Young people who are about to make the transition from high school and tertiary institutions need role models. Undergraduate students at the University of Johannesburg (UJ) are taking a stand to provide academic support to high school learners in Soweto.
The UJ students from the Alomdraai Day House on the Auckland Park Kingsway Campus, together with businessman Cyril Ramaphosa’s Adopt a School Foundation, adopted Mokgome Secondary School in Meadowlands, Soweto. On the Fridays, 03 and 17 May 2013, the students visited the school to introduce themselves to the learners.
Some of their core responsibilities towards the school include addressing challenges such as teenage pregnancy, career counseling, and helping with fundraising. Other areas the UJ students will be helping the school with include providing an effective and innovative method of academic mentorship and implementing skills development programmes.
The students will be working closely with UJ’s Institutional Office for HIV and AIDS (IOHA) and the Psychological Centre for Academic Development (PsyCad) in providing the services. During the visits, Mr Rudy Petersen, Manager: Student Marketing, UJ, guided the learners on how to choose a career.
“UJ’s Department of Applied Information Systems contributed significantly in this project, they offering computer training to the Grade 12 learners. The post graduates will maintain the computer laboratory of the school in case of any faulty machines. Teachers who teach CAT [subject] at Mokgome Secondary School will also get advanced computer training,” says Ms Stella Bvuma, Coordinator: Applied Information system, UJ.
Nicola Vogel, Marketing Manager: Cyril Ramaphosa Fondation, and some of the Alomdraai Day House committee students involved in the Adopt a School project – Melissa Schoeman, Estelle Visser, Liandri Le Roux, Marwile Griezel, Allison Zietsman, Trisha Ras, Thea Mostert, and Bonita Burger – will be visiting the school until the November holidays.
IMAGE: From left to right:
Liandri Le roux, Liandri Le Roux, Allison Zietsman, Trisha Ras, Stella Bvuma , Bonita Burger, Estelle Visser and Melissa Schoeman.