skills and taking action for social change. The organization provides a safe environment for women and offers a range of sisterhood-building programs and resources, including childcare services.