Program Description
Volunteer Role
Placement Sites, Housing and Food
Length of Program
Cost of Program
Requirements
Program Description
Volunteers in the Namibia Summer Program will be participating in one of the most diverse programs WorldTeach has to offer. The central objective of the program is to train teachers and students to use the technology available at their schools. The program is run in close coordination with the Ministry of Education’s nationwide plan to deploy Information and Communication Technology (ICT) in all educational institutions. Volunteers will lead computer literacy trainings for teachers at primary and secondary schools to develop their basic computers skills as required by the Ministry.
As a volunteer, you will be among the first to train teachers using the Ministry's newly-developed computer literacy curriculum. Much of the computer instruction is done in the form of teacher trainings, but volunteers may also work closely with one or two teachers to model the integration of ICT resources into science and humanities lessons for students.
Since ICT training is done primarily after school, you will have the chance to become involved with your school and community in a variety of areas. Many choose to teach HIV/AIDS awareness classes, subject classes (as based on the needs of the school), athletics, and work remedially with learners that need extra assistance in certain areas, like reading.
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Volunteer Role
Your service in Namibia will begin with a week of orientation. Orientation includes discussions of teaching methods and practice, technical training, health and safety issues, and an introduction to Namibia's cultures and languages. After orientation you will travel to your assigned school where you will teach for eight weeks. Volunteers will convene again as a group for mid-service and end-of-service conferences.
Working closely with a group of Namibian teachers at their host school, volunteers will teach computer skills and help determine when, how, and why ICT can be a useful classroom tool. This will involve teacher training, and may also include designing classroom projects, helping teachers access information, or working with small groups in after-school clubs. Since computers are quite new to most school teachers and students, this may entail teaching of some basic computer skills as well as relevant English vocabulary.
At the end of service, volunteers will provide feedback to the Ministry to assist them in the development of new technology-enriched curricula to be used in all Namibian schools at all levels. Volunteering in the Namibia ICT teaching program is an opportunity to contribute to education reform by addressing "digital divide" issues at the most grassroots level.
Despite the ongoing efforts of the Ministry, resources are limited at many schools. The majority of host institutions have access only to donated, refurbished computers, and very few are connected to the internet. Volunteers must be creative and highly flexible in devising lessons that will best utilize the technology available.
Depending on the needs of the host school, volunteers may choose to teach science or humanities classes in addition to ICT focused trainings. Many volunteers also integrate HIV/AIDS and sexuality education into their teaching. This has taken the form of starting informal after-school clubs to discuss issues of sexual health, and initiating classroom discussions about love and respect. In past summers, these lessons and peer group activities have been popular in many schools, and many volunteers reported that it was the most meaningful work they did during the summer.
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Placement Sites, Housing, Food
Volunteers will be placed in primary or secondary schools that have requested to participate in the ICT teaching project. Placements are individual (one volunteer per school) but clustered so that each volunteer will be within visiting distance of at least one other volunteer in the same region. Most volunteers live with a host family or in teachers' housing near the school campus.
The staples of the Namibian diets are beef, chicken, goat, and maize porridge. Local game favorites include ostrich, oryx, and warthog. Volunteers either cook for themselves or eat with other teachers and staff. Vegetarian and other special diets can be accommodated.
Length of Program
Two months (early-June to early-August, depending on availability of flights).
Cost of Program
$4,490. This includes pre-departure information and preparation, round-trip international airfare, one week in-country orientation, health insurance, transportation to your site, meals and housing during orientation and teaching service, and 24-hour field support.
Please read more about costs and services.
Note: WorldTeach summer programs may qualify for international internship and travel funds awarded by colleges and universities. Students are encouraged to check with their schools for eligibility.
Requirements
WorldTeach summer programs are open to qualified individuals over the age of 18 (including undergraduates) who are looking for a meaningful, short-term volunteer teaching experience.
English language fluency is required; competence and confidence using computers, email, and the Internet is recommended. Prior teaching experience and computer technical trouble-shooting ability is helpful but not required. Successful volunteers will be flexible, mature, resourceful, and have a genuine interest in teaching in Namibia.
For more information, please read our Volunteer Stories and Sample Placements.
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