Do you want to gain international experience in childcare and education? In Clonmel, Ireland we arrange volunteering and internship placements in a facility that provides pre- and post-school breakfast and afternoon care to children from disadvantaged backgrounds. During the school holidays, there are also full day holiday activities. Some of the children have special needs.
What is this program about?
The facility provides support to children aged 5-12. Some of the children are from socially disadvantaged families, others have special needs. In the morning, the children get breakfast before they go to school. This is an offer of help for parents whose shift work often starts very early in the morning.
In the afternoons, the facility's staff provide homework assistance and various leisure activities to the children. Around 50 children are attending the facility every day. There are staff with professional qualification supporting the children in their educational and personal development, making it possible that parents have more time for work to generate an income. During the school holidays, the facility organizes full day holiday programs such as sports days and computer clubs.
The staff is specially trained in dealing with children with special needs.
How can you get involved?
During school time, your support is mainly needed in the afternoon program, where you can get actively involved in a variety of ways: You can support the children with their homework, play with them, be creative, do sports and teach them computer skills. At the same time, you will join work related to the maintenance of the premises and equipment of the facility, tidy up, help with cleaning, and prepare and distribute breakfast and meals.
During the school holidays, the facility arranges holiday activities in which the children are looked after all day. The offers include games, sports, excursions and computer courses. The children with special needs also take part in these holiday camps.
What are your working hours?
During school time your working hours are Monday to Friday from 1 p.m. to 7 p.m. If you are interested, you can also help with the breakfast program, which is offered from 6:45 a.m. to 9:00 a.m.
During the school holidays, your working hours are Monday to Friday from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., with occasional activities or events that last longer than 3 p.m.
What prior knowledge do you need?
Ideally, you should already have some initial experience working with children. Working with children is expected to be positive, energetic, open, creative, but also patient. Working with children can be exhausting, so it is important to be self-motivated and full of energy!
About the location
The facility is located in Clonmel, County Tipperary, approximately 2.5 hours from the capital, Dublin. Clonmel is a busy town of around 18,000 people.
Clonmel is surrounded by idyllic rural surroundings, nestled in the Comeragh and Knockmealdown Mountains. In your free time you can not only go into nature, there is also a rich cultural scene in Clonmel: art exhibitions, theater and live music are part of the daily life of the people of Clonmel.
We also work with another similar facility in Castleisland, County Kerry. Castleisland, a town with around 2500 inhabitants is often viewed as the gateway to Kerry, one of the most visited regions in Ireland, world famous for its natural wonders. Most of the land around Castleisland consists of green fields and moorland.
Info Box
Location: Clonmel or Castleisland, Ireland
Availability: all year round; fixed start dates: 2021: Nov 8. 2022: Jan 1, Feb 7, Mar 7, Apr 4, May 9, May 30, Jun 13, Jul 4, Aug 1, Sep 5, Oct 3, Nov 7 Minimum Duration: 3 weeks Maximum Duration: 6 months
Minimum age: 18 years
Required Language Skills: English, at least B1 level Accommodation: Host family accommodation. Details in the tab "Accommodation" below |
Supervision possible: Yes
Qualification supervisor: Education professionals Minimum qualification of intern: None Remuneration: No
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Volunteering possible: Yes
Required qualification of interns: none It is expected: The "right" attitude |
You will live with a host family in Clonmel or Castleisland on full board, usually staygin in a single room. You will get an exciting insight into the life of an Irish family where you can improve your English language skills at the same time! Our local team knows all of our host families personally. Irish families tend to be very hospitable and open-minded. Many families enjoy to include interns in their everyday life and family activities.
The costs consist of the program costs and the accommodation costs.
The program costs are:
3-7 weeks: 890 EUR
8-12 weeks: 990 EUR
13 or more weeks: 1090 EUR
The accommodation costs are:
195 EUR per week
The program costs are:
3-7 weeks: 890 EUR
8-12 weeks: 990 EUR
13 or more weeks: 1090 EUR
The accommodation costs are:
195 EUR per week
This includes:
- Individual Consultation and Preparation prior to your arrival
- Access to the World Unite! Online Resource Centre which has Preparation Materials
- Pick-up from Cork Airport
- Hostel Accommodation (dorm room) incl. breakfast in Cork on the first need, dinner with live music on arrival day
- Orientation session, lunch and city tour in Cork on the day after the arrival
- Transfer from Cork to your host family in Clonmel/Castleisland by public transport
- Accommodation on full board with your host family
- 24 Hours emergency support by our Irish support team
- Issuance of Confirmations/Certificates for your university, scholarship, insurance, etc. and filling out/signing Internship Contracts for your university
The Rates do NOT include:
- Travel to/from Cork
- Transfer back to Cork on your last day
- Insurance (Travel Health Insurance, Liability Insurance, Travel Cancellation insurance; you book it on your own, we can assist you)
- Personal Expenses
- Vaccinations
This program includes an orientation with walking tour, meals and accommodation in Cork City.
You should book a flight to Cork (airport code: ORK). You will be picked up from Cork Airport and taken to Cork City, where you will spend the first night in Sheilas hostel (shared room).
Alternatively, you can fly to Dublin (DUB) and from there take a bus to Cork. The journey takes about 3.5 hours. Your plane should land in Dublin before 2pm so you can make it to Cork by bus on the same day. We will provide you with precise travel information.
There are fixed start dates, which means that we can ensure that there is always a small group of newly arriving program participants. On the first evening, you will join Welcome Dinner, including with live Irish music.
You should book a flight to Cork (airport code: ORK). You will be picked up from Cork Airport and taken to Cork City, where you will spend the first night in Sheilas hostel (shared room).
Alternatively, you can fly to Dublin (DUB) and from there take a bus to Cork. The journey takes about 3.5 hours. Your plane should land in Dublin before 2pm so you can make it to Cork by bus on the same day. We will provide you with precise travel information.
There are fixed start dates, which means that we can ensure that there is always a small group of newly arriving program participants. On the first evening, you will join Welcome Dinner, including with live Irish music.
The next day you will be picked up from the hostel after breakfast at 9:15 am, followed by a 3.5 hour introductory workshop on topics including intercultural training, personal and professional development, and communication. Afterwards there will be lunch (included in the price) and an approximately 2-hour walking tour through Cork City.
You will then brought to the bus/train to Clonmel/Castleisland (takes about 2 hours - ticket included) where you will be picked up by a team member or by your host family and brought to your host family where you will move in.
Your volunteer work will then start the following day. An employee of the facility will give you an introduction to the project work.
You will then brought to the bus/train to Clonmel/Castleisland (takes about 2 hours - ticket included) where you will be picked up by a team member or by your host family and brought to your host family where you will move in.
Your volunteer work will then start the following day. An employee of the facility will give you an introduction to the project work.