Tomorrow, Tuesday 23 June 2015, Premier Helen Zille, and the rest of the Year Beyond Panel will consider proposals by our young Year Beyond mentors to solve educational challenges which they perceive to exist.
The Year Beyond Programme – launched last year by Premier Zille – recruits and trains bright and motivated young people who spend a year tutoring and mentoring learners in underperforming schools. This is a joint initiative of the department of the Premier, Western Cape Education and Department of Cultural Affairs and Sports and is delivered in partnership with a number of NGOs including Action Volunteers Africa, the Shine Centre and Ikamva Youth.
As part of the year-long programme, the young mentors complete a three pillared self-development programme consisting of short courses on leadership and active citizenship offered by the Frederick van Zyl Slabbert Institute at Stellenbosch University; an Innovation Challenge; and a personal development programme run by Action Volunteers Africa.
As part of the innovation challenge, the young mentors will, tomorrow, share with Premier Zille, Minister Marais and other key leaders their understanding of what needs to change to address school dropouts and improve academic excellence. This is a unique opportunity for trailblazers to share their ideas with decision-makers and for the Western Cape Government to understand the challenges through a young person’s eyes.
After these ideas are presented to Premier Zille, the mentors will be guided through the process of intervention design. They will be supported to develop a programme that achieves the outcomes of their proposed solution during the course of this year. This is an exciting way of using the experiential learning and innovative thinking of our youth mentors to inform educational and developmental initiatives.
All media are welcome to attend. Please kindly RSVP to Michael Mpofu.
Date: Tuesday 23 June 2015
Time: 9h00
Venue: Stellenbosch University, in the amaMaties Hub, (It is #94 on the attached Map of the University)
Media enquiries:
Michael Mpofu
Tel: 021 483 4584
Cell: 071 564 5427
E-mail: Michael.Mpofu@westerncape.gov.za
