These photographs were taken by Polina Oleksandrivna Kyriushko during January, 2013 in Ghana. Kyriushko worked for a year as an education volunteer.These photographs were part of the Study Abroad Photo Exhibit on October 14, 2014.Polina Oleksandrivna Kyriushko is a member of the class of 2017 of Washington and Lee University.Student statement about their experience: "Working as an education volunteer in Ghana was a great experience which helped me get a new perspective on the life in developing countries and better realize myself as a part of a global community. During the program I surveyed three Apostolic schools in different districts of Accra: Apostolic Church Academy, Apostolic Hope School in Nima and Rev. Lartey Adotey Memorial School. By interviewing over 600 students and members of teaching staff I collected a database of students' information and created the schools’ portfolios. With these portfolios I was able to analyze students’ family background and academic interests and determine their preferences, future goals and objectives. I observed how economic situation effects the standards of education and how children are getting access to academic resources. I have got a completely new view on the issues of poverty and social inequality and tried to find the answer for the question I have never asked myself before. I was truly fascinated by the richness and uniqueness of local culture, which has preserved the old traditions and values of Ghanaian society. It was also very interesting to see what a significant role religion plays in people's everyday life and how it affects social norms and relations. Through interaction with local population I learned more about people's beliefs and got to know more about the present and past of the country. An important part of my program was also working as a teacher of Creative Writing. Though English is an official language in Ghana, most people are using local dialects: Ga, Twi and Ewe. That's why many children find it challenging to communicate their thoughts in English, especially doing writing assignments. I tried to improve students’ writing skills and motivate their creativity through essay writing, group work and drawing assignments. The results were really impressive as every work revealed personal thoughts and interests of a kid. Overall, the experience in Ghana gave me a new picture on the world around and made me reconsider my own values. My recommendation for those who are interested in studying abroad is to choose an unusual place of destination, which they could discover, explore and learn something new. I would recommend them to go to the place where they could find a challenge which could make them reconsider many things and eventually change their life-view." "