WPE Volunteer

Our Program

Volunteers for WPE engage equally with teaching and learning. During the school day, volunteers take classes in a local Ghanaian language (Twi), Ghanaian history and culture, and traditional drumming or dance. They also prepare for their own teaching responsibilities. After school hours, volunteers work in the WPE International Community Center, teaching and assisting after school programs classes and mentoring Ghanaian students.

Roles and Responsibilities

Volunteers staff the WPE after school community center and lead classes in literacy, visual and performing arts, science, and homework help. They are also encouraged to lead extra classes of personal interest. They work under the supervision of the Volunteer Coordinator to provide educational support and enrichment opportunities for local upper elementary school students of all ability levels. Volunteers are required to:

• Follow all World Partners in Education and partner rules;
• Follow through on responsibilities assigned by WPE supervisor; and
• Participate in all community center activities.

Health, Safety & Support

Volunteering in developing communities has many risks. World Partners in Education works hard to mitigate the risks and ensure all volunteers have a safe, enjoyable, and rewarding experience.

Our support for volunteers begins before they arrive and lasts until they depart and includes:

• Pre-departure checklist and packing list to prepare for arrival in country;
• On-the-ground training about education, culture, and the region;
• On-the-job guidance from education consultants on how to effectively carry out responsibilities;
• Nutritious meals and a secure place to room; and
• Educational excursions organized by staff.

We expect all participants to adhere to the following health and safety requirements:

• Take anti-malarial medications and use bed-nets;
• Have health insurance that covers you abroad;
• Zero-tolerance of consumption of alcohol or use of illicit drugs during the volunteer program;
• Volunteers must have permission from supervisors to leave the Community Center; and
• No overnight trips away from the Community Center. Volunteers wishing to travel on their own should do so after they finish with the program.

Though we strive to offer fairly comprehensive support, the responsibility falls on individual volunteers to make good decisions. Participants must put the mission and the community first. Every bad decision, no matter how seemingly minor, places a burden on World Partners and the community, keeping us from achieving the mission. As such, any volunteer who fails to follow the rules or becomes a burden will be told to leave.

Program Fee

For Fall 2013 Volunteers, a program fee of $1,900 must be received by World Partners in Education from each volunteer three weeks prior to departure. After receipt of the program fee but before arrival, we can provide a partial refund of $1,400, or $1,900 less a cancellation fee of $500. We are unable to provide any refunds after the arrival date.

Your program fee covers the cost of your room, 3 meals each day, on-the-ground training and support, airport pickup and return, and enrichment trips and activities for volunteers. Program fees also enable us to sustain long-term operations in Ghana. We encourage participants to fund-raise not only towards their programming fee, but also to fund-raise to help us expand and strengthen our efforts and further the cause of quality education for all.

Checks for the full amount of the program fee should be made payable to World Partners in Education and sent to:

World Partners in Education

P.O. Box 990966

Boston, MA 02199

For more information about World Partners in Education, please visit our website at www.worldpartner.org