Observatory Junior School
Observatory Junior School
Position: Teacher
Number of Available Positions: 3
Length of internship:4-12 weeks
Education summer internships are increasingly becoming a vital part of any teaching degree. Various tertiary education establishments now encourage their students to get practical teaching experience as part of their course in order to see if they would be able to function in a real-life classroom environment. One of the most comprehensive international internships offered by VA Corps, the Observatory Junior School placement provides students from abroad with the opportunity to use their newly acquired teaching skills to make a difference.
Over the last few years, South Africa has been experiencing something called the ‘brain drain’. What this means, in short, is that qualified individuals (including engineers, doctors, nurses, teachers, social workers etc.) have been leaving the country in their droves, seeking better compensation and more stable working environments elsewhere. Because of this phenomenon there is an incredible shortage in skilled labour throughout South Africa. Teachers are in particular short supply. Add to this the uncertainty of a new national public school curriculum and you’ll understand why it is so important for schools like Observatory Junior to host education internships.
Observatory Junior School is a public education facility that suffers from severe under-funding at the hands of the South African government. Despite its lack of infrastructure and resources, the school provides primary education for hundreds of students that get to school via a lengthy train commute from the city’s townships. The student body is predominantly Xhosa-speaking, which means education summer internship participants will get the full benefit of their VA Corps language training. Xhosa is not an overtly hard language to master and once you have a grasp of it you will be able to communicate with the Observatory Junior School students on a much more personal level.
Your international internship in Cape Town duties will vary according to the teacher you are assigned to assist, the grade level of your class, as well as the extent to which the students have mastered their set curriculum. As a student from abroad you will undoubtedly be required to assist the students in developing their English language skills. The youngsters at Observatory Junior are very receptive of interns and you can expect to make enduring friendships with the children under your care. International internships such as this one are a great way to develop mentorship and role model skills that will undoubtedly come in handy as you pursue your teaching career.
Education internships in Cape Town, South Africa not only allow participants to gain invaluable hands-on experience in their craft; it also gives them an opportunity to make a recognisable difference in the lives of the students under their care. Due to the lack of qualified teachers in the public education system, these children are often just given the basics – the books, the lessons, the marks. It only takes that tiny bit of extra care, that showing of appreciation for a job well done to encourage these children to become more, to rise above their circumstances.
Sign up for an education summer internship today and make your mark upon the world.
-students at the Observatory Junior School
VACorps Testimonials
Read what past participants have to say about our program.
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Kelly StoneGenre of Internship:Law Dates of Participation: June 2011 - August 2011 |
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"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 happy. And ... read more
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Jennifer ReynoldsGenre of Internship:Occupational Therapy Dates of Participation: August 2011 - November 2011 |
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"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 |
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Claire BrightonGenre of Internship:Law Dates of Participation: November 2009 - February 2010 |
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"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 |
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Whitney TaylorGenre of Internship:Media and Gender Dates of Participation: May 2011 - August 2011 |
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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 |
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Jeremy HintonGenre of Internship:Physical Therapy Dates of Participation: August 2011 - October 2011 |
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''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 |
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Franca del SignoreGenre of Internship:Human Rights Dates of Participation: October 2009 - March 2010 |
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"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 ... read more |
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Luke ClearyGenre of Internship:Advertising Dates of Participation: June 2008 - August 2008 |
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"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 for it. ... read more |
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Alisha GibsonGenre of Internship:Medical Dates of Participation: March 2011 - May 2011 |
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“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 |
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Juliane HundtGenre of Internship:Refugee Work Dates of Participation: April 2009 - June 2009 |
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“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 |
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Justin BeanGenre of Internship:Sustainable Energy Dates of Participation: June 2010 - August 2010 |
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“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 |
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Josh DilkGenre of Internship:Human Rights Law Dates of Participation: September 2009 - February 2010 |
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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 ... read more |
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Gerald ThamGenre of Internship:Human Rights Dates of Participation: May 2010 - July 2010 |
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"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 |
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Elsa PetersonGenre of Internship:Social Work Dates of Participation: January 2009 - January 2009 |
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“When I decided I wanted to travel and live abroad in Cape Town, South Africa, I had no idea that my life ... read more |
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Michelle Pinter-PetrilloGenre of Internship:Urban Agriculture Dates of Participation: January 2011 - April 2011 |
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“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 |
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Tim LaRoccoGenre of Internship:Human Rights Dates of Participation: January 2009 - April 2009 |
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“When the opportunity to participate in a professional internship in Africa presented itself to me, I had a feeling it ... read more |
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Zach LoftonGenre of Internship:NGO Development Dates of Participation: March 2010 - July 2010 |
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"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 ... read more |
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Giulia NotariGenre of Internship:Gender Advocacy Dates of Participation: July 2011 - September 2011 |
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" 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 ... read more |
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Anna DowlingGenre of Internship:Medical Dates of Participation: September 2011 - December 2011 |
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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 |
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Kelly SmithGenre of Internship:Social Work Dates of Participation: September 2011 - December 2011 |
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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 |
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Matt RussellGenre of Internship:IT/Software Development Dates of Participation: September 2011 - December 2011 |
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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 |
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