One year internship
African applicants to this program are required to work for one
full year as a teacher's aid and if found suitable are then provided
with a scholarship to study at a reputable teacher's college.
Applicants for the Student Teacher Plan are selected from among
high performing students who for reasons of poverty or hardship are
unable to continue attending high school or proceed to further education.
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Qualifications
Applicants often come recommended by school principals. They are
interviewed by an Adopt a School selection board followed by a background
check on the applicants' character and circumstances.
A committee of a selected school then interviews the applicant again
and advises Adopt a School whether or not the candidate is suitable.
If the candidate is acceptable to the school, Adopt a School will
support the applicant as a teacher's assistant from reserve funds
until another supporter is found.
Adopt a School encourages close communication between the Student
and their supporters We remain in close supervision of the relationship
as well as the student's progress.
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Progress reports to the Sponsor
Bi-monthly progress reports are provided to the sponsor and Adopt
a School continuously attends to the students' welfare. Certain requirements
are placed on both parties by Adopt a School. One is that the Students
do not make material or cash requests from their sponsors and that
sponsors do not provide material needs or funds to the intern outside
of the program. There are many reasons for this but mostly this requirement
has been established to protect the sponsor.
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Provission for Special Needs
Sometimes an intern may have special needs as in the case of illness
or fees for special studies. Adopt a School will investigate these
needs and if the sponsors request, they will be advised of them.
Sponsors may contribute to an emergency fund which is retained for
critical situations. There is also a conference fund to which sponsors
may wish to contribute. This provides for further instruction in teaching
methods.
All Adopt a School accounts are open to public scrutiny and are
available to sponsors at any time.
When an applicant is accepted into the program he or she is provided
by the sponsor via the Adopt a School administration with a monthly
allowance. At the commencement of the internship the Student is provided
with a grant equal to one month allowance. This is provided by the
sponsor as a resettlement allowance. Applicants to this program very
rarely have suitable clothes or funds to accommodate themselves with
a family near the school.
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Rewards for the Sponsor
Sponsors may wish to visit Africa to view the progress of the Student
and the work of Adopt a School. If so they will be welcomed on arrival
by the Student and Adopt a School and provided every assistance with
accommodation, travel and Safaris. If the visit is timed with the
school vacation sponsors may wish to be accompanied by the intern
they are supporting. Should the interns be young women they may be
required to be chaperoned.
While 'Charity is indeed it's own reward' and the Adopt a School
program makes every effort to insure that a sponsor's investment is
used to maximum advantage; there is a reward in gratitude also.
Sponsors will soon become aware that the gratitude of Africa is
profound and will soon acquire the lasting satisfaction of knowing
they have done something that has created a hopeful future for not
one person but potentially for hundreds, if not thousands, of young
Africans. They have indeed made the world a better place.
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Adopt
a School