Pavlis Institute - Pilot Trip to Ghana

Date: 6/26/2008

The pilot cohort of Michigan Tech’s Pavlis Institute for Global Technological Leadership is preparing to travel to Kumasi, Ghana on July 1 to spend 5 weeks in country working on a variety of projects designed to make a difference in the lives of the local populace while providing them opportunities to develop and expand their leadership skills.  Some of the projects include:

• Educating the communities they visit on the need to improve water quality and suggest ways that this can be accomplished
• Introducing laptop computers designed for developing countries into a local elementary school
• Researching the need for safer and more efficient cooking stoves that do not emit harmful toxins
• Holding a recruitment event to encourage Ghanaian students to consider MTU as an institution to further their academic careers
• Training medical professionals in the use of a infant heart monitor designed by the International Business Ventures (IBV) Enterprise team.  This device is inexpensive yet effective in detecting heartbeats in non-responsive infants who die from lack of treatment because they are abandoned as stillborn. 

In addition to these projects, the pilot cohort will be making contact with local officials and business people to investigate and recommend projects for future Pavlis Institute participants.  They will be joined by four members of the IBV team for 2 weeks in the middle of their stay who will work with them on the implementation of the infant heart monitoring device.

While working in Ghana, the students will be updating a travel blog site with their experiences and progress.  If you would like to follow their trip, log onto: http://www.travelpod.com/members/pavlispilots

For more information on the Pavlis Institute please visit http://www.pavlisinstitute.mtu.edu/