Accra is a West African hub of culture, commerce, and innovation—but most of all, it’s a city built on connection and community. At NYU Accra, unique internship and volunteer experiences empower students to engage with this dynamic environment. Now, a new partnership with local nonprofit Academy 11 Ghana gives students the opportunity to support young soccer athletes looking toward a better future.

Academy 11 Ghana: More than Soccer

Founded in 2019 by Lee Kellett, Academy 11 Ghana is more than a soccer academy—it’s a transformative program that helps student-athletes, ages 7 to 19, build pathways to higher education and stable careers. While soccer remains central, “the ultimate goal is to break the cycle of poverty,” explains Kellett. As only a small percentage of students will go on to become professional players, Academy 11 provides coaching, tutoring, and mentorship to prepare students for life beyond the sport. Some have already secured scholarships to universities in Ghana and abroad—one student now studies in Lake Placid, New York, on a full soccer scholarship.

A Growing Partnership

Kellett, based in New York, saw the potential in partnering with NYU and reached out to Chiké Frankie Edozien, the site director at NYU Accra. Soon after, Academy 11 students began attending NYU Accra’s public programs. Events like film screenings and guest lectures allowed the student-athletes to engage with professors, filmmakers, and writers. “Their presence lets them know they belong in these rooms, and they don’t need money to be there,” says Edozien. “And it’s always a joy to have them on campus—always.” For NYU students, the partnership offers perspective. “I think it’s important for our students to understand the gifts they have. It’s win-win,” Edozien notes. Kellett agrees: “The children we’re working with have never seen something like the NYU campus. They live in complete poverty. Even something as simple as going to a talk can have a massive impact.”

NYU Students Get Involved

NYU students are now directly getting involved with Academy 11 beyond events on the NYU Accra campus. Ylva Bosemark, a Stern School of Business student in the Class of 2025, wanted to make the most of her semester in Accra. With a background in tutoring, she saw an opportunity to help Academy 11 students prepare for higher education. “There wasn’t any type of education around IT skills or financial literacy,” Ylva explains. “If they’re going to study abroad, they need to know the basics of technology.” Ylva created a curriculum from scratch and began working with a cohort of 15 students, ages 17 to 19. She spent the first two weeks getting to know the students, building trust and focusing on connection by playing games like charades. Then, she introduced practical lessons about using Google Suite, writing a professional email, and learning basic typing. “We started doing daily typing games,” she recalls. “They went from about five words per minute to 20. They were so proud of themselves.”

Benefits Beyond Borders

Now back in New York City, Ylva remains deeply connected to Academy 11. She keeps in touch with many of the students, helps with fundraising, and plans to speak at an upcoming event. She also hopes more NYU students consider studying at NYU Accra. “There were only eight of us in my cohort, but I had the most incredible, life-changing experience. I get why people choose the European sites, but NYU Accra isn’t about tourism: it’s about community impact, cultural exposure, and perspective change,” Ylva says. For Edozien, that’s exactly the kind of transformative experience the partnership with Academy 11 aims to provide. “When you put someone in a room with people they wouldn’t normally have a conversation with, light bulbs go off,” he says. “If we just put people in a room together, magic can happen.”

Written by Dana Guterman