Frequently Asked Questions for Applicants and Volunteers
This page is intended to address any questions you or others may have about volunteering on the programme. If there's anything we haven't covered, feel free to reach out to us at warwickinafrica@warwick.ac.uk.
Eligibility
1. Are all levels of student eligible for the programme?
Students must be fully registered students at the time of the placement (see below for Finalists). This means that their student status must not be temporarily or permanently withdrawn from their course of study, or on a period of resit without residence.
Undergraduate and postgraduate research students are eligible to apply for the programme. However, postgraduate taught (PGT) students must first consult with their academic supervisors and the Warwick in Africa (WiA) team. In most cases, PGT students will not have completed their course of study, and thesis or dissertation deadlines are likely to coincide with the placement dates. Academic commitments must take precedence over extracurricular activities.
Please note that students enrolled on Foundation programmes are not eligible to apply for this programme. Additionally, if you are undertaking a year abroad or a work placement in the academic year which falls either before or after the summer vacation period, the programme may not be suitable. All participants must be available for the compulsory in-person training days in the run up to the placements (roughly from November to June), and if your study abroad placement requires you to arrive early, you may not be able to meet the programme’s scheduling requirements.
Final-year students may participate in the programme, provided they follow the required steps to re-enrol with the University for the summer vacation period. This re-enrolment is essential to ensure continued coverage under the University's Business Travel insurance policy.
2. When are the placement dates? Can I go travelling before the placement dates?
All volunteers are required to attend compulsory in-person training days, which take place between November and June. Ghana placements typically begin earlier, towards the end of June, so students should plan their travel accordingly. Those assigned to Ghana will need to depart immediately following the final training week in June. South Africa placements usually run from late July to early September.
If a visa is required for your placement, applying for it should be a top priority. Visa processing times must be considered when making travel arrangements, as students may be without their passport for an extended period during this process.
Final-year students should carefully consider whether they plan to attend graduation ceremonies and take into account the start dates of any upcoming employment or further study.
3. Does the WIA seek academic references?
Warwick in Africa placements require a high level of resilience and are undertaken alongside academic commitments. As part of the selection process, we consult each volunteer’s Personal Tutor to ensure that participation will not negatively impact their academic performance. We do not assess academic excellence, but rather seek to identify any known concerns from the student’s academic department that might affect their ability to complete the placement successfully.
Following the Easter vacation, we carry out checks to review each student’s academic status, progress, attendance record, and any disciplinary matters. As training is compulsory and time off during placements is not permitted, it’s essential that students are able to fully commit without compromising their academic responsibilities. Warwick in Africa is a valuable extracurricular experience, but it must remain secondary to a student’s degree. If a Personal Tutor expresses concerns or does not support a student’s participation, we facilitate a meeting with all parties to explore the issues and agree on the most appropriate way forward.
Funding and costs
1. How is my placement funded?
Placement costs are covered through a combination of funding sources: University contributions, potential government support via the Turing Scheme (to be confirmed for 2026), volunteer fundraising efforts, and donated flights.
Each year, the University allocates a fixed amount of funding to the programme, which directly affects the number of volunteers we are able to recruit. To bridge the gap between available funding and the full cost of the programme, volunteers are expected to fundraise. For summer 2026, the individual fundraising target is £1,500. Flights are generously provided by the Emirates Foundation.
2. Visas and vaccinations are costly, do I have to pay for these?
Volunteers who require a visa for their placement are responsible for covering the initial cost, but may reclaim the expense afterwards. Similarly, volunteers needing vaccinations must pay upfront and can claim back the cost, provided the vaccinations or medications are deemed essential for the destination. Please note that we do not reimburse costs for non-essential items or general travel sundries.
Safety and Insurance
1. What safety measures are in place when travelling?
The programme partners with approved and trusted tour companies in each location to manage all transport logistics, including airport transfers and the daily commute to and from school. For groups placed in north-eastern South Africa, an overnight stay in Johannesburg is arranged upon arrival before continuing onward during daylight hours. At the end of the placement, these groups return a day early to travel during the day and stay overnight in Johannesburg again, ensuring safe travel and avoiding night-time journeys.
Each placement location is supported by a team of at least four volunteers, fostering collaboration and mutual support throughout the experience.
2. What insurance is made available?
Volunteers are covered by the University's comprehensive travel insurance policy. This includes emergency medical insurance only.
3. What safety measures are there in the schools?
Volunteers are in the classrooms in a co-teaching role meaning that they support the established classroom teacher with their teaching rather than solo-teaching. This established style means that the volunteers are not alone in the classrooms.
We also have pre-departure meet-ups with the schools to get to know one another.
We do not send volunteers to schools alone; there are between 2 and 6 volunteers at each school (some locations have more than 1 partner school).
4. Team Leaders
Each location has a Team Leader. This is usually a returning volunteer who has completed the programme before, and is chosen so that their team can draw on their knowledge of travelling, the programme, location and the school. Training in First Aid and leadership skills is offered.
Accommodation
1. What accommodation will we be in?
The programme has partner schools in numerous locations and as a result the accommodation varies. Our volunteers stay in a combination of approved partner universities' student halls of residence, as well as tour agent-approved B&Bs, lodges, and hotels. Catering varies depending on location too; when the accommodation doesn't provide full-board catering, kitchen facilities are provided.
To be cost effective, volunteers will share rooms (2 per room).
2. How safe is the accommodation?
The accommodation we use has been approved by our tour agents and the University's Safe and Healthy team.
Skills and experience
1.What training is offered?
The programme offers training throughout the year to prepare volunteers for the placement. The training offered covers fundraising, public speaking and confidence, cultural awareness, workshops with guest lecturers, team work sessions, classroom management training, lesson planning and delivery training, and for Team Leaders a leaderships skills programme.
2. What skills will I gain from the programme?
Through fundraising, you'll develop:
- Communication and persuasion skills
- Your motivator skills - both motivating others and yourself!
- Your resilience and perseverance
- Your ability to act
- Confidence
- Emotional intelligence
Through the placement, you'll develop:
- Communication skills: using layman's language to explain complex concepts, and also public speaking
- Pupil and classroom management
- Resilience and perseverance - it's one thing being knocked back when fundraising but thinking on your feet in the classroom is another level all together!
- Multitasking
- Emotional intelligence
- Self-belief
- Team work - you'll be working in groups to raise funds, getting to know one another, and at schools as you lesson plan and co-teach
3. What work experience will I gain from the programme?
6 weeks of lesson planning, lesson delivery and classroom management.