Institution: Hood Student Participant: Abraham Kettor Name of Project: in the Name of Peace Date of Project: May 29th – July 7th, 2017 Country of Project: /

Education in the Name of Peace Personal Background: I moved to America in 2011. I am a native of the Republic of Liberia, West Africa and I grew up in the war-torn country for seventeen challenging years. After some trials and tribulations early in my life, I am now a mature 22-year-old rising junior at Hood College in Frederick, Maryland. I am a Global Studies major and a Resident Assistant working with students from a variety of backgrounds in one of the two residence halls for first-year students. Having worked with many service organizations, I firmly believe that the Davis Projects for Peace is a unique opportunity that can help promote peace and change in the individual lives in a war- torn country, such as Liberia. Where: The project will be completed in Monrovia, the capital city of Liberia-- a populous city that embodies the country’s cultural, political and financial sectors. Monrovia is home to several academic institutions such as the University of Liberia, and many public and private high schools. I grew up in the city and I understand the day-to-day struggles that the majority of the people face, and I still have deep connection there. The problem: Most students in Monrovia have given up on the educational system, and others are at a higher risk of dropping out because they have no motivation or desire to finish high school. This problem is due in large part to the prolonged, brutal, and destructive period of civil unrest, corruption within the government, and the most recent school closures due to the Ebola Viral Disease (EVD). (The World Health Organization (WHO) declared Liberia free of Ebola on the 16th of January 2016.) All 12th graders are required to take and pass the standardized West African Examination Council (WAEC) testing before graduating from high school. However, according to a 2014 report by the World Bank, 82% of 12th graders dropped out because only 48% of students passed the WAEC. This failure indicates that most students are lacking the reading and writing skills essential to passing the WAEC. Even though the civil war has been officially over for fifteen years, its consequences still linger for many young boys and girls who experienced the war as young children. The project proposal: The Davis Projects for Peace will focus on the educational development and success of high school students through the process of building peace. Since a majority of the students have less desire to finish high school or to go to college, five volunteers (who are students in the educational department at the University of Liberia) and I will serve as mentors to 25 selected students who are in jeopardy of failing or dropping out of school. I have a friend who is a student at the University of Liberia and is committed to helping me find student volunteers for the project. The volunteers and I will help inspire the students to believe in themselves and, encourage them to go to college after high school. We will work with students to find peace within themselves and think about ways to establish and maintain peace in Liberia for generations to come. Muslim Congress High School (MCHS) has agreed to work on this project. Before I travel to Liberia, Institution: Hood College Student Participant: Abraham Kettor Name of Project: Education in the Name of Peace Date of Project: May 29th – July 7th, 2017 Country of Project: Monrovia/Liberia

Principal Zainab Assaf and a committee of teachers at MCHS will carefully select the 25 students based on their GPA, age, race, gender, and family income. First, I wish to implement a five week after-school reading and writing program for the selected students. The goal is to enable students to write a compelling essay with little or no grammar mistakes at the end of the program, as well as motivate them to finish high school and go to college. For the first week, I, Principal Zainab and the committee will provide three days of intensive volunteer training from Monday to Wednesday (May 29-31/2017). Between the 1st and 2nd of June, we do an introduction ceremony and work with the students to pick a topic about peace (such as: How do we work together to insure a peaceful future for our nation? Or, What role can you play as an individual for the creation of a peaceful society?) and teach them how to create an outline for the essay. The second week, we will learn about essay introductions and thesis statements. The third week, we will learn about the body of an essay. The fourth and fifth weeks, students will learn how to write a conclusion and proofread their essay. During the third and fifth weeks, the students will go on trips to the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Liberia, as well as the University of Liberia and United Methodist University. The goal of these trips is for students to get inspired by some of the current leaders of Liberia and to experience the day in the life of a college student. Principal Zainab has agreed to use her connections to give the students easy access to both the ministries and the universities. Secondly, I wish to organize a small library providing free textbooks students can borrow. The books will be required for the students’ academic year. After the school year is over, the students will give the books back to the library so the next cohort of students can use them. Required textbooks are typically utilized for a four years period. Principal Zainab has a room designated for the library in the school. The school will also employ someone who will be in charge of the library handing out and collecting the textbooks. Three computers will be put into the library with the goal of enabling students to do research and connect globally with other students. The school will be responsible for providing internet access to the computers and fixing any computer issues that might occur. By working with the students, I hope not just to inspire them to believe in themselves but to also promote and raise awareness about peace to the next generation of leaders while building upon their academic progress. Sustainability: The library, textbooks, and the computers will still be available for students to use after I leave the country. Furthermore, mentorship will still be provided to students. The five college students will serve as mentors and meet with the mentees once a week in hopes that students build on skills they have gained during the program. Note: there is only one library in the entire city of Monrovia. The average cost for a textbook is 5$ U.S. Students use about five books for the academic year. Note: Please see the attach email message of Principal Zainab indicating that she has agreed to cooperate with me on this project.