Turn your gap year into something meaningful. Gain hands-on early childhood education experience in Tanzania while earning an accredited Global Citizenship Diploma and travelling one of Africa’s most extraordinary destinations.
Make a meaningful contribution to children’s early learning through an Early Childhood Education and Child Development Internship in Arusha, Tanzania. Working alongside qualified Tanzanian teachers at a locally managed early years school, you’ll gain practical experience supporting children aged approximately 2–6 during their most important developmental years. Discover how play-based learning, early intervention and inclusive education support children’s cognitive, social, emotional and physical development, while experiencing the everyday realities of early childhood education in Tanzania.
Your teaching and childcare volunteer placement involves supporting local educators with early literacy and numeracy, English language development, storytelling, arts and crafts, music, movement, educational games and outdoor play. You’ll assist with classroom routines, small-group activities and individual learning support, helping create engaging, child-centred educational experiences. Rather than replacing local teachers, you’ll work under their guidance, learning from their expertise and contributing to existing teaching practices in ways that support continuity and long-term educational development.
Alongside your early childhood education internship in Arusha, dedicated Global Citizenship and ethical volunteering workshops explore educational inequality, early childhood development, access to quality education and the importance of sustainable community development. Gain a deeper understanding of the challenges facing early years education in developing communities, while exploring how teacher support, educational resources and locally led capacity-building can strengthen learning opportunities for young children.
Through your Legacy Project, you’ll have opportunities to collaborate with local educators on practical initiatives that strengthen the centre’s long-term teaching capacity. Projects could include developing play-based learning resources, early literacy and numeracy materials, classroom activity guides, educational games or teacher training resources that remain with the centre after your placement. Combining teaching experience abroad, child development, early childhood education and sustainable community engagement, this Arusha internship offers a valuable opportunity to develop your skills while supporting locally led education.
We’ve designed the Academy to bring together everything you need for an unforgettable volunteering and gap year experience in Tanzania. Your program fee includes accommodation, meals, your internship, dedicated volunteer training, Global Citizenship and personal development workshops, and a certificate of completion. You’ll also enjoy organised safaris, a Zanzibar island adventure, cultural experiences, weekly activities, local transport and ongoing support — all thoughtfully arranged so you can focus on learning, exploring, making lifelong friendships and creating memories without constantly organising and paying for extras.
Almost everything you need for your 6 or 10 weeks in Tanzania is built into your Adventure Academy fee.
A small number of personal and independent costs remain outside your Academy program.
Your 10 weeks are designed as a journey — from settling into life in Tanzania and
building real relationships at your internship, to developing a partner-led Legacy Project
and putting your learning into action. Along the way, two signature overland journeys
take you across some of Tanzania’s most extraordinary landscapes, making travel,
culture and adventure part of the learning itself.
Settle into Academy life in Arusha, meet your placement team and begin building genuine relationships. Through your internship, Global Citizenship workshops and cultural experiences, you'll start understanding the people, places and communities behind your work while connecting with your fellow Academy students.
Become increasingly involved in your internship as your confidence, skills and understanding grow. Alongside your placement partner, explore real community challenges and begin identifying opportunities for your Legacy Project to make a useful, sustainable contribution.
Hit the road for your first signature overland adventure! Journey from Arusha into the spectacular Ngorongoro Crater, across the wildlife-rich plains of the Serengeti and west to Mwanza on the shores of Lake Victoria. Six unforgettable days of safari, wildlife, cultural discovery and adventure with your Academy crew.
Return to your internship and bring your ideas to life through your partner-led Legacy Project. Work alongside local professionals to develop practical initiatives that respond to genuine community needs, strengthen local partnerships and create something meaningful that can continue making a difference after you leave.
Set off on your second epic overland adventure! Journey from Arusha through the beautiful Usambara Mountains to historic Bagamoyo and Dar es Salaam before crossing the Indian Ocean to Zanzibar. Discover Swahili culture, explore tropical beaches and enjoy unforgettable island adventures with your Academy crew.
Return to your internship to see how your project works without you, make final improvements and hand it over properly. Your final weeks in Arusha bring everything together through reflection, final placement days, Diploma completion, graduation and one last celebration with your Academy crew.
Our 6-Week Academy brings together meaningful internships, Global Citizenship learning, cultural immersion and unforgettable adventures across Tanzania. From wildlife safaris in Tarangire and Ngorongoro to five days exploring Zanzibar’s tropical beaches and Swahili culture, you’ll experience the best of Tanzania while developing new skills, building genuine connections and making lifelong memories.
Settle into life in Arusha, meet your placement team and quickly move from orientation into hands-on participation. Global Citizenship learning and cultural experiences help you understand the context behind your work as you begin identifying your Legacy Project.
Become more involved in your internship, develop practical skills and explore the challenges facing local communities. Alongside your placement, enjoy an unforgettable two-day safari through Tarangire National Park and the Ngorongoro Crater, discovering Tanzania's incredible wildlife and landscapes.
Swap the mountains of Arusha for the turquoise waters of Zanzibar! Fly to the island for five unforgettable days exploring historic Stone Town, discovering Swahili culture, enjoying a Safari Blue ocean adventure and relaxing on tropical beaches with your Academy crew.
Return to Arusha for your final placement week, refine and hand over your Legacy Project, complete your Global Citizenship learning and finish with graduation, goodbyes and one last celebration with your Academy crew.
Monday
Start the week with breakfast before heading to your internship placement, then spend the afternoon wrapping up placement activities, planning and enjoying some free time.
Tuesday
Start with optional morning yoga before heading to placement, followed by an afternoon Global Citizenship workshop exploring culture, ethics, sustainability and responsible global action.
Wednesday
Spend your morning at placement before switching into Tanzania mode with an afternoon of Swahili, cooking, art, music or another rotating cultural experience.
Thursday
Head to placement in the morning before an afternoon of personal growth, reflection and wellbeing, then switch off for Academy Social Night, drinks, games or Arusha nightlife.
Friday
Spend the morning at placement or developing your Legacy Project, then enjoy a free afternoon for cafés, the pool, markets, the gym or whatever you feel like doing.
Saturday
Saturdays are made for exploring, with Academy adventures taking you to waterfalls, coffee country, hot springs, cultural experiences, cycling trips and beyond.
Sunday
Sleep in, enjoy a slow breakfast and spend the day by the pool, exploring Arusha, grabbing brunch or simply recharging with your Academy crew.
For the next 6 or 12 weeks, this is more than somewhere you sleep – it’s home. Share a comfortable room with one or two other Academy travellers, each with a private bathroom and balcony off the main house, and enjoy Wi-Fi, hot showers, 24/7 security, a restaurant and bar, garden hangouts and a cosy indoor movie room.
It’s also the heart of Academy life – morning yoga in the garden, workshops and cultural afternoons around the house, lazy hours soaking up the African sun, movie and games nights, dinners and drinks at the bar, music, parties and plenty of spontaneous nights with your Academy crew.
Subject to successful completion of the required academic components, you’ll work towards an accredited Level 3 Diploma in Global Citizenship in Community Development – Childcare & Early Education.
Alongside your qualification, you’ll build practical experience working with Tanzanian educators and young children, develop a collaborative Legacy Project, and strengthen the communication, teamwork, leadership and cross-cultural skills that can support your future study and career.
Work towards a Certificate in Global Citizenship & Ethical Volunteering, giving your international experience a recognised educational outcome.
Gain approximately three months of hands-on early childhood education experience, working alongside Tanzanian teachers and supporting children through learning, play and creative activities.
Build communication, teamwork, leadership, independence, adaptability and cross-cultural skills while developing practical experience you can carry into future study, work and applications.
Develop practical Swahili, explore community development and ethical international engagement, and learn how culture and local context shape responsible work with communities.
No. You do not need to be a qualified teacher or have previous professional experience to join the Childcare & Early Education program. The program is suitable for school leavers, gap-year students and university students, as well as those already studying areas such as education, childcare, psychology, social work, occupational therapy or speech and language-related fields. Your responsibilities will always be appropriate to your experience and confidence.
Placements primarily work with young children approximately 2–6 years old in early childhood education and childcare settings. Depending on your placement, you may work across different age groups during your internship.
You'll work alongside Tanzanian educators supporting everyday learning and development. Your days may include play-based learning, early literacy and numeracy, stories, creative activities, arts and crafts, music, movement, outdoor play, games, small-group activities and one-to-one encouragement. As you become more familiar with the children, teachers and routines, you'll gradually have opportunities to become more involved.
During the first part of your internship, you'll focus on listening, learning and understanding what your placement actually needs. You'll then work collaboratively with your placement and Academy team to develop a practical project that can remain useful after you leave. This might relate to learning resources, classroom activities, educational programming, teacher support or another need identified by your placement. The project isn't predetermined - its based on what you find is most in need, and something tangible that can be used for long after you leave. Something centred around contributing to ideas, knowledge and education.
Responsible international engagement is a central part of the Academy. You'll learn about cultural context, assumptions, power, sustainability, community-led development and the difference between addressing symptoms and understanding root causes. We don't expect international students to arrive in Tanzania and have all the answers. Your role is to learn first, work alongside local professionals and contribute where your skills and time are genuinely useful.
Live, learn, intern and travel in Tanzania through immersive 6 and 12-week Academy experiences in Arusha and Zanzibar.
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