Newsletter
We offer flexible teaching support volunteer opportunities within our local Primary and Junior High Schools, we focus on lesson support, tutoring, creative & practical lessons and reading skills.
Location: | Abetifi District, Kwahu Mountains, Eastern Region, Ghana |
Availability: | Year Round |
Price: | From $85 per week |
Duration: |
4 – 52 weeks |
Schools we work alongside
Than other similar organisations
Volunteer rating
We offer placements among all classes of the Ghanaian education system, these cross over Primary, Junior High and Secondary High schools.
Most volunteers will take placements in Primary and Junior High Schools which are based together therefore adding an extra level of flexibility to meet everyones needs. Secondary is usually reserved for qualified individuals as once students have completed this level they are university ready.
Within the schools the basic subjects are taught regularly such as English, Maths, Science, Local Language, Religious & Moral Education. Computing is taught with the best will however usually this is from a text book as most schools don’t have access to a computer or laptop. Creative arts and music again are absolutely adored by the children however due to lack of materials these are mostly read and taught from textbooks.
Schools in Ghana not only need your help to cope with the growing size of classes, lack of a ‘subsitute’ teacher process but also to bring a fresh approach to lessons which are traditionally very dictation focused. Practicals are not experienced until secondary school and throughout primary schools there is a distinct lack of supplies especially for anything creative arts focused which is adored by the children.
We aim to improve the standard of education in our area by not only providing additional resources of staffing to seriously understaffed and deprived communities, introduction of new and fresh ideas to lessons and their planning but also supplying additional learning materials and books otherwise unavailable.
You should not come expecting for the school to be at a stand still until a volunteer arrives, we are here to enhance and assist not to replace teaching staff. Education is an important factor of Ghanaian life where families circumstances allow them to pursue this so more often than not teachers will be present in their classrooms. Volunteers usually agree to a mix of teaching various classes with their teachers or headmaster. When you are not directly teaching or if this is not where you wish to help, you can be focusing as a teaching assistant/support role helping children that are struggling to keep up and on a one on one basis. The teaching style in our rural area is often dictation focused so it’s easy for children that struggle with english to be left behind.
Support Staff – Accommodation – House Utility Bills – Pre Departure Support
We charge cost price for this project just so we can cover your stay and employ local support staff to increase loyal employment. This placement includes accommodation in a modern style house for the semi rural area of which we are based with great views and surroundings of the local towns and rainforest. All house utilities are included for your time, you will have use of the kitchen, electricity throughout the house and running water which is a luxury among the area of Kwahu. You will have a member of our local support team living in house or close by depending on the volunteer numbers so there is always someone on hand for any questions or support you may need.
Budget an additional 40 – 60 Ghana cedis per day for transport costs.
We work with a number of schools within the local community and slightly further out. Volunteers will usually take taxis back and forth to their placement site. It is very easy to take shared taxis in town and they are very reasonably priced. Most of our schools will require volunteers to pay transport between 40 cedis and 60cedis a day. The more remote village schools are usually located down tracks and therefore cost a little bit more to reach. Our team will be able to assist volunteers group together for transport and where to find taxis etc. Volunteers are usually able to head off into the town after school easily to shop for food supplies, grab a cold drink or meet up with friends before heading home and the ease of taxis offer a really flexible experience for the volunteers.
As a teaching volunteer, depending on the school that you select after your introduction and what you will feel comfortable with, you may be paired up with a teacher to primarily start supporting as a teaching assistant or you may be given a class yourself depending on your experience and confidence. Although the thought of your own class may seem overwhelming at first, the sheer enthusiasm and eagerness to learn of children will be a strong push to spur you on the way. Where you feel that your teacher is a ‘really good example’ and you don’t think you can bring anything to help, this is simply not the case. As we’re sure you’re aware even in developed countries there are teaching assistants and learning support departments to be able to offer an extra hand to those children that struggle especially in Ghana where it can be extremely difficuly for children to learn advanced topics in English which is their second language and a lot of them are not comfortable in using it constantly.
For the younger children basic reading, writing and creative arts lessons are usually required whereas for the older children we advise not only developing the previous skills but breathing new ideas and life into their textbooks. We have a wide range of teaching books and lesson plans within the store room of the volunteer house and we advise volunteers to make use of their free evening and weekend time to plan the following days lessons.
A good example that we seen recently was for a Primary 4 class, aged between 10 – 14 learning the topic of solid, liquid and gas in science. Usually this topic will just be dictated on the board and occasional notes made or exercises completed. However a volunteer seen this upcoming topic in a textbook and planned a cheap and effective practical lesson followed by a poster produced by each child to take home and a board display to not only brighten and improve the classroom but provide continuous learning even for the next class to have use of the room.
If the number permits we aim to group teaching volunteers together at a particular school or project. You will work closely with a teacher and report to the Headteacher should you have any issues. A member of our team will also spend a portion of their day at the project to assist in anyway and offer any guidance should it be needed. Most volunteers strike up a strong bond with the teachers and are treat as another member of staff as if you were always there. It is not uncommon to be invited round their homes for dinner at an early stage as a way of saying thank you.
A teaching qualification or experience is not compulsory to join on the teaching volunteer placement, your level of experience and confidence will gauge what level of students would best suit and will be discussed between the team and yourself on your first day introduction. The greatest traits of a volunteer are enthusiasm, empathetic and the ability to adjust to alternative cultures. You will get the most of our your trip by opening your mind to new experiences and beliefs whilst also bringing your own to the table.
We expect volunteers to visit their placements Monday – Friday, exceptions can be made for long weekends of travel etc but we hope for the children and yourselves to get the most of your placement this is kept to a minimum.
We will be on hand any time of any day to support you in your placement and trip as a whole. There will always be someone you can speak to or get a hold of should you want to discuss anything or require any guidance, from organising after school clubs to changing your placement. Our team living in the volunteer house will also be able to offer advice regarding travel plans and the local area so you will soon feel at home.
For your time at the placement we advise bringing plenty of school materials, arts & crafts items and some ideas from teaching resource websites. These will prove invaluable throughout your placement as there is a lack of materials able to purchase in the local area. Basic pens, pencils and cheap paper are available as well as moderate priced photocopying should you wish to bring activity sheets.
07:30am – Volunteer transport leaves the volunteer house to project sites
08:00am – School starts
10:30am – 11:00am – Morning Break
12:30pm – 01:00pm – Lunch Break
03:00pm – School closes
03:30pm – Return to volunteer house
03:30pm onwards – Free time
Please note this an example of a schedule. Times vary on different schools and term time.
After school volunteers are free to go shopping in the local markets, return to the volunteer house or visit the local swimming pools.
We currently have 2 x three bedroom volunteer houses located in the peaceful town of Pepease overlooking the rainforest. Later in the year we aim to move to a larger 13 bedroom house in a nearby town.
Bedrooms –
Bedrooms are shared usually between 2 – 4 people. Most bedrooms are a medium size and come with a mix of single, double or bunk beds. All doors and windows in the house are covered by mosquito netting or covered completely however you are more than welcome to bring a mosquito net for your bed although usually not necessary.
Bathrooms –
There are 3 shared bathrooms in the house so offer plenty of space and privacy during your stay. Most of the time we have the benfit of running water which is a local luxury so showers and toilets will work as usual. We ask to consider others when using the water as it’s a valuable commodity in Ghana.
Kitchen –
We have one large kitchen with modern facilties such as gas stove, fridge freezer and a range of utensils. It is a self catered placement however plenty of food stuffs can be bought from the market such as bread, rice, pasta and many fresh ingredients. We also have connections with local people in the town who will be able to prepare your meals or teach you how to cook local dishes.
Living Room –
There is a large living room with sofas, TV and a dining set for use by the volunteers. Evenings are often spent in here and volunteers are welcome to bring DVDs or memory drives with movies to watch although local television channels are provided.
Garden –
Surrounding the house is a fenced garden, this offers privacy for relaxing in the sun or sitting out in the evenings. There is also a washing line space for volunteers to use.
Store Room –
We have a small store room where we keep left over teaching materials and resources for new volunteers to use. You are invited to leave any items you may not use here for the next person to continue the flow. Master copies of activity sheets or lesson plans are a key item we hope to see
keep growing in the store.
Your stay in our house includes the bills for electricity, gas for cooking and running water.
From application to departure you will receive friendly and helpful advice along the way. Starting from connecting to our management team online once we receive your application you will be met upon arrival to Ghana by our support team who will also live in house with you should you have any questions day or night.
We can arrange for one of our vehicles to collect you from the airport and bring you directly to the volunteer house although fuel, airport parking and toll fees must be covered by yourself – payable in US dollars or Ghana cedi on the day. (As of November 2019 this is around 400 cedi | You will be shown the costs for transparency as it’s completely not for profit).
We will arrange this as standard procedure unless you choose to OPT OUT as we would feel much more comfortable with you arriving into a new country that the team are on hand to greet and reliable vehicles made available for you and your luggage.
Upon arrival our Volunteer Support and Driver (Frank & Eben) will meet you outside the arrivals hall at Kotoka Intl. Airport. They will be holding a sign with your name on so they should be easy to spot!
Our placement as standard is self catering however if you are not too comfortable in the kitchen we can also arrange meal packes on a weekly/monthly basis where our support staff or a local member of the community will prepare 2 meals day for you for an additional charge.
We also have Atlas branded tshirts and clothing available so you can look the part at the placement site. Further details are provided once you are confirmed onto our team and these are available to preorder so we can have it ready for you upon arrival.
You will need to arrange your own flights into the airport in Accra which is Kotoka International Airport. We will then arrange a collection for you where our team will meet you at the airport and begin the 3 hour drive to the volunteer accommodation in the Kwahu mountains.
You will need to apply for a short term tourist visa through your local Ghanaian embassy. Although this needs to be processed yourself we will be on hand should you have any questions or require supporting documentation to provide for this.
You will require a yellow fever vaccination certificate to gain entry into the country.
For current vaccination and malaria advice you can visit the MASTA site by clicking here.
For travel insurance quotes you can visit the experts at World Nomads by clicking here.
This is a self catering placement so you are provided in the house with a kitchen with basic items to cook at home. You can easily buy fresh ingredients and drinking water from the local market in town. There are also street food sellers and cheap restaurants providing local and western cuisine for when you’ve had a long day.
Starts from $340 for 4 weeks
Click here to view detailed program fees details
4 week minimum duration – however for our education placements we would suggest 8 weeks and above if possible. This is to ensure that the children and schools involved have enough time for their to be a significant social impact benefit and also to ensure that you have enough time to settle into the local community and appreciate the way of life and customs here. There is no maximum duration and we would suggest staying as long as possible to achieve the biggest social impact possible.
We have volunteers and placements throughout the year, therefore you are welcome to arrive in any month. We are also flexible with being able to arrange airport collections so you are able to arrive on any airline into Kotoka International Airport at any time on any day of the week.
~ Adam McManus / Education Volunteer
My stay in Ghana for 3 months was absolutely amazing, it can be overwhelming at first but the amount of support you receive and the flexibility to do what you feel like benefits the community more is great! The people running the program are hardworking and good people, as well as the locals. I returned home filled with love and warmth, as well so many life skills earned. You can really do some good sustainable work there!
– Elisa Verner Steen (Education / Teaching Volunteer)
Submit your details below and a member of the team will be in touch to get you started with the application process.
Discount applicable when applying to volunteer on our Asian Elephant Conservation programs. Applications to be sent and confirmed by end of October.
Offer Code: AE24100