Newtown youth Albert "A.J." Vitiello, who is a junior at Immaculate High School in Danbury, plans to travel to West Africa as a volunteer with Global Leadership Adventures (GLA) this summer, and he is fundraising to cover the cost of the trip.experiencegla.com/contribute/Nzk1MQ/.

The 21-day "Children of Africa" trip to Ghana will be spent teaching children at a primary school and making bricks that will be used in the construction of new facilities. He will also be studying social issues that face African women and children today, traditional art and dance, and the influence of slavery on African nations, according to a release from Immaculate High School.

A.J. will be traveling with GLA, an organization that offers service abroad trips for high school students. The mission of GLA "is to inspire the next generation to realize their potential to transform the world and their role in it" through community service, hands-on learning, cultural immersion, and adventure.

While in Ghana, A.J. will design lesson plans and teach basic English and math to Ghanaian children. He will build bricks to be used in a new school and plan a field day with special games for the kids. In addition, he will speak with local leaders about how to combat modern day slavery and human trafficking.

A.J. is raising funds through GLA online to help fund his journey. More information about donating available at