At a glance
- Support local teachers and work at schools, kindergartens or special needs schools.
- Your main focus is teaching English, and giving young students more confidence with speaking.
- You can also teach French, special educational needs, drama, participate in a literacy program, and work with adults.
Is volunteer teaching in Ghana right for me?
If you are looking to pursue a career in teaching and love working with young people, then our Teaching Project is for you.
A volunteer Teaching placement in Ghana gives you plenty of practical classroom experience, along with building your lesson planning skills. You can use this to give your resume an extra edge, and it will give you a lot to talk about in interviews and on applications.
In addition, teaching overseas will let you learn skills like planning and leadership, which you can apply to any career you pursue. It will also show that you adaptable, and can work in different environments.
No experience is required to sign up. You’ll receive guidance from our qualified supervisors and have full access to our online database of teaching resources. We also run training programs and workshops where you can ask questions and get ideas from staff and other volunteers.
If you're interested in teaching other subjects, contact our Project Experts. They'll advise you on what subjects you can teach in Ghana, and whether you can teach those subjects part-time or full time.
This project runs throughout the year, and you can join at any time. We encourage you to stay longer, so you can have a bigger impact on the children you work with.
What will I do on the Teaching Project in Ghana?
You’ll gain teaching work experience in Ghana at a local school. You’ll also support the work of the teacher there by teaching English. You can get involved in the following activities:
1
Run educational English lessons for the children
2
Assist the local teachers with teaching other subjects like maths and IT
3
Get involved in extracurricular activities like French, music, art, drama and sports
4
Prepare lessons under the supervision of local teachers
5
Participate in after school reading clubs on a weekly basis
At your volunteer teaching placement in Ghana, you’ll help:
Teach English lessons to young children
As one of the most widely spoken languages worldwide and the official language of Ghana, it is important for local children to learn English. However, most children grow up speaking a local language such as Twi or Fanti. If you speak English, you can offer valuable help. You can help improve the students’ and also the teachers’ conversation and pronunciation, and grammar.
You’ll begin by assisting the local teacher if you’re not comfortable leading the class. If you’re confident, you can lead the class yourself, or work with another volunteer.
If you are working with children who have special needs, slow down your classes and spend more time focused on small groups.
Assist local teachers with their other classes
There is more to the school day than just English lessons. Work alongside local teachers as they teach their students maths and IT skills, French, music, art, drama and sports. The lessons for each class will depend on the children's skill level. You can help teach basic IT lessons, and assist with addition and subtraction during maths class.
Or, you can use your creativity during art and drama lessons, and get active on the field while teaching sports. If you can speak French to an intermediate level, you’ll have the option of teaching this class too.
Plan lessons to ensure you are prepared for the next day
As a Teaching volunteer, you’ll work towards goals that we have set out for the project. You’ll spend time planning your lessons for the following day, to ensure each lessons is in line with these goals. The more prepared you are, the more confident you’ll be while teaching too. We encourage you to come prepared with teaching supplies from home and your own ideas on how you’d like to teach.
Participate in after school reading clubs on a weekly basis
Literacy is an important area for this Teaching Project. As a volunteer, you’ll assist with our weekly after school reading club. This club aims to encourage students to read outside of school by making it fun and interactive. You can read along with the kids or have them read aloud in turns.
Our Project Partners in Ghana
To meet the need for education in Akuapem Hills, Projects Abroad built and founded the Tore Eikeland School in partnership with the Tore Foundation.
The Tore’s Foundation aims to create democratically engaged communities with citizens that question decision-making and work towards economic change. The foundation provides these communities with education, debating skills, and the resources needed to implement liberal teaching methods. Through the growing confidence of their students, they will be able to build sustainable communities and help alleviate poverty.
Where will I be working in Ghana?
Akuapem Hills
In Akuapem Hills, you’ll work at the Tore Eikeland School. This school is fully funded by Projects Abroad and provides free education to the children in surrounding villages. This more rural region is quieter than most but will give you a good picture of what life in Ghana is like. Because it is quieter with less distractions, it becomes easier for you to get to know the locals and learn about their culture and traditions. In the evenings, the locals are known for their lively community parties. This is something you won’t want to miss!
A typical day on the Teaching Project in Ghana
Wake up in your host family’s house every morning, get dressed, and have breakfast in the kitchen area. Eat a plate of breads and spreads before grabbing your packed lunch and heading out the door. Jump into a tro tro or shared taxi and make your way to the school. On your first day, Projects Abroad staff will accompany you to show you the way.
A typical day starts at 8am and finishes between 2-4pm, with a half hour break around 10am and an hour lunch break at 12pm. You’ll work Monday to Friday and have the weekends free to explore and relax.
Your day will be varied with regards to the subjects you teach. One day you may start with English and French classes, and others you will be teaching IT and maths. You’ll assist the teachers with extracurricular lessons in the afternoons. Every lessons is between 30 minutes to an hour long, with some lessons being double periods.
When you’re not teaching, you’ll have free time to prepare lessons for the next day. The teachers will be happy to help you plan lessons, although your own new ideas will be welcomed.
Once you are done for the day, head home or grab a traditional Ghanaian meal from a restaurant or food stall with the other volunteers. You also have plenty of free time on the weekends, so organise a trip with other volunteers, or just relax and explore on your own.
What are the aims and impact of this project?
The aim of this project is to support local teachers and help students improve their English.
Although English is the country’s official language, many local children grow up speaking their local tribal languages such as Twi, Ewe, or Ga. With English becoming the main spoken language in education, business and other aspects of life, it is vital for children to learn English. This will ensure they have better career prospects open to them later in life.
We have also identified a need for better access to education in rural areas like Akuapem Hills. Many children here stay home until they’re old enough to walk long distances to attend the nearest schools. To meet the need of education in Akuapem Hills, we partnered with Tore’s Foundation to found and build the Tore Eikeland School. Together, we provide free education to children aged two to twelve.
With your help, we are working toward five long-term goals through our Teaching Project:
- Increase English levels
- Improve the learning environment
- Improve support for those with learning disabilities
- Increase numeracy
- Encourage learning through creativity
Join the Teaching Project in Ghana and help us work towards these goals. Together, we will give young students in Ghana a stronger education.
Volunteering for professionals
This project is also perfect for qualified professionals. With your skills backing up our ongoing efforts, we can make an even bigger difference together. We'll match you to the placement where your skills are needed most.
This means you can share your training and and knowledge with others. You can work hand-in-hand with our partner organisations and local communities to support sustainable development.
If you have relevant skills or qualifications, read more about how you can make use of them with Projects Abroad.
Management plans
We set out the aims and objectives of our projects in documents called Management Plans. We use them to properly plan the work you’ll do. They also help us measure and evaluate our achievements and impact each year.
Ultimately, our Management Plans help us make our projects better. This in turn means you get to be part of something that makes a real impact where it’s needed. Read more about our Management Plans.
Measuring our impact
Our projects work towards clear long-term goals, with specific annual objectives. Every volunteer and intern we send to these projects helps us work towards these goals, no matter how long they spend on our projects.
Every year we take a step back and look at how much progress we've made towards these goals. We put together a Global Impact Report, which documents our achievements. Find out more about the impact our global community of volunteers, interns and staff make, and read the latest report.
Food and accommodation
You'll stay with a host family in Ghana. They will welcome you into their home, eager to share their customs and have you teach them about your own culture. We believe that this is the best way to immerse yourself in the culture of Ghana and have a truly unique experience.
We will always try to let you live alongside at least one other Projects Abroad volunteer or intern at the same host family. Your room will be modest, but comfortable, clean, and safe.
Your program fee includes three meals a day.
Find out more about our accommodation.
Leisure activities and free time
Volunteering in Ghana is an ideal way to explore this colourful West African country. There’s a huge variety of different activities to do while you’re there, giving you plenty of exciting ways to spend your free time.
Music is a central part of Ghanaian culture. In the bigger towns, especially Accra, you will hear some great live bands and have some memorable nights out. Evenings spent at buzzing restaurants will also give you a taste of some of the delicious local cuisine.
For a look into Ghana’s history, you can tour the slave forts of Cape Coast and visit museums. Nature lovers will relish trekking through the rainforests of Kakum National Park or Mole National Park.
We run a wide range of projects in Ghana so there’s sure to be other volunteers there during your trip. This means you can explore the country solo or connect with other volunteers and travel as a group.
Safety and staff support
Your safety and security is our prime concern. We have many procedures and systems to ensure you have the support you need to enjoy your trip with peace of mind. Our Projects Abroad staff are available 24 hours a day to help, and will be on hand to make sure you settle in well at your accommodation and placement. If you encounter any problems, they will be available to help at any time.
Find out more about safety and backup.
This placement is fully researched, safety audited, and risk assessed in accordance with the British Standard BS8848 for the Adventure Travel Sector.
Meet the team in Ghana
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