The greatest gifts are not things, but experiences.

At Frederick Douglass Academy VII, a public high school in Brownsville, Brooklyn, we believe children in underserved communities must not be hindered from receiving the best educational opportunities.

To that end, our school’s travel club sponsors amazing students, providing them with life-altering learning outside the States, with the world as their classroom. Following a transformational ten-day journey to Ghana with African Roots Travel this summer, we are journeying to Panama, Central America in late April to expose our scholars to the nation's unique intersection of historical and cultural influences, continuing our greater goal of enacting generational change permeating our scholars' communities.

Why: Because education and experience are the great equalizers, our best shot for opportunity to defeat disadvantage. Because "You got to go there to know there." Because when our scholars taste what the world has to offer, they become hungry for more. They learn the world is their oyster, and they're eager to pry it open. And it is because you can only learn that we're all the same by meeting people you think are different.

Help us create priceless experiences for our scholars by contributing to Brownsville to Panama. It is not only paving the way for their future travels; it is an investment in our children's minds and futures. Furthermore, upon their return, our scholars turnkey their experiences and knowledge to their peers and the FDA VII community at large. Your support is directed entirely to the travel costs of our scholars, and our fund is managed by FDA VII under the supervision of the Department of Ed of NYC.

Members of our donor community receive regular updates on our activities — for example, getting introduced to our travelers via video, and images of our activities, initiatives, and journey to Panama as our program unfolds. If you choose to jump in, welcome, and thank you for your generosity. If you have contributed to one of our previous campaigns, we appreciate your steadfast support!

You can keep in touch or learn more by subscribing to our newsletter, following our Instagram @fda7travels, or googling Brownsville Abroad to see news features.