Giving Voice to Values (GVV)
Africa for Students
An Ethical Leadership Action Lab
About the course
As a student, you often reflect on how your experience at school or university prepares you for the real world. Most of you might seek employment, choose to further your education or even start your own business or non-profit! Irrespective of what you do, you will lead in many ways – both in your school journey and outside of it. It might be as the team lead on your very first school assignment, or a conflict from a friend in high school or serving your campus through student governance. The common goal is that you will come across situations that challenge values you might hold of honesty, integrity, fairness, justice. How do you lead in a way that ensures results but maintains these values?
Students enrolled
No. of institutions represented
Exciting student-centered cases
Whether you are a first-year university student, distance learner, or even a postgraduate student, you’re at the right place if you would like to transform Africa through ethical leadership!
What You will Learn
- Understand and reflect on the values that are core to you as a student and growing leader
- Grapple with ethical philosophies and assess its role in value-conflicts
- Learn speaking up in situations that confront the ethics of student governance
- Scope and range of value-conflicts and effective strategies to speak up
You have access to
- Fellow peers and student leaders across Africa will share their experiences with you!
- Exclusive and interactive discussion board with fun activities!
- Fun games to help you remember concepts on the Giving Voice to Values framework!
Course Syllabus
Module 1: What Is Giving Voice to Values?
- Lesson 1.1: Module Overview
- Lesson 1.2: Course Overview & Tips for Success
- Activity: Reflect on Your Intentions
- Lesson 1.3: Getting to Know One Another
- Discussion Board 1: Introduce Yourself to Course Participants
- Lesson 1.4: We All Have Values
- Activity: The Values Game
- Lesson 1.5: The Three A’s
- Activity: Check Your Understanding
- Lesson 1.6: Ethical Action for Leadership
- Video: Interview with Dr Patrick Awuah, President, Ashesi University
- Discussion Board 2: Ethical Action for Leadership
- Lesson 1.7: The GVV Thought Experiment
- Crossword Puzzle
- What is coming next?
Module 2: Enablers and Disablers for Voicing Values
- Lesson 2.1: Overview
- Lesson 2.2: The Tale of Two Stories
- Activity: Reflect on Your Own Tale of Two Stories
- Lesson 2.3: Enablers and Disablers
- Discussion Board 3: What are Your Enablers and Disablers?
- Lesson 2.4: Choice
- Activity: Check Your Understanding
- Activity: Retrieval Practice – Enablers and Disablers
- Lesson 2.5: A GVV Case
- GVV Case: The Request
- Discussion Board 4: The Request
- Crossword Puzzle Time
- What is coming next?
Module 3: Reasons and Rationalisations
- Lesson 3.1: Overview
- Lesson 3.2: Normalisation
- Lesson 3.3: Reasons and Rationalisations
- GVV Case: The Request continued…
- Lesson 3.4a: The Four-Step Process for Voicing Values
- Video: The Deadly Life Insurance Part I
- Lesson 3.4b: The Four-Step Process (continued)
- Lesson 3.5: Reasons and Rationalizations – An Example
- Video: Toxic Textiles Part I
- Lesson 3.6: Reframing and Taking Action – An Example
- Video: Toxic Textiles Part II
- Discussion Board 5: Evaluate Asantewaa’s Approach to Voicing Her Values
- Crossword Puzzle Time
- What is coming next?
Module 4: Alignment
- Lesson 4.1: Overview
- Lesson 4.2: Alignment Part 1 – Self Knowledge
- Activity: Reflective Writing – What Would You Do?
- Lesson 4.3: Alignment Part 2 – Values-Driven Sense of Purpose
- Video: Interview with Jeff Melita, Strathmore University
- Activity: Retrieval Practice – Reasons and Rationalisations
- Lesson 4.4: Alignment Part 3 – Audience
- Lesson 4.5: The Labour Complex
- GVV Case: The Labour Complex (Case A)
- Discussion Board 6: The Labour Complex
- Lesson 4.6: The Labour Complex Continued
- GVV Case: The Labour Complex (Case B)
- Activity: Reflective Writing – Learning from Nneka’s Story
- Crossword Puzzle Time
- What’s coming up next?
Module 5: Voice
- Lesson 5.1: Overview
- Lesson 5.2: Rehearsal
- GVV Case: The Dance of Integrity (Case A)
- Discussion Board 7: The Dance of Integrity
- Lesson 5.3: Communication Values
- GVV Case: The Dance of Integrity (Case B)
- Lesson 5.4: Listening
- Lesson 5.5: Ethical Action for Leadership
- Video: Interview with Kezia and Wofa, Ashesi University
- Activity: Reflective Writing – GVV and Values-Based Leadership
- Crossword Puzzle Time
- What’s coming up next?
Module 6: Values Misalignment and Uncertain Outcomes
- Lesson 6.1: Overview
- Lesson 6.2: Values Alignment and Accountability
- Video: Mary Pearl, University of Cape Coast
- Activity: Reflective Writing – Evaluating Outcomes in Voicing your Values
- Lesson 6.3: Values Misalignment and Uncertain Outcomes
- Video: Reflections from Mary Pearl, University of Cape Coast
- What’s coming up next?
Module 7: Bringing GVV to Different Audiences
- Lesson 7.1: Overview
- Lesson 7.2: Tailoring GVV Activities to Different Audiences
- Lesson 7.3: Characteristics of a Good GVV Case
- Check your Understanding – What makes a good GVV case?
- Lesson 7.4: Wrapping Up
- Short Essay – Applying GVV to Your Life
- GVV Resource Page
Hear from our course participants
Tiisetso Mohasi
Secretary General, SRC, Botho University
“Each module invited me to reflect deeply on who I am, where I come from, and how I can lead with authenticity and courage within my community, university. Engaging with student leaders from across Africa opened my eyes to our shared challenges and hopes and reminded me that Africa’s biggest crisis is not poverty, its leadership. I was struck by the idea that if we do not pursue our generational mission, we betray it, which challenged me to reflect on my responsibility as an African leader.”
Liyabona Nqumani
Student Assistant, Division of Student Services and Development, Rhodes University
“The course fundamentally shifted my understanding of ethical leadership. I used to think it was about making the “big,” morally perfect decisions. GVV taught me that it’s more often about the small, everyday moments where we choose to act on our beliefs. It completely changed how I think about voice and values; I learned that leadership isn’t about having the loudest voice, but the most authentic one, rooted in a clear sense of what matters most. It’s not about _what_ is said, but _why_ and _how_ I believe in what I am
saying.””
Esther Ineza
Secretary General, Office of Student Guild, Kepler College
“GVV Africa for Students helped me find my voice in a culture that often teaches silence and taught me how to use it for positive change.”
Partner with Us to Cultivate Ethical Leaders for Tomorrow’s Africa
Reach out to us at gvvafricaadmin@ashesi.edu.gh if you’re looking to enroll or sign up for a cohort at your institution, your student leaders or integrate aspects of the course in your curriculum.
Pricing information
Meet the Course Contributors
Freda Addu
GVV Africa for Students
Curriculum Development Lead
Lenny Baer
GVV Africa for Students
Curriculum Development Lead
Send Us an Email
Kindly fill out the form below and we will get back to you as soon as possible.
Tier 1
- Small tier
- Allows up to 2,000 students enrolled in one year
Tier 2
- Medium tier
- Between 2001 – 5000 students enrolled in one year
Tier 3
- Large tier
- Over 5000+ students enrolled in one year
