Honoring Black History
On Jan 27th, participants from Our Genetic Legacy shared about their recent travels to Ghana and connecting with local Ghanaian high school students for their mapping mission here at EIS. Several of EIS’s Girls Take Flight alumna who were involved in the mapping, presented on the life-changing experience.
The alumna shared their Letters to the Ancestors, the research and drone data collected in learning about the historical events, and the life-long friendships they made. The following is a sampling of the stories from Girls Take Flight alumna who went to Ghana.
Luxary:
The most memorable part of the trip was getting to know the Ghanaian girls we collaborated with, even though we only spent a week with each other, it feels like I have made life-long friendships.
Along with that, learning history from people themselves was eye-opening, it made me realize that even though textbooks and other forms of history is great and all, but actually hearing their history from them and seeing sites that are a part of it made learning it more memorable. It made it easy to be immersed in the culture, traditions, and history.
Overall, just being around such a great group of people was an experience I will never forget. AND THE FOOD WAS AMAZING! (and I really miss it.)
Shyanne:
My time in Ghana was truly life changing, experiencing a new culture while getting more experience with drones and technology. I also got the opportunity to make global connections and relationships that will last a life time. I am so grateful for EIS’s partnership that helped make this trip possible and to EIS for exposing me to drones and being the reason I have my drone pilots license!
The following is an excerpt from her letter to her ancestors.
“Dear ancestors… the past ten days I encountered you in a way I never had. I got to learn new things, I was exposed to a new culture, I tried new foods, but most importantly I learned more about you…I got the opportunity to visit Cape Coast Castle and Elmina Castle. Here, I learned about the slave trafficking that took place under both castles. I learned how you sacrificed everything so I can have the life I have now. And you encouraged me to be strong… You did things that seemed impossible, so I will do things that seem impossible.
Unity is our strength. We are stronger together, and life is sweeter when it is lived with others. Sincerely, Shyanne”
We are so excited to see our Girls Take Flight alumna continuing to expand their drone experiences with organizations like Our Genetic Legacy and it’s founder Shellie Baxter (third from the left in photo above). You can view the presentation from January on our Instagram reel Instagram.com/p/C2nkg9Ey5ub
Visit OurGeneticLegacy.org to learn about their programs for youth and help them raise funds to continue their drone mapping project in London!
Upcoming Events
Join us for our spring Open House from 12:00 – 4:00 pm. This family friendly day will be filled with STEM inspiration! Meet our staff and instructors. Tour our facility, engage in hands-on activities, and enjoy complimentary refreshments. It’s FREE to attend. Register at https://tinyurl.com/eisopenhouse24
Mark your calendars! March 5th Girls Take Flight is kicking off the 2024 season. Come learn about our drone program for 10th and 11th grade girls. Register for Drone Camp here: https://sdscitech.org/programs/girls-take-flight/ More information about the Kick Off event coming soon, stay tuned!
As we celebrate our 60th anniversary this year, we will be hosting celebratory events throughout the year. Keep an eye out for those events. We hope to see with you soon!
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