Help Diandra Participate in Belizean Archaeology!

Story

Hello everyone, I am Diandra Blake, a rising senior African Studies major with a minor in Swahili studying at Howard University. I am excited to announce that I have been selected to participate in a prestigious archaeology field school abroad called Maax Na Archaeology Project (MNAP) in Rio Bravo, Belize. MNAP is an incredible program intended to train students in archaeological methods. As an aspiring archaeologist, I would be a part of a very small percentage, less than 1%, of Black anthropologists and archaeologists in the U.S. With my interests in cultural anthropology and archaeology, I want to research cultural continuities within African Diasporic cultures and countries in the African continent in various areas. I also seek to educate the youth about their history and recognize the value that it holds. While working in Belize, students will be excavating, mapping, documenting, analyzing Mayan artifacts, and doing public outreach to local Belizean school children. MNAP is very aligned with my career goals as I believe in its mission to train students in archaeological fieldwork and spread knowledge through engaging with the community. In all fields and spaces, representation matters and through my participation in this program, I will be representing people like me who are dedicated to soaking up the knowledge that history has to give us. As this will be my second field school, I hold this opportunity very close to my heart as it is giving me the chance to gain a deeper understanding of Belizean history and culture while sharpening my archaeological skills (and my trowel). Your contribution will help me with program costs, funding travel, and living expenses ($1500) during the duration of the field school from May 15th- June 12th (4 weeks). All donations will help me significantly! If you know of any resources (scholarships, grants, donors) that may be able to assist me, please share them with me. Please contact me if you would prefer another method of donation. Thank you and be blessed!