Nonprofit
Childcare Volunteer and Internship Abroad(Ghana)
Details
Description
🔴 Important Eligibility Note: This is an immersive, onsite international internship located in Accra, Ghana. This opportunity is open ONLY to international students and applicants traveling from outside the African continent (including Europe, North America, South America, Asia, Australia, and Antarctica). Interns are responsible for their own international flights, visa arrangements, and the program fee which covers safe community housing, daily meals, airport pickup, and 24/7 onsite support. Local applications cannot be considered for this tracking framework.
Internship/Volunteer Overview
Gain hands-on experience in early childhood education, community development, and international social work with SFLIG Volunteers in Ghana. This internship is designed for students and recent graduates looking to step out of the classroom and into the field, providing critical support to local caregivers and educators in daycare centers, schools, and community programs.
This is an excellent opportunity to develop intercultural communication skills, understand grassroots NGO operations, and make a tangible impact on early childhood development in Sub-Saharan Africa. SFLIG Volunteers gladly collaborates with academic departments to provide official supervisor sign-offs, evaluations, and documentation to satisfy university internship credit requirements.
Key Responsibilities
- Educational Support: Assist local teachers in delivering foundational lessons, including basic literacy, numeracy, and creative arts.
- Cognitive & Social Growth: Design and implement structured playtime, educational games, and interactive activities that foster cognitive and social-emotional development.
- Daily Care & Interaction: Assist local staff with daily care routines, ensuring a safe, hygienic, and nurturing environment for the children.
- Cross-Cultural Engagement: Learn about Ghanaian childcare practices and social structures while sharing your own cultural perspective with local educators.
Qualifications & Requirements
- High School Students or Graduate (16yrs+)
- Current university student or recent graduate majoring in Early Childhood Education, Social Work, Child Psychology, Human Development, or a related field.
- Any individual, family or group interested and committed to children.
- A strong passion for working with children and a commitment to community-driven development.
- Adaptability, patience, and a high level of emotional intelligence suited for cross-cultural environments.
- Strong teamwork and communication skills.
- Prior experience working with children (babysitting, tutoring, camp counseling, etc.) is a plus but not required.
- Onsite Commitment: Ability to travel to and reside onsite in Ghana for the duration of the internship.
Next Steps
If you are eager to contribute to a meaningful childcare initiative while gaining resume-defining international field experience, please apply directly through the Idealist platform with your Expression of Interest. Our team will review your application and reach out via the Idealist dashboard or your email to schedule an initial interview.
Location
Accra
Directions
All international volunteers/interns arrive via Kotoka International Airport (ACC) in the capital city of Accra, where a dedicated SFLIG team member will meet you at the terminal for airport pickup and transfer.
Following a comprehensive local orientation, your specific physical internship placement will be confirmed based on your academic focus, interests, and community needs. SFLIG Volunteers operates across multiple vibrant project locations, including:
- Accra: The bustling capital city, ideal for urban public health initiatives, technology projects, and NGO administration.
- Kasoa: A rapidly growing urban community offering excellent opportunities for community education and clinical shadowing.
- Kumasi: The historic center of Ashanti culture, providing distinct regional settings for educational development and medical placements.
- Cape Coast: Famous for its rich coastal history and academic institutions, hosting strong education and child development programs.
- Senya: A coastal community where interns engage deeply with grassroots childcare, early childhood centers, and rural community initiatives.
Detailed travel, transport, and routing instructions to your final assigned host community will be fully coordinated and supervised by our staff during your orientation.
Please fill out this form
To apply, please submit your application directly through the Idealist platform. To help us process your request efficiently, ensure your submission includes the following:
- CV or Profile Summary: A clean, up-to-date copy detailing your background, skills, or any relevant experience working with children and community service.
- Preferred Timeline: In your brief message, please specify your ideal start date, your intended duration of stay (in weeks or months), and your motivations for joining this project.
- Self-Funding Acknowledgment: Please briefly confirm in your message that you understand this is an onsite opportunity in Ghana requiring participants to cover their own travel and program costs.
- Next Steps: Once submitted, our leadership team will review your application within the Idealist dashboard and contacted directly through this platform or the email you will provide to schedule an initial video interview.
