About VACorps

A closer look at the Volunteer Adventure Corps

It is now widely acknowledged by both students and employers that internships (in Cape Town or anywhere around the world) are an essential part of any professional resume. The advantages of interning are innumerable. Internships give students exposure to real-time experiences that transcend the comfortable, theoretical boundaries of the typical classroom setting. Interns work alongside established professionals and meet mentors. Most importantly, interns get to preview a potential profession that they would otherwise be committing to without any prior experience.

The Volunteer Adventure Corps was founded, in part, to satisfy a growing demand for practical internships in Cape Town, South Africa. As our motto goes, by interning in South Africa, you are doing ‘something exceptional for your resume.’ Any one of our diverse selection of VACorps-sponsored internships is guaranteed to catch the attention of a potential employer. Yet, we felt it necessary to offer our participants more than the basic internship placement services offered by other placement agencies. Considering that Cape Town is one of the most beautiful cities in the world, we also wanted to ensure that our participants experience all that the city has to offer. So we challenged ourselves to create a curriculum that combines professional exposure with an African adventure. Under our guided watch, no participant will waste a single day in South Africa.

VACorps is also the proud partner of IE3 Global Internships, a program based in the Pacific Northwest. If you are a student at one of the following schools, please refer to the IE3 homepage to learn more about how you can receive a semester's worth of credits by participating in one of our VACorps-sponsored internships in South Africa. Schools affiliated with IE3 include:

University of Oregon, Oregon State University, Western Oregon University, Southern Oregon University, Portland State University, Eastern Oregon University, Lane Community College, University of Washington, Central Washington University, Western Washington University, University of Utah, and University of Alaska.

Visit the IE3 website here:



We are also members of NAFSA: The Association of International Educators. NAFSA is the leading professional association promoting the exchange of students and scholars to and from the United States.

We became academic partners with Pacific University School of Occupational Therapy in 2007. Should you be a student enrolled in this program, please contact Academic Fieldwork Coordinator, Sandra Pellham-Foster, to learn more about how you can receive credit to participate in our professional internship program.



But who are the individuals behind the Volunteer Adventure Corps?

Oliver Hagan
Program Director

Oliver graduated from the University of Oregon in 2005 with a BA in Journalism and is a member of Phi Beta Kappa Society. Oliver’s path to Cape Town originated when he decided to spend his junior year studying abroad at the University of Cape Town. From his first few days in the country, Oliver fell in love with his surroundings. It is for this very reason that he feels so strongly about providing VACorps participants with the necessary support and information to have a memorable overseas experience. His personal volunteer experiences include teaching English to 5th graders in the Khayelitsha Township and working as a writing tutor for students speaking English as a second language. Oliver has a working knowledge of several South African languages, including Xhosa and Afrikaans. When not engaged in VACorps affairs, Oliver can be found surfing one of Cape Town''s many amazing waves.

Read the Journal of the VACorps Program Director to learn more about Oliver''s role as director of our Cape Town internship program.

Contact Oliver at: oliver@vacorps.com

Sean Walpole
Program Director

Sean Walpole graduated from the University of Cape Town in 2002 with a Bachelor of Social Science in Philosophy, Politics and Economics. Sean is a South African with extensive experience working with international students and university professors, and describes his position at the VACorps as his dream job. Sean has a passion for travel and an insatiable desire for exploration. Since 2001 Sean has organized and led trips to Mozambique, Zimbabwe and along the Garden Route in South Africa. He has also provided the logistical support for university enclave programs, including most recently, a class from American University. In his spare time, Sean has also managed to teach more than 150 people to scuba dive! He is one of the most enthusiastic, hard-working individuals you will ever meet!

Contact Sean at:  sean@vacorps.com

Simon Spencer
Program Facilitator

Simon is a VACorps program participant-turned staff member. Sean and Oliver initially interviewed Simon in the U.S., during one of their semi-annual visits to the University of Oregon. Simon received his acceptance to the Volunteer Adventure Corps in September of 2008 and worked as an intern at the Marine and Coastal Management Research Aquarium participating in research involving sea urchins. When his internship concluded in December of 2008, he was invited to join the VACorps team as an orientation assistant and internship site placement specialist. Simon is also the director of the Community Garden Project, one of VACorps community outreach projects. Climbing,  hiking, photography, playing music and reading are just a few of his many interests!

Contact Simon at: simon@vacorps.com.

Joan Leavens 
Program Assistant

Learn more about Internships in Cape Town, South Africa and become part of our African experience.

Joan grew up in Seattle and graduated from the University of Virginia with a BA in History, Spanish, and Foreign Affairs.  She has a passion for travel, and spent her junior year studying politics and learning Spanish in Argentina and Peru.  Joan became interested in South Africa through her studies, and she came down to Cape Town after graduation intending to volunteer for a few months.  She has since fallen in love with the city, and cannot bring herself to leave.  In Cape Town, Joan has interned for an AIDS advocacy organization called the Treatment Action Campaign.  She joined the VACorps team in April 2009, and is currently volunteering at a health clinic in Hout Bay.  She loves traveling, outdoor activities, and adventure.

Contact Joan at:joan@vacorps.com.