Are you an after-school education organisation working in the Western Cape?
Do you want to receive funding, training and support to run a high impact tutoring programme?
The Learning Trust and IkamvaYouth are partnering to offer capacity building grants, training and support to ensure the delivery of high quality after-school tutoring programmes for South African youth living in townships. We invite you to apply, in order to:
? Access grant funding to implement your tutoring programme / build your organisation
? Draw on IkamvaYouth’s knowledge and 12 years of achieved impact to strengthen the quality and impact of your tutoring programme
? Maximise your capacity to implement and sustain your programme through structured organsiational development support delivered by The Learning Trust. Covering strategy and M&E, governance, fundraising, and financial control
? Put in place robust monitoring and evaluation offered by The Learning Trust. Covering (M&E) systems to inform programme improvement and demonstrate impact
? Be involved in a growing supportive network of organisations, schools, volunteers, government departments, donors, and other key stakeholders.
? Become part of a collaborative community aiming to demonstrate collective impact and attain funding to sustain an effective after-school sector in South Africa.
We want to work together to address South Africa’s education challenges.
We invite you to join this collaborative effort.
Depending on your needs, there are different levels of support available. Please see our website or the accompanying attachment for more information about this offer and find out how you can apply. If you can’t find what you are looking for do not hesitate to contactzoe@ikamvayouth.org.
The deadline for applications is Monday 4th May 2015
SPW Blog Umlazi
On the 1st and 2nd of April 2015 Umlazi held its 4th annual Strategic Planning. The two day event is used to come up with strategic plans for the rest of the year at the branch. The event was attended by 17 tutors and learner reps.
On day one the group covered the timeline of the organisation and the Umlazi branch. This activity serves to show tutors and learners how the organisation and branch has grown over the years into what we see today.
Following this we did an exercise to highlight we exist and what the burning issues are at the branch. This was done in groups and followed by feedback discussions with the rest of the group, then a short break.
The values of the organisation were then discussed in separate groups. Each group had to feedback on what the value means and how it should show up at the branch. Before lunch we further discussed the values as a big group to flesh them out.
After the break each portfolio was then introduced and discussed by the small groups. This time they went in more details to talk about what works and doesn’t work at the branch (as per portfolio). Portfolio groups then asked to present the issues the branch had and on day the issues were tackled and ideas came up with solutions.
The proposed ideas were then presented to the group and targets were set from them. The group closed off the day with elaborate discussion of the targets and the people responsible for each one. The portfolio heads were then selected for the various portfolios and Lunch was delivered to end of the session. That brought our Strategic planning to a close.
Our 2015 dates:
17th-18th April – The Clock Tower Conference Centre, V&A Waterfront – Cape Town
23rd-25th April – Fourways Mall – JHB
7-9th of May – Kolonnade Mall – Pretoria
23-25th of Jul – Greenstone Mall – JHB
For further information, click on the Career Expo link here.
World Read Aloud Day
The 4th of March 2015 was World read aloud day. IkamvaYouth Umlazi held a small ceremony to celebrate this day (on Saturday the 14th of March as a late commemoration) with the learners as reading is a fundamental habit to the growth of a learner’s abilities to learn.
From early in the first term learners where encouraged to submit book reviews of books they have read in their spare time. This was a way that the organisation was ensuring that learners engage in reading activities outside of the school curriculum. These book reviews were to be submitted to the branch staff by the 14th of March
The best book review was announced on the day. The prize went to Sibongile Mazeka, a grade 11 learner at the branch.
Sibongile Mazeka accepting her prize from N’thabiseng Zwane (Umlazi Branch Assistant)
The next part of the small ceremony was to have random learners stand up and read aloud, as it was read aloud day. We had 3 brave young girls stand up and read in front of the whole branch.
The 3 young girls (Sinobuhle Gasa Grade 11, Thobeka Holngwa Grade9 and Snenhlanhla Nzaca Grade 11) will be awarded with merit points for their efforts. Each of them was asked to read one page from teenage novels which were donated to the branch by Fundza. One of the things that stood out was a learner name Snenhlanhla. She was fluent and seemed to enjoy reading the short story novel to the point where we had to stop her due to time constraints.
A special thanks to Fundza for donating the books to IkamvaYouth and also thank you to the learners for participating in the activities for the day.
N’thabiseng Zwane addressing learners
The beginning of each year at IkamvaYouth is always an exciting time for IkamvaYouth branches across the country as we usher the previous year’s Matrics into post-school opportunities, welcome new learners and tutors and together decide on the goals and outcomes of the New Year. On the 14th of March 2015, Gauteng branches namely Ebony Park and Ivory Park held its annual Strategic Planning Weekend (SPW). Staff members, learners and volunteers came together to spend the entire day discussing how Ebonites and Ivonites can make 2015 a good year for Gauteng branches.
The day started with introductions and a fun ice breaker from a wonderful tutor, Mr Welsh Dube, to energize attendees for the day. A total number of 52 excluding staff members attended 2015 Strategic Planning Workshop. Both branches outlined the rules and expectation for day and agreed that everyone should follow them. Mrs Zvomuya, Branch Coordinator for Ebony Park, gave a brief presentation on why should you volunteer and also introduced IkamvaYouth to the new volunteers and learners who were present. She emphasizes the need to volunteer as many employers would only consider someone who had volunteered before.
Both branches decided to have a motivation and testimonial from one of IkamvaYouth’s longest serving tutor, Mr. Percyval Mabizela, on his stay and experience hear at IY. He mentioned that he doesn’t regret waking up early in the morning on a Saturday to come and share his experience with learners from different communities and also mention that education is an important tool that a person can treasure. Speaking on behalf of the tutors, he mentioned that tutors/volunteers should be proud with their involvement with IkamvaYouth and the learners themselves.
On looking back to 2014, branch com members gave a brief feedback about their portfolios on challenges and successes they had the previous year. IkamvaYouth Ebony and Ivory Park has seven Branch Com portfolios namely, Volunteer Coordinator, Tutoring Coordinator, Mentoring, Media, Image and Expression, Career Guidance, Computer Literacy, and Discipline (Branches decided to add this to list as a portfolio). During the feedback sessions learners, tutors and staff members grouped themselves to discuss the Branch Com portfolios and how can they make them better for 2015. The focus was now shifted to the year ahead and branches set targets to achieve within a specific time frame.
The last item on the agenda was tutor training and staff members had to facilitate this session. Staff members were each given a group to facilitate tutor training. Roles plays and general discussions were implemented during tutor training sessions, whereby tutors and learners were put to the test to see if they understand how Ikamvayouth model works. Volunteers went through what is expected of them and how to conduct themselves when they interact with learners. Learners also went through their expectations.
The day ended with some encouraging words from Mrs Zvomuya by saying “it was a great event, thanks to everyone who participated it was a very productive meeting.”
Miss Mosiane had this to say “it was a well-planned event, the turnout was great and I was pleased with the way learners behaved throughout the event.”
IkamvaYouth rocking 2015!!!!
Lloyd Lungu