World Partners in Education

Volunteer

We seek volunteers ready for a challenge and energized about improving the quality of education for all.

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Why Volunteer?

Volunteers are part of a broader, community-driven effort to transform education in a sustainable and respectful manner.  Returned volunteers often say their time serving at a partner school was one of the most moving and rewarding experiences.  Participants in our volunteer program benefit from:

• Gaining experience in cross-cultural education;
• Developing skills for leading interventions in international development;
• Building lasting relationships across cultures;
• Visiting cultural and historical sites;
• Alleviating poverty through education;
• Having a direct and profound impact on youth living in poverty; and
• Developing an appreciation and understanding of the history, diversity, and richness of other cultures.

Read stories from past volunteers.

Roles and Responsibilities

Volunteers implement targeted interventions under the guidance of WPE Consultants to improve educational results and work with local stakeholders and WPE staff to ensure systemic change.  Volunteers are required to:

• Follow all World Partners in Education and partner rules;
• Follow through on responsibilities assigned by WPE supervisor; and
• Participate in all school and community activities.

Specific responsibilities depend on the school, current interventions, and are based on the current needs at the partner. Examples of past responsibilities include:

• Mentor at-risk youth;
• Serve as part-time assistant teacher;
• Tutor students who need additional assistance;
• Research issues the local community;
• Share stories from the ground with WPE supporters; and
• Initiate or expand upon extracurricular activities for students.

Qualifications

We seek well-rounded individuals with the following qualifications:

• Currently enrolled in a bachelor degree program OR have a bachelor degree OR be accepted to a bachelor degree program;
• Willingness and ability to be flexible;
• Ability to thrive in an unpredictable environment;
• Demonstrated track record of initiative and creativity;
• Emotional maturity and self-reliance;
• Ability to get along with volunteers, staff, and community members from all backgrounds;
• Ability to handle tough physical environment, including heat, less sanitary conditions, lots of walking, possible lack of running water and electricity, etc.;
• Passion for education equality;
• Enthusiasm and patience for working in children’s education;
• Strong ability to work across cultures; and
• A desire to promote systemic change in the delivery of education in developing countries.

Dates & Deadlines

Participants must commit to serve for a minimum of 8 weeks.  If you wish to extend your stay, please contact the Volunteer Coordinator and follow-up with your supervisor upon arrival. The cost is just $50 more per week.

Winter

• Apply before October 31st, 2011
• Arrive Saturday, January 7th, 2012
• Depart Saturday, March 10th, 2012

Spring

*Note classes end in early April and resume early May for schools in Ghana.  During this hiatus, volunteers will implement programming focused on:

• sports/games
• creative arts
• literacy and numeracy

Summer

• Apply before April 7th, 2012
• Arrive Saturday, June 9th, 2012
• Depart Saturday, August 11th, 2012

Fall

• Apply before July 7th, 2012
• Arrive Saturday, September 1st, 20112
• Departure Saturday, November 10th, 2012

Program Fee

A program fee of $1,600 must be received by World Partners in Education from each volunteer three weeks prior to departure.  After receipt of the program fee but before arrival, we can provide a partial refund of $1,100, or $1,600 less a cancellation fee of $500.  We are unable to  provide any refunds after the arrival date.

Your program fee covers the cost of your room, 3 meals each day, on-the-ground training and support, airport pickup and return, and enrichment trips and activities for volunteers.  Program fees also enable us to sustain long-term operations at our partner schools.  We encourage participants to fund-raise not only towards their programming fee, but also to fund-raise to help us expand and strengthen our efforts and further the cause of quality education for all.

Checks for the full amount of the program fee should be made payable to World Partners in Education and sent to:

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Health, Safety & Support

Volunteering in developing communities has many risks. World Partners in Education works hard to mitigate the risks and ensure all volunteers have a safe, enjoyable, and rewarding experience.

Our support for volunteers begins before they arrive and lasts until they depart and includes:

• Pre-departure checklist and packing list to prepare for arrival in country;
• On-the-ground training about education, culture, and the region;
• On-the-job guidance from education consultants on how to effectively carry out responsibilities;
• Nutritious meals and a secure place to room; and
• Educational excursions organized by staff.

We expect all participants to adhere to the following health and safety requirements:

• Take anti-malarial medications and use bed-nets;
• Have health insurance that covers you abroad;
• Zero-tolerance of consumption of alcohol or use of illicit drugs during the volunteer program;
• Volunteers must have permission from supervisors to leave the school compound; and
• No overnight trips away from the school. Volunteers wishing to travel on their own should do so after they finish with the program.

Though we strive to offer fairly comprehensive support, the responsibility falls on individual volunteers to make good decisions.  Participants must put the mission and the community first.  Every bad decision, no matter how seemingly minor, places a burden on World Partners and the community, keeping us from achieving the mission.  As such, any volunteer who fails to follow the rules or becomes a burden will be told to leave.

Selection Process

Our selection process is designed to identify individuals we believe will make significant contributions to improving the long-term quality of education at our partner schools.  Applications are reviewed in order of their receipt and completion. We encourage you to submit your application as early as possible since we accept applicants throughout the year and space becomes very limited as the deadline approaches.  You may not apply more than a year in advance.

Apply Now

Please do not submit additional application materials.  Completed applications are reviewed by the World Partners Volunteer Committee.  Select applicants will be asked for a telephone interview by the Volunteer Committee.

We aim to notify applicants about admission within a couple weeks after they apply. Specific partner placement is not set until arrival, though your position is guaranteed upon receipt of the program fee.

Partner Schools & Accommodations

Volunteers currently serve at NAP Academy.

Accommodations vary by school. Electricity and running water cannot be guaranteed.  Though a partner may have electricity and running water, the power or water may be out for part or all of a volunteer’s trip.

All volunteers will have access to pure drinking water and three nutritious meals each day.  Every participant will have a bed in a secure room and some volunteers may be assigned to room together.

Placement

The selection team reserves the right to determine a participant’s final placement and make changes as necessary.  World Partners in Education reserves the right to change a volunteer’s placement at any time or cancel a volunteer’s participation based on conditions on the ground  or a participant’s behavior.  We take the health and safety of volunteers very seriously as well as our ability to make sure the community is not burdened or adversely affected by the actions of our volunteers.

Contact Us

WPE Personnel Committee
support@worldpartner.org