Education Ghana Project #17243

Supporting Higher Education for students in Ghana!

by Palm University Foundation

Project Report | Jul 10, 2023
January 2023 Newletter

By Peter Carlos Okantey | Project Leader

DEAN, COLLEGE OF EDUCATION AND HUMAN SCIENCES, OSU, VISITS PALM.

Palm had the pleasure of hosting the Dean of the College of Education and Human Sciences at Oklahoma State University (OSU) on campus on the 14th June, 2023.

The purpose of the visit was to strengthen the partnership between the two institutions following Palm's President’s visit to Oklahoma State University earlier this year. During the visit, he emphasized the need to activate aspects of our MOU with OSU on student, faculty and program exchanges.

CAREER SEMINAR ON PUBLIC SPEAKING

On the 14th of June, 2023, the continuous freshmen had a career seminar on Public Speaking facilitated by one of our faculty members.

He walked the students through some activities (Invention, Arrangement, Style, Memory, and delivery) that drove home the relevance of public speaking and how our students could develop and horn those skills. The students were given the opportunity to demonstrate what they learned during the seminar.

IMPACT STORIES – SUMMER INTERNSHIPS

SAMUEL OBENG DARKO, CLASS OF 2025

It all started when I received a scholarship from NAPE Foundation to pursue a degree in BSc. Business Information Technology at Palm University College. I felt an instant connection to the Palm’s mission and values and commitment to excellence and as a result, have been excited about joining a community of passionate and like-minded individuals.

From that moment onward, I knew I had found my place.

During my freshman and sophomore years, Palm gave me strong academic foundations and career preparation through engaging lectures, academic and career counselling, corporate mentoring, career seminars and workshops. Palm’s emphasis on community service and giving back have also instilled in me a sense of responsibility and empathy. My colleagues and I spent 2 hours a week at the Pentecost Basic School at Doryumu, a neighbouring community as part of the fulfilment of our community service and giving back to our community. As a peer mentor, I had the privilege of working with three enthusiastic freshmen, fostering their academic growth and guiding them through their transition into university life.

As a way of preparing for my career I had the opportunity to intern at the Palm Center for Ethical Leadership (CEL), an experience that broadened my understanding of ethical leadership and its significance in Ghana and Africa. Building on my experience at CEL, the Student Life and Career Services Department at Palm worked with me to secure a summer internship opportunity at Sacrefilms Multimedia, a renowned production company in Accra. The experience has been invaluable so far. The synergy between my interests and Sacrefilms’ focus on creativity, innovation, and service has provided me with a platform to apply my academic knowledge to real-world projects, harness my talents and grow professionally.

Undoubtedly, my journey at Palm has become a demonstration to the transformative power of quality liberal arts education, ethical leadership, and excellence. Palm is nurturing me into a well-rounded individual professional, instilling in me the values and skills necessary to make a meaningful impact in Ghana and Africa. My journey at Palm has fostered in me a passion for lifelong learning and a commitment to making a positive impact in the world. I am excited about the future and for the opportunities ahead. I am committed to contributing my quota to the growth and success of Palm.

JUSTICE AYAMDOO, CLASS OF 2026

I discovered Palm through a friend. After visiting the website, I was intrigued by the services and opportunities Palm offered so I quickly applied for admission and scholarship. My interest in enrolling at Palm was driven by my desire for personal growth and academic excellence.

My freshman year at Palm University College was a whirlwind of emotions, with both challenging and rewarding moments. The supportive community at Palm became my anchor during the muddled and rough times. Palm faculty and staff provided guidance and encouragement when I needed it the most. The Peer Mentoring program where incoming freshmen are assigned to peer mentors, played a pivotal role in my transition to Palm. My peer mentor, a sophomore gave me with invaluable guidance to help me adjust to life on campus.

The dedicated lecturers and rigorous curriculum have pushed me beyond my limits, helping me discover new talents and potentials. The academic services, Math and Writing Centre along with other resources available at the library have been instrumental in my academic improvement. From leadership workshops to career development seminars, each session has contributed to my personal and professional growth, shaping me into a confident and adaptable individual.

I am currently interning at Maxim Nyansa IT Solutions, a IT company in Accra and reflecting on my journey so far, I can confidently say that this invaluable experience is helping me bridge the gap between theory and practice – connecting the very theories, models and concepts taught in class to what happens in the workplace. Each day as I perform computer network, programming, hardware and CCTV-related tasks, I am thankful for the hands-on experience, the expansion of my professional network and this dynamic stepping-stone towards future career prospects.

The blend of academic rigor, quest for personal growth, emphasis on career education, preparation, entrepreneurship and the nurturing of a vibrant community makes Palm an exceptional institution that prepares its students for a successful future and career. I am excited to see what the future holds as I continue my journey in this remarkable institution.

Let’s use this header going forward; when it about a student

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Jun 27, 2023
May 2023 Newsletter

By Peter Carlos Okantey | Project Leader

Ghacem #1

FIELD VISIT TO GHANA CEMENT (GHACEM) PRODUCTION PLANT

Apart from traditional internships, educational field visits help serve an important role in experiential learning. The Principles of Management students at Palm embarked on a field trip to GHACEM at Tema on 5^th May 2022. The visit was aimed at helping students connect concepts, models, and theories of management studied in class to what happens in the workplace.

The students and faculty members were also given a tour of the organization and also interacted with officers in leadership/management roles and other departments.

SEMINAR ON PERSONAL BRANDING

During the month, a Chartered Marketer who is also a corporate mentor at Palm interacted with our freshmen on how to build their brands as students and future professionals.

The students received tips on how to brand themselves to suit their intended careers or professional profiles. He encouraged the students to take note of their qualities and strengths, develop them and turn them into their Unique Selling Propositions (USP).

The personal brand is what comes to mind when people think of you. It is what you are especially noted for, he said. The session was very successful.

SEMINAR ON ACTING INTERVIEWS

During the semester, one of the NAPE Foundation Board members who is an Electrical Engineer with General Electric USA, with a wide range of experience interviewing potential employees, facilitated a seminar on “Acting Interviews" with some freshmen and sophomores.

The session focused on positioning oneself to become an interview candidate and the STAR interview methodology. He encouraged students to take interviews seriously because that was one way for job applicants to prove themselves worthy of employment opportunities.

The Facilitator also engaged some of the students in mock interviews to assess the impact of the knowledge they had received from the seminar.

CENTER FOR ETHICAL LEADERSHIP – SCHOOL OUTREACH

The Center for Ethical Leadership at Palm Institute embarked on an outreach to the Prampram Senior High School in Accra on Tuesday, May 9, 2023. During the outreach, final-year students at the school were engaged in an interactive session which was led by the President of Palm Institute.

The session was centered on ethical dilemmas that students were likely to face in their lives. In groups, students discussed each dilemma case and suggested possible remedies in each instance. By the end of the session, students had come to the conclusion that living a life of integrity was worthy. The CEL team further engaged the Head Master and other staff of the school on possible future collaborations.

STUDENT CLUB PRESENTATIONS

As one of the ways to encourage student activities on campus, the Student Life and Career Services Department submitted a call for proposals for the club. The leadership of four (4) selected clubs presented their club ideas to the entire community. The clubs were the Entrepreneurship Hub, Palm Fitness Club, Honour Club, and the Men, Women, and Youth of Purpose.

The session was very engaging and interesting as the clubs’ executives competed at winning the interest of the students.

ADMISSIONS OUTREACHES

During the month of May, the admissions team reached out to students and teachers through career fairs organized at Aburi Girls SHS, Legacy Girls SHS, Akuse Methodist SHS, and Ghanata SHS to create awareness of what Palm has to offer and to find potentially qualified students.

END OF THE ACADEMIC YEAR

Congratulations to the freshmen and sophomore classes for finishing another academic year. The semester ended on May 23^rd, 2023 for the students after a two-week final exam period. The January freshman class will however begin their second semester on June 12^th, 2023.

After the two weeks of intensive examination, the student body organized a movie night as a way to entertain themselves. It was amazing.

INTERNSHIP PREPARATORY SESSION

At Palm, preparing our students for employment, entrepreneurship, or graduate school remains our goal. As a way of preparing our students for the summer job-shadowing and internships, a training session dubbed, “Are you Ready” was organized by the Student Life and Career Services Department. Examples of topics discussed were Email Composition, Building Professional Networks, Personal Branding, Dress for Success, Business Etiquette, Teamwork and Conflict Resolution, Presentation Skills, Problem-Solving Skills, etc. The case study scenarios approach was employed for the various sessions.

The training was successful as the students were made “ready” for their job shadowing and internships.

Ghacem #2

Acting Interview #1

Acting Interview #2

Admissions #2

Internship Prep #4

Personal Branding #1

Personal Branding #2

Admissions #3

Student Club Presentations #1

Student Club presentations #2

Admissions #4

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Aug 1, 2016
Palm Institute's Higher Education Project Report

By Dr. Peter Carlos Okantey | Founder & President

Dear Donors,

The 2015/2016 academic year successfully ended on 30^th May 2016. The semester was filled with activities. Some of these include:

Career seminar series with industry experts;
Students trip to Commercial court in Accra;
Participation in the New Business Challenge by the Netherlands Embassy, Ghana;
The launch of our community service program and;
Refurbishment of the Palm Library

The recently ended semester marked the end of the two-year program for our first batch of students who were admitted in 2014. Plans are currently underway for our first graduation ceremony for the students.

Palm Institute is currently recruiting students for the upcoming academic year (2016/2017) which begins in August. The continuing students will be entering their second and final year at the Institute. So far, we have over forty (40) qualified and committed students for the upcoming academic year. Out of this number, twenty (20) are genuinely in need of financial aid-your kind support will be very much appreciated to find scholarship for these students. The remaining students are in the position to pay part of their fees – the other part will be paid for by NAPE Foundation.

We have added extra features to our campus facility in order to meet the accreditation requirements of the National Accreditation Board (NAB) of Ghana to enable us offer three-year degree programs. Unfortunately, we were not granted accreditation on the premise that we’ll need a bigger space located in an area outside our current location.

In view of the above, we are working on getting a new and improved campus (possibly build one) to enable us meet the accreditation requirements, thus adding more value to all that we do here at Palm Institute and more especially, offering greater opportunities for our students.

We would like to express our profound gratitude to all Donors whose support and donations have aided in advancing our cause. We greatly appreciate your generosity. It is our hope that you’ll continue to support Palm Institute through NAPE Foundation to make a difference in the lives of young people in Ghana.

Thank you!

Dr. Peter Carlos Okantey - President

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