They chose Ghana because it is among the most stable countries in the region, with a history of peaceful transitions of power and a large community of American expatriates. Indiana University also runs summer programs for students in the country.
Parents of Baltimore students were very receptive to the idea of the Kenyan school in the 1990s, said John Walsh, who was a member of the school's board.
“It was often the case that an observer would say, 'Why so far away, and why to Africa?'” he said. “That was not a question their parents would ask. They would say, 'Wow, that's exciting.’ ”
That school had most of its students graduate or received GEDs, which would have been unlikely for them back home. The board of the Baraka School still hopes to reopen it at some point, and Walsh said the model makes sense for other cities to replicate.
“For at-risk kids that are living in neighborhoods where there are drugs and violence,” he said, “it's a no-brainer for me.”
