But there’s good news. You can send your children to Africa for a gap year of a lifetime, where they’ll see the very best of the country while learning about the environment.
The Academy for Environmental Leadership is a school surrounded by the African bush and natural wildlife where red dunes of the Kalahari lazily stretch out as far as the eye can see. The Academy will open its doors in 2016 and is now accepting applications.
The Academy is set on the banks of the Orange River in Upington, and offers green lawns and uninterrupted views of the beautiful, untamed landscape. Upington is a booming regional town and home to international companies with some of South Africa’s largest solar energy developments. The Orange River is Africa’s longest river and acts as an important resource for myriad animal life. The river is the nutrient artery that runs the width of the country and a body of water with important cultural significance.
The children who enrol will live amongst the indigenous vegetation of Africa in a location rich with diversity. During 2016, the curriculum includes relevant environmental research and a one-year tertiary qualification in life sciences.
The Academy will be enlisting the help of top talent and is overseen by Academic Head Dave Pepler. Pepler is a multi-award winning environmentalist who has been the face of environmental issues on South African television and is a distinguished professor at Stellenbosch University.
The course is an ideal opportunity for a gap-year adventure that develops strong skill-sets for writers, environmentalists and analysts.
“For overseas students, it’s an opportunity for young minds to get to know Africa and engage with topics no other Academy in South Africa is approaching in the same manner,” says Dave Pepler.