“I loved the teachers and the children there, and felt very much at home. Teaching art in afternoons was excellent, I loved having the freedom and responsibility of looking after my own class and arranging the lessons myself, planning and providing lessons and materials that otherwise the children wouldn’t have access to." Hannah Cooke

SCHOOL TERMS IN SOUTH AFRICA:
Dates for the 2012 school terms (semesters) are given below.

• Term 1: 18th Jan – 30th Mar

• Term 2: 10th April – 22nd June

• Term 3: 16th July – 28th Sept

• Term 4: 8th Oct – 7th Dec

Teaching assistance is not available during school holidays, so if you're planning to participate in a placement, please take the above school term dates into account when planning the timing of your project. On the other hand, if a holiday falls during your proposed placement, you could use this time to do any independent travelling and sightseeing. This is the choice that most of our volunteers make to gain some additional experience and knowledge of the region or, indeed, the country.

If you're a little unsure about the idea of standing in front of a class and teaching, you can, before you leave, enroll in an intensive open teacher training course (optional) to help you teach if you have no previous experience and would like to gain a little teaching knowledge.

Nervous about going somewhere new? Or about teaching? Read Adrian Tate's description of his arrival in South Africa to teach Sports.

ADDITIONAL ACTIVITIES YOU CAN DO WHILE ON THIS PROJECT:

• 5-DAY OR 7-DAY SAFARI from Cape Town up the renowned Garden Route: taking in Dolphin and Whale Spotting, visits to many tourist attractions, such as a visit to a brewery(!), the Bloukrantz Bungy Jump (reportedly the highest in the world), and a guided tour of the Cango Caves.
• 1 WEEK WHALES, SHARKS AND DOLPHINS Project: This is an extraordinary and exciting project in a beautiful location, surrounded by white beaches and blue ocean. And two hours from the world's third favourite city - Cape Town. What more could anyone want?
• SURFING COURSES: In the buzz city of Durban.
• PARAGLIDING COURSE: Soar over the impressively beautiful Drakensburg Mountain. You'll get a licence at the end of the course which qualifies you to do solo paragliding around the world.