BHS students go 'Inside Africa'

By Jeff Waters, Democrat Reporter

May 07, 2008 02:46 pm

— Branford High School students recently visited the Inside Africa exhibit at the Florida Museum of Natural History in Gainesville. The trip was paid for in part by a grant from the North East Florida Educational Consortium. The 15-member district consortium provided each district with 100 free tickets for students to see the exhibit between March 15 and September 7, 2008. Suwannee County is a member of the consortium.
"When I asked the students to describe their trip the one word that was used over and over was 'awesome'," art teacher Vaster Fryar at Branford High said.
The students, 43 in all, wore 3-D art students and learned about the culture of Africa as well as how much better people in the United States are living better than in Africa. "(One) thing that came up from several students was that it made them truly aware of the slave market as they stood on the platform and heard someone auction them off in the Inside Africa exhibit," Fryar said.
"The North East Florida Educational Consortium (NEFEC) is a unique organization created to help small districts with limited resources better serve children," according to their web site.
"The staff at the museum were so helpful to us. The trip was a valuable learning experience and I am very grateful that we had this opportunity. Thanks to NEFEC for sponsoring the field trip."

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