Astra School Internship
Astra School Internship
Position: occupational therapy/ special education
Number of available positions: (2)
Duration of internship: 10-12 weeks
Are you interested in a career in education or occupational therapy? Do you enjoy working with children, specifically children with disabilities? Well you should consider an education and occupational therapy internship with Astra School in Cape Town, one of the world’s most beautiful and vibrant cities. Education summer internships frequently form part of teaching degrees, and even if your particular course does not demand it, exposure to the real-life teaching and occupational therapy environment will prove invaluable to your educational and professional experience. A summer spent working at a school for disabled children in Cape Town will look fantastic on a resume!
The Astra School, located in Cape Town, South Africa, is a school for physically disabled children that offers an internship opportunity which combines occupational therapy and special education.
As an occupational therapy intern, you will participate in occupational therapy-oriented activities that target rehabilitation for disabled children. Occupational Therapists (OT’s) use scientifically chosen, meaningful activities to assist people who suffer from conditions that are mentally, physically, developmentally, or emotionally disabling with regard to advancing their ability to perform tasks in their day-to-day living and working environments. Occupational therapists help people strengthen, recover, or maintain daily living and work skills. This includes tasks like wheelchair handling, seating and mobility, gaining access to the classroom, personal care and hygiene, self-feeding and the use of cutlery, as well as hand function and writing. As an occupational therapy intern, you will work with Astra School’s dedicated staff of occupational therapists, and assist with all aspects of the rehabilitation of disabled children.
On a typical day as an occupational therapy intern at Astra School, you can expect to:
• Aid children in performing various activities and tasks.
• Employ physical exercises in order to increase patient strength and dexterity.
• Instill in patients an ability to discern patterns and become visually acute by engaging in various learning activities.
• Design or construct physical equipment that children may require to function optimally at home or in the classroom.
Astra School also offers an internship that focuses more on special education than on rehabilitation. If you are studying or considering a career in education and are hoping to work with disabled children, you should definitely consider this internship. As an intern, you will work in the classroom assisting the teacher with education-oriented activities. Your responsibilities will include everything from actually leading the classroom to grading homework. Even if you have no background in teaching, but you have a passion for working with children, an internship at Astra School would be a great experience.
An internship at Astra School a great opportunity to focus specifically on special education. An internship at Astra School is important because you will not only be given the opportunity to make a real, tangible difference in the quality of life of disabled children from disadvantaged backgrounds; you will also stand to gain rare insight into the workings of an establishment that boasts a dedicated team committed to helping.
Sign up for the education/occupational therapy internship today. Your help is needed!
-Kajsa Snyderman, a graduate student from Pacific University School of Occupational Therapy.
See photos of past interns working at the Astra School in our Cape Town internship gallery.
VACorps Testimonials
Read what past participants have to say about our program.
|
Kelsey VanderhoofGenre of Internship:Occupational Therapy Dates of Participation: July 2012 - September 2012 |
|
"I took the summer off following graduate school intending to travel the world, but found myself not knowing where to start. Rather than spending my summer spending money, I decided ... read more |
|
|
Kate BrennanGenre of Internship:Film / Sociology Dates of Participation: June 2012 - August 2012 |
|
"Before coming to Cape Town, everyone asked me, Why Cape Town? Truth be told, I didn’t really have an answer. Dissatisfied with the growing monotony of my life back in the states, ... read more |
|
|
Ryan ChiarelloGenre of Internship:Public Health Dates of Participation: May 2012 - July 2012 |
|
"My internships with TB/HIV Care Association and Ikhaya Le Themba After-School Program were educational and transformative. Volunteer Adventure Corps definitely "hit the head on the nail" with ... read more |
|
|
Tegan HendersonGenre of Internship:Education Dates of Participation: March 2012 - May 2012 |
|
"When I arrived back in London a week ago, everyone’s first question, of course, was “so how was it?!”? I am not kidding when I say my response is always ... read more |
|
|
Samantha MurrayGenre of Internship:Journalism/Social Justice Dates of Participation: September 2011 - May 2012 |
|
"On my first day in the Mother City, I asked someone why so many people come to Cape Town but never leave?
“..Because Cape Town will steal your soul ... read more |
|
|
Kelly StoneGenre of Internship:Law Dates of Participation: June 2011 - August 2011 |
|
"I boarded a plane in mid-May having just finished my second year of law school. I left a great job and a set career path because I wasn’t ... read more |
|
|
Jennifer ReynoldsGenre of Internship:Occupational Therapy Dates of Participation: August 2011 - November 2011 |
|
"There’s no easy way to sum up my experiences here. Everything I’ve done, everyone I’ve met and all the places I’ve been have been amazing. I wouldn’t trade it for ... read more |
|
|
Claire BrightonGenre of Internship:Law Dates of Participation: November 2009 - February 2010 |
|
"On the 19th of November 2009, fresh out of law exams, I boarded a plane bound for Cape Town, South Africa, in the pursuit of sunshine, adventure and ... read more |
|
|
Whitney TaylorGenre of Internship:Media and Gender Dates of Participation: May 2011 - August 2011 |
|
"When I first thought about interning in South Africa, so many what-ifs ran through my mind. I knew everything would be different than what I was used to back home. ... read more |
|
|
Jeremy HintonGenre of Internship:Physical Therapy Dates of Participation: August 2011 - October 2011 |
|
''I tried my best to prepare for my two months in Cape Town. I Google-Mapped South Africa and spotted out a few of the big cities, I wikipedia’ed Cape Town ... read more |
|
|
Franca del SignoreGenre of Internship:Human Rights Dates of Participation: October 2009 - March 2010 |
|
"In the process of changing my career path, and having decided an internship was the best way to achieve this goal, I set out on a search for a ... read more |
|
|
Luke ClearyGenre of Internship:Advertising Dates of Participation: June 2008 - August 2008 |
|
"Chances are, if you’ve made your way to the testimonials page of this website you’re already on the cusp of the adventure of a lifetime. Go ... read more |
|
|
Alisha GibsonGenre of Internship:Medical Dates of Participation: March 2011 - May 2011 |
|
“My internship placement was, as I would say, banging!! It was the best ever! I got to experience my dream job of delivering babies right before my eyes. ... read more |
|
|
Juliane HundtGenre of Internship:Refugee Work Dates of Participation: April 2009 - June 2009 |
|
“VACorps was not the first internship program I participated in; however, the experience was one-of-a-kind. The organization was one of the few international placement agencies offering positions with a refugee ... read more |
|
|
Justin BeanGenre of Internship:Sustainable Energy Dates of Participation: June 2010 - August 2010 |
|
“Why do you want to go all the way to South Africa to do an internship?” Someone asked me before I departed for Cape Town. The ... read more |
|
|
Josh DilkGenre of Internship:Human Rights Law Dates of Participation: September 2009 - February 2010 |
|
"Cape Town, South Africa was a natural destination for me when the recent economic recession postponed when I would begin working at my Firm. Having recently graduated from law ... read more |
|
|
Gerald ThamGenre of Internship:Human Rights Dates of Participation: May 2010 - July 2010 |
|
"I'd like to thank the whole VACorps team for making this adventure-of-a-lifetime not only possible, but even more spectacular and meaningful than my wildest expectations! It's an even ... read more |
|
|
Elsa PetersonGenre of Internship:Social Work Dates of Participation: January 2009 - January 2009 |
|
“When I decided I wanted to travel and live abroad in Cape Town, South Africa, I had no idea that my life ... read more |
|
|
Michelle Pinter-PetrilloGenre of Internship:Urban Agriculture Dates of Participation: January 2011 - April 2011 |
|
“During my sophomore year while looking at options for studying abroad I quickly realized that I did not want to study at a university. Instead of spending my time in ... read more |
|
|
Tim LaRoccoGenre of Internship:Human Rights Dates of Participation: January 2009 - April 2009 |
|
“When the opportunity to participate in a professional internship in Africa presented itself to me, I had a feeling it ... read more |
|
|
Zach LoftonGenre of Internship:NGO Development Dates of Participation: March 2010 - July 2010 |
|
"My ten weeks in Cape Town, South Africa were invaluable! It was easily one of the greatest experiences of my life. Volunteer Adventure Corps provided me with an opportunity ... read more |
|
|
Giulia NotariGenre of Internship:Gender Advocacy Dates of Participation: July 2011 - September 2011 |
|
"VAC's passion for Cape Town and South Africa is contagious. I am leaving Observatory very sad and nostalgic because thanks to VAC I have had an amazing experience and made ... read more |
|
|
Anna DowlingGenre of Internship:Medical Dates of Participation: September 2011 - December 2011 |
|
"Spending four months of my life in South Africa has been a life-changing experience that has transformed and enriched me as a person. Working at Heideveld Day Clinic offered me ... read more |
|
|
Kelly SmithGenre of Internship:Social Work Dates of Participation: September 2011 - December 2011 |
|
"In my language there is a saying “Ndiwelimilambo enamagama” ( I have crossed famous rivers). It means that one has traveled a great distance, that one has had wide experience ... read more |
|
|
Matt RussellGenre of Internship:IT/Software Development Dates of Participation: September 2011 - December 2011 |
|
"From the first day I arrived in Cape Town, feeling like a naïve tourist at the airport to the final hours I spent trying to squeeze in one last hike, ... read more |
|
