Black History Month Essay Competition Award Ceremony

Left to right: Ambassador Barry L. Wells, Student Finalist; His Teacher; A Peace Corp Volunteer at Finalist's school; Mrs. Isatou Nyang; Director of Curriculum Department at the Department of State for Basic and Secondary Education

Ambassador Barry L. Wells held a Prize giving award ceremony on Thursday, May 29 in honor of all the students and schools that took part in this year’s U.S. National African-American History Month essay competition. In his remarks, Ambassador Wells noted that the objective of the competition was to encourage students to read and write about African-American history, and particularly focus on how that history relates to the history of The Gambia. He mentioned that with more than 80 essays received, a team of professionals from The Banjul American Embassy School helped to select the eleven finalists, who and their schools will all receive prizes for their hard work and commitment.  In delivering her remarks, Mrs. Nyang, Director of Curriculum of the Department of state for Basic Education expressed the cordial partnership they have with the Embassy and expressed its department’s continued willingness to partner with the U.S Banjul Embassy in the area of education. The event was chaired by the Deputy Chief of Mission, Brain Bachman and other the speaker was Dianne Zemichael, Director of Banjul American Embassy School who gave an overview of the competition process. 

The competition helped to further promote the positive values of the U.S government of supporting education and youth empowerment in the Gambia.  The prize award ceremony received extensive coverage on the Gambian national TV and radio stations and the story was carried in all the major newspapers.