Group XXVII description

From Rpcvdraft

67 trainees, mostly secondary school teachers, trained Oct-Dec 1966, Roxbury (Boston) --Phansen 18:57, 10 November 2007 (EST)

Training

The training program began on Saturday, October 8, 1966. Some trainees upon arrival at the training headquarters were told that their names were not on "the list," but not to worry because that was true of others as well.

The training program included both Nigeria trainees (67) and Ghana trainees (19). Unlike most previous training programs it was not housed on a university campus. Trainees lived with families in Roxbury, an African-American section of Boston, and were provided their breakfasts by their host families -- other meals were eaten at local restaurants. Peace Corps rented an old house as the training program headquarters and small apartments for language training and other classes. Plenary meetings took place in the neighborhood AME church.

The program director was Roger Landrum, who had been a member of Nigeria II. Trainers included Robin Nilsson (fka Nelson, Nigeria IX) and Frank Starkweather (Nigeria XI). The Educational Development Center, a non-profit corporation, was responsible for the teacher training portion of the program. Part way through the training program, most trainees were placed as student teachers in public and private secondary schools in the Boston area.

The Nigeria trainees consisted of three subgroups, 1) Hausa learners destined for the North, 2) Pidgin English learners destined for the Midwest, and 3) eight Yoruba learners who were assigned to the University of Ife (renamed Obafemi Awolowo University in 1987)in the West.

Near the end of the training program the leadership suggested that we move from Roxbury to Franconia College, a relatively new avant garde liberal arts college in Franconia, New Hampshire. This resulted in a fair amount of disagreement since quite a number of trainees had become involved in community activities from which they did not wish to walk away on such short notice. Nonetheless, by majority vote the decision was made to leave Roxbury.

The training program ended shortly before Christmas of 1966, and trainees returned to their homes for the holidays.

--Phansen 15:17, 11 November 2007 (EST)