Teach With Africa is a non-profit organization empowering students and teachers by bringing educators to Africa -- and African educators to the U.S. -- in a reciprocal exchange of teaching and learning, so that the children we serve can have access to quality education in order to transform their lives, their communities, and their future. TWA supports academic programs, educational leadership initiatives, and community development training by placing experienced educators in underserved schools and community centers. TWA is committed to working with local partners to create success for African students and teachers. Since 2007, more than 1000 teachers have participated in our programs directly reaching over 125,000 students in South Africa and the U.S.

TWA has established a partnership with the LEAP Science and Maths School, a privately funded intervention high school system that provides free, high-quality educational opportunities to disadvantaged students from local townships in South Africa. LEAP currently has six school locations: LEAP 1 and LEAP 2 in Cape Town and LEAP 3 and LEAP 4 in Johannesburg, LEAP 5 in Jane Furse/ Limpopo, and LEAP 6 in GaRankuwa near Pretoria. TWA Teacher Training Fellows are carefully recruited from diverse backgrounds, but all are credentialed teachers with substantial classroom experience and a passion for student-centered teaching. Additionally, TWA brings a cohort of South African student teachers for a month-long educational internship at US host schools each year.

The primary objectives of Teach With Africa include:

• Support LEAP infrastructure and help address South Africa’s teacher shortage by putting diverse, highly-qualified teachers in LEAP School classrooms to collaborate with, mentor, and train student teachers and faculty.
• Exchange best-practice knowledge and ideas with educators and community members at the LEAP School over an eight-week period each summer.
• Leverage the TWA team members’ particular areas of expertise to improve educational outcomes for disadvantaged students and communities in South Africa through professional development training and mentorship.
• Provide opportunities for young South African student teachers to obtain classroom observation and teaching practice in US schools to engage and inspire young leaders to pursue and excel in education careers through our internship exchange program.
• Participate in a cultural exchange that will enhance and inform team members’ own practices upon return to the U.S.

http://www.teachwithafrica.org