South Africa Coach & Teach

Welcome to South Africa! Touch down at Port Elizabeth Airport and we’ll be there to meet you and take you straight to your accommodation, where you’ll be calling home for the next few weeks. Once the bags are down, it’s time to settle into volunteer life and meet the people you’ll be sharing it with. You’ll be living alongside fellow volunteers in shared rooms, with a pool, games room and plenty of communal space for hanging out when you’re not out exploring or volunteering.  Over the next few weeks, your weekdays will take you into local schools for teaching, sports coaching and more, while your free time gives you plenty of opportunities to experience South Africa beyond the projects. For tonight though, meet your new crew, make yourself at home and get ready for everything that’s about to begin!

Before we send you into the classroom or onto the sports field, it’s time to get you prepped! Over the next couple of days, you’ll meet the United Through Sport team, learn more about the work they do and get to grips with what volunteering in South Africa is actually going to look like. Alongside your fellow volunteers, you’ll get involved in team-building activities, coaching and teaching sessions and workshops designed to get you ready for the weeks ahead. You’ll also visit a local township, giving you the chance to learn more about the community and culture you’ll be spending your time within. By the end, you’ll know the team, know the plan and feel much more at home in your new surroundings. Induction complete, next stop, your first day volunteering!

Your first week of volunteering starts here, and it’s time to put everything from induction into practice! Monday to Friday, you’ll head out to local schools and get properly involved with your community projects. Whether you find yourself in the classroom, out on the sports field or doing a bit of both, every day is going to look a little different. **English Teaching** Time to put that Young Learners Qualification to work! Each morning, you’ll head out to local schools and spend time helping children build their English skills. Across the week, you’ll work with different schools and students, often sitting down one-to-one with reading books, workbooks and activities to work through together. As your confidence grows, there may even be opportunities to help teach a whole class. Every school, student and ability level is different, so come ready to adapt, get involved and learn plenty along the way too. **Sports Coaching** Now for the sports field! You’ll usually coach alongside two or three other volunteers, working together to keep sessions active, fun and full of energy. And the sports list is HUGE. Football, rugby, hockey, netball, basketball, cricket, tennis, dance, swimming and even ultimate frisbee could all be on the cards. You don’t need to arrive as an expert either. Bring some enthusiasm, get involved and be ready to think on your feet. Sessions usually kick off with games and a fun warm-up before moving into skill-building exercises and finishing with a match or two. You’ll work with different ages and abilities, from complete beginners giving something a go for the first time to kids who might just have you questioning your own sporting ability! Facilities and equipment can vary from school to school, so improvising is all part of the experience. Whatever you’re working with, the aim is the same: get everyone involved and make it a session they’ll look forward to. **Once School’s Out** By early afternoon, your volunteering day is usually wrapped up and the rest of the day is completely yours. Head back to the accommodation and hang out with the other volunteers, or make the most of having a whole afternoon ahead of you and get back out exploring. Hit the beach, wander around Port Elizabeth, grab some food, go shopping or even give surfing a go. The local team will always have recommendations if you’re stuck for ideas, and with plenty of free time built around your volunteering, there’s a whole lot more of South Africa waiting once the school day is done!

After a week of volunteering, the weekends are yours to see a completely different side of South Africa! Depending on the length of your programme, at least one weekend activity will be included, and there are some pretty exciting possibilities. Your included activity could be: - Overnight trip to Jeffreys Bay, the surf capital - Kragga Kamma Game Reserve - Visit to Bloukrans Bridge, home to the world’s highest bridge bungee\* - Sundays River boat trip and BBQ - Bushcamp with dinner under the stars and a traditional African dance group Your included activity will depend on the schedule and availability, so you’ll find out exactly what’s in store once you arrive.  And when there isn’t an included trip running, you definitely won’t be short of options! There’s a huge range of additional activities available, including: - Skydiving - Bungee jumping - Shark cage diving - Safari and game reserve drives - Surfing - Dune boarding - Zip-lining - Canoeing Of course, going full adrenaline every weekend isn’t compulsory! Spend a day on the beach, head out for some shopping or enjoy some downtime back at the accommodation. With two days to play with, there’s plenty of time to explore, relax and make the weekend your own before it’s back to volunteering on Monday. \*All optional activities come at an additional cost.

By now, you’ve had your first week in the schools, found your feet and got to know how everything works. This week, it’s time to head back for another five days of teaching, coaching and getting properly involved with the projects. One of the best things about this programme is the flexibility. If you’ve been spending most of your time sports coaching and fancy trying English teaching for a few days, or vice versa, you’re more than welcome to mix things up. There’s also the opportunity to spend time volunteering with younger children in local childcare and nursery programmes. Get involved with classroom activities, lend a hand at mealtimes and prepare yourself for plenty of games, songs and playtime. If working with little ones is your thing, this is your chance to experience a completely different side of the programme. It’s time to really start making the experience your own!

After another full week in the schools, you’ve earned a couple of days to do exactly what you fancy! Head to the beach and make the most of Port Elizabeth’s coastline, wander around the shops or simply enjoy having nowhere you need to be. If you’re ready for another adventure, there are plenty of optional activities to choose from too. Have a chat with the local team, see what’s available and get some plans in the diary. Busy weekend or very lazy weekend, both are completely acceptable around here!