Soccer & Mental Performance
A Summer for Fun, Friends, and Your Future
Explore
Have fun discovering the energy and passion of Ghana’s soccer scene.
Network
Meet new friends and industry professionals. Build your own community.
Get Inspired
Launch your future today! Get hands-on experience through intramural sports, community engagement, and conducting a performance assessment.
The Destination
Welcome to Ghana, where soccer is the national passion.
Ghana is a country that lives and breathes soccer. Home to the legendary Black Stars national team, Ghana has competed in five FIFA World Cups and came heartbreakingly close to becoming the first African nation to reach the semifinals in 2010. Today, you’ll find soccer everywhere, from packed stadiums and neighborhood pitches to beaches and schoolyards.
Beyond the game, discover a country bursting with energy and creativity. Wander through bustling markets where vendors sell everything from fresh mangoes and soccer jerseys to colorful kente cloth. Then dance to the rhythms of Afrobeats and highlife music echoing through the streets. When hunger strikes, dig into smoky jollof rice, kelewele (spicy fried plantains), and chinchinga (grilled kebabs) sold fresh from sizzling street carts.
Ghana also boasts incredible natural diversity and beauty. Swim off its world-class beaches, safari through rolling grasslands dotted with antelope, and hike lush tropical forests. Whether you’re kayaking on a river or spotting colorful wildlife in the forest canopy, Ghana offers an experience you won’t forget.
Cultural Awareness
CIEE wants all our students to feel welcomed, supported, and empowered to succeed while studying abroad. No matter where you choose to study abroad with CIEE, our staff will be on hand throughout your program to provide advice, resources, and support.
Social feed above may feature posts from all CIEE Study Abroad programs, including college programs.
Sample Itinerary
Top Rated Activities
Kayak the Volta River
Paddle through the heart of tropical Ghana on the Volta River as it widens into Lake Volta, a vast inland sea covering more than 3,200 square miles. Created in the 1960s when the Akosombo Dam flooded the Volta River valley, the lake is so large that in some places it feels more like paddling on the ocean. Its calm, dark-blue waters reflect huge skies and dramatic cloud formations, while the shoreline shifts between red-earth banks, rocky coves, golden grasses, palm trees, and small fishing villages with brightly painted wooden boats pulled up along the shore.
More than 300 bird species have been recorded in the Volta Basin, making it one of West Africa’s most important ecosystems. Keep your eyes open for African fish eagles soaring overhead, kingfishers diving into the water, and herons and egrets wading in the shallows. You may even spot monkeys swinging through the trees or monitor lizards basking along the shore as you experience one of Ghana’s most spectacular natural landscapes.
A Visit to Cedi Beads Factory
Step into a world of color, creativity, and history at the Cedi Beads Factory in Ghana’s Eastern Region. Watch skilled artisans transform recycled glass bottles into dazzling handmade beads using techniques passed down through generations. See every step of the process as glass is crushed into fine powder, poured into clay molds, and fired in traditional kilns before emerging as vibrant beads in shades of ruby red, cobalt blue, emerald green, and sunshine yellow.
For centuries, beads have played an important role in Ghanaian life, especially among the Ashanti and Krobo peoples, who used them as symbols of wealth, identity, spirituality, and important life milestones. The beads are named after Ghana’s currency, the cedi, because they once served as a form of trade and remain an important part of celebrations, ceremonies, and traditional dress today.
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Eligibility
- Participants must be 14 years old and above.
- Program open to all current high school students: Freshmen, Sophomores, Juniors, and Seniors.
- For scholarship eligibility requirements, please check our scholarship page.
- Please note: Due to the local cuisine and available food options, this program cannot accommodate a fully Kosher diet.
For more information, refer to the detailed Program Essential Eligibility Criteria.
Dates & Fees
Application Fee
$25
Program scholarships and tuition include iNext Travel Insurance, but do not cover the cost of flights. Find additional details about what’s included with your tuition.
More questions? Find answers, get application support, sign up for virtual presentations or contact us!
Program |
Application Due |
Start Date |
End Date |
Costs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Program Summer Session I 2027 | Start Date TBD* | End Date TBD* | Costs $5,100 | |
| Program Summer Session II 2027 | Start Date TBD* | End Date TBD* |
*Dates for this program are provided as tentative dates. Please consult with your study abroad advisor to confirm dates before purchasing your flights.
Ready to change your life?
What's Included
Interactive Classes
Housing
3 Meals/Day
(Dietary Needs Accommodated)
All Ground Transportation
(Once In-country)
Optional Flight Chaperone
(Flight Cost Not Included)
Pre-departure Advice and Orientation
Access to WIFI
(No international data plan or SIM card included)
All Cultural Activities and Excursions
Comprehensive Medical and Travel Protection
24/7 Emergency On-site Support
Our Staff
Amma Appiah
Center Director
Program Leaders guide and support our High School Summer Abroad participants through every step of their program.
Get Started
1
2
Connect with your Teachers or Parents
Share your plans and confirm you're on track to meet all required steps to go abroad.
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Contact Us
Send us an email if you still have questions or need information about enrolling.
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