SFPD Officers To Take San Francisco Teens To Africa 18-044

On Thursday, March 22nd, 10 African-American high school students from San Francisco's Bayview and Western Addition communities and three San Francisco Police Department officers will embark on a nine-day trip to Accra, Ghana. The Operation Genesis program aims to instill a sense of self-discovery in the teenagers as they learn the history of their African ancestors, meet local youth and learn about the differences between life in Africa and the United States. 

Officer Jason Johnson- a ten year veteran of the San Francisco Police Department who is assigned to the Community Engagement Division created Operation Genesis in hopes of making education a pivotal point in the lives of youth. Students have spent weeks studying Ghana culture and raising money for the trip. As in previous years, the students will bring books and gently used clothing for their younger counterparts in Ghana. 

This is the fifth year of a program that previous participants have described as a life- changing experience. Documentaries on the 2014, 2015 and 2016 Operation Genesis trips to Ghana can be viewed on SFPD’s YouTube website and on SFGovTV. This year’s trip can be followed via Twitter at @op_genesis. More information about Operation Genesis can be found at http://www.operationgenesisinc.org/. 

We will have media availability at 10:30 AM on Thursday, March 22nd at Bayview Station (201 Williams Avenue) with Officer Johnson and the young travelers as they say goodbye to their parents before heading to San Francisco International Airport (SFO). The travelers begin their trip and at 12:15 PM in the lobby of the International Terminal Building at SFO.