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What are the benefits of a teaching internship?

If you’re an aspiring teacher to be, you will need to spend a certain amount of hours teaching a real class. Instead of being stuck in a classroom, check out all of our exciting education internships in Africa! Our teaching internships have focuses that range from women’s empowerment to dance to human rights. Have we mentioned that these internships all take place in Africa? While there might be many options in other countries, we highly suggest exploring education internships in Africa.

If you’re currently enrolled in an education program, student teaching is most likely part of the curriculum. By taking an education internship in Africa, you can kill two birds with one stone: teach kids and receive academic credit. Besides essentially getting a vacation while you earn your degree, there are many other benefits of doing an education internship abroad.

One of the primary benefits is that your contribution will be significant. While you might notice that there are many education internships in Africa, there is also a lack of resources in classrooms. Most African countries are in need of passionate, hard working teachers who are looking to make a difference. Any of your contributions will be appreciated and you will see the change in the students, the schools, and the community at large. If any of that intrigues you, you’re in the right place.

While teaching, you might also notice that the children in Africa are facing very different day to day issues than the kids you have seen in the past. By helping in these classrooms, you will become flexible, compassionate, and resilient. These traits are not only valuable to you as a teacher, but also as a person.

In addition to the personal development you will gain, there are multiple career skills you will also learn. Nothing is a better teacher than on the job learning, and having practical experience will only enhance your resume, cover letters, and future interviews. You can also befriend other teachers or professionals in the field and learn from their experiences. However you slice it, there are a lot of benefits to doing an educational internship in Africa.

5 benefits of teaching internships in Africa

At Roots Interns, we’re lucky enough to offer education internships with a variety of focuses. From women’s empowerment to music to yoga, we have unique opportunities that will interest everybody. This is our top 5 list of our favorite education internships in Africa.

1.YOGA INTERNSHIP, CAPE TOWN

If you read the news, there is a lot of talk about “covid fatigue.” This new phenomenon refers to the rise of stress, anxiety, and depression that is caused by the pandemic. In Africa, “covid fatigue” is just as prominent but it has affected more vulnerable communities like women and children. This internship aims to equip people with healthy coping mechanisms and offers an alternative to drugs and gangsterism. As an intern, you will teach yoga classes (and meditation if you have experience) and assist with daily operations of this initiative. This is a great opportunity to earn your certification, acquire training hours, or use your skills to make a difference in people’s lives.

2.FEMALE EMPOWERMENT AND EDUCATION INTERNSHIP IN ZAMBIA

Are you passionate about women’s empowerment? Are you looking to combine your education background? As an education intern, you will work with Baobuyu Learning Center, a nonprofit organization that runs a community center. This initiative serves as a pre-school in the mornings, offering high quality education to kids in the community, and as a workshop space in the afternoons. Your role will be to help develop and possibly run health education workshops for girls and women. This can involve research, creating visual and interactive materials, and helping develop the initiative as a whole. It’s a wonderful opportunity to mix health education with a grassroots level gender equality project.

3. ENGLISH SCHOOL ASSISTANT INTERNSHIP IN CAPE TOWN

Are you looking for a more traditional teaching assistant internship? This internship works with immigrants and refugees aimed at improving their language skills. The English School Project currently enrolls around 350 students from different African countries in their program. You will teach two English classes two afternoons a week, help with day to day administration, and further develop this program in whatever way possible. This is an excellent opportunity to make an impact and contribute to cultural, social and economic integration between migrants, refugees, and South Africans.

4.MUSIC TEACHING INTERNSHIP IN UGANDA

Are you interested in getting a degree in music education? The Living Music Foundation is a nonprofit organization that wants to spread music to the people of Uganda. Many people in the area don’t have access to music equipment or lessons that are fairly common in the US or the UK. As we’re sure you know, music education has a positive impact on communities but we need your help. If you are in music education or have an interest in teaching music, we need talented people who are willing to share their knowledge. This internship is perfect for those who wish to combine a love for music with a passion for teaching and inspiring others.

5.YOUTH SOCIAL WORK INTERNSHIP IN CAPE TOWN

Based in the outskirts of Cape Town, you will intern with a grassroots social development charity that supports children with troubled backgrounds. Their community center hosts 100+ children each day that ensures they have a safe and supportive environment. As an intern, in addition to helping run the day to day operations, you will also create stimulating, educational, and fun activities for the kids. This internship is a great opportunity to gain experience in social work and contribute to a meaningful cause.

Explore more of our education and pedagogy internships!

This blog post was written by By Moira Callahan