A cultural exchange built in Ghana.
African Value Addition & Technology Institute. Members prepare together in Ghana, session by session, for a cultural exchange in the United States: presenting Ghanaian culture, and learning from the people they meet.
Practise here.
Present there.
Learn both ways.
AVATI is the after-school and enrichment platform of Prince-El International Community School Complex, open to interested young people beyond the school.
It extends learning beyond the conventional classroom through culture, technology, innovation, practical skills, creativity, international mentorship and global experiences.
AVATI stands for
Nine words that describe what members are expected to build in themselves over the course of the programme.
Culture is a bridge.
It connects people. It creates understanding. It builds friendships. It opens minds.
Members experience exchange through music, dance, storytelling, fashion, art, crafts, traditional games, literature and school visits, sharing their own culture while learning from others.
Ghana Air Force Headquarters,
Burma Camp
The group visited the Ghana Air Force Headquarters at Burma Camp in Accra. Air force personnel took members around so they could learn about Ghana’s armed forces at first hand.
The purpose is practical. Members gather knowledge about their own country that they can share with the people they meet during the exchange.
The group continued to Nationalism Park, near Independence Square, where they ate and spent time together before being taken around the park and shown the monument to Nii Kwabena Bonnie III, whose 1948 boycott of European goods led to the shooting of ex-servicemen at Christiansborg.
East Legon, Accra
Presentations
Each member gave a prepared presentation to the group, speaking on a topic they had worked on beforehand.
23 members took part, with the founder, a retired US military veteran who supports the programme, and the programme’s support team.
Twenty-three members presented in turn.
The cultural display
The group then changed into traditional dress. Members danced while experienced drummers played alongside them, practising the performance they intend to take with them.
The display is rehearsal as much as celebration. The dances, the drumming and the dress are what the group will present during the exchange.
What members prepare
AVATI runs in strands. Members choose what they contribute, and practise it together before the exchange.
Culture
What the group takes with them: the dances, the drumming, the dress, the games they intend to teach, and the stories. Ananse tales have long been used to teach honesty, contentment and hard work, and to show what selfishness costs.
Technology and innovation
AVATI also provides a practical environment for young people to explore technology through real-world applications.
Global cultural exchange
AVATI is the platform through which Prince-El coordinates international cultural exchange. Young people understand the world better when they connect directly with people from other cultures.
Mentors who show up
Members work alongside mentors from Ghana and abroad. A retired US military veteran supports the programme directly, taking part in the sessions with the group.
Mentorship runs through the programme: guidance on presenting, on discipline and teamwork, and on the experience of the countries members will visit.
Recordings from the sessions
3 September 2026, Burma Camp, Accra
5 September 2026, East Legon, Accra
Moments from the sessions
Interested in AVATI?
AVATI is open to young people at Prince-El and beyond. Contact the school to ask about joining, or about partnering with the programme.