Following the success of Service-Learning Projects in 2012, students in all six faculties are gearing up to implement new projects that will run alongside existing ones.

These community projects are central to teaching and learning at CPUT and provides students with the opportunity to use their skills to make a positive impact on communities.

Manager of Service-Learning, Jacqui Scheepers, says that many new projects that will be rolled out this year will focus on food security, job creation and sustainable housing solutions. These projects are a collaboration between the unit and Tony Florence from the company, Sustainable Spaces.

Food Technology students will run a food safety and quality training programme with fish hawkers at the Kalk Bay Harbour, while Horticulture students will set up an Aquaponics Project. Architecture students will use their skills to build sandbag houses in various communities.

Other projects will range from cleaning rivers to skilling the owners of bed and breakfast establishments.

There has also been an increase in interest in Service-Learning Projects.

The projects received buy-in from a number of government departments and non-profit organisations, who will collaborate with the unit, students and lecturers.

The projects are credit-bearing and in October students will have the opportunity to showcase their community activities at the Service Learning Conference and exhibition that will be held at the CPUT Bellville campus.

By Candes Keating

Written by CPUT News

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This project has gone a long way in the development of our community, said Ashley Searle, Director of the Office of the Consumer Protector.

Searle, who was speaking at the Service Learning Journalism Reflection event, hosted by the Service Learning Unit, commended journalism students who recently participated in a community project that saw them create awareness around Advice Offices.

These offices, which are the community arm of the Office of the Consumer Protector, a unit within the Department of Economic Development and Tourism, are mandated by law to provide consumer related advice to the public.

In a bid to increase awareness around the services offered at the offices, the students compiled newsletters which were distributed in the various communities.

The project was a collaboration between the Service Learning Unit, the Journalism Department and the Office of the Consumer Protector.

Searle, who was the keynote speaker at the event that was held on 19 February on the Bellville campus, said the newsletters stimulated and enhanced the role that Advice Offices play in communities.

He said while the project benefitted the community, it also added to the development of the students.

“Students had the opportunity to take theory and implement it in the community. This is one of the main reasons why our office saw this project as being relevant,” he said.

“Let us not make this a once off project. There is an opportunity to take this to another level,” said Searle.

Journalism Lecturer and Service Learning Convenor for the project, Clement du Plessis said students got a “taste of what journalism is all about.”

“They were exposed to the community and gained a lot from this experience,” he said.

In total six different newsletters were compiled and distributed in various communities.

Journalism student and group leader, Kobus Pretorius, said it was a “good learning experience.”

Students had to go out into the communities, interview individuals, take photographs and decide on how the information should be packaged.

Pretorius said the project helped students to develop skills which are vital for when they enter the world of work.

Associate Dean of Informatics and Design, Colin Daniels said projects such as these add another dimension to students’ education.

Daniels said it is important that teaching and learning goes beyond the classroom.

Jacqui Scheepers, Manager of the Service Learning Unit said it is important to use the youth in programmes that can impact on local communities.

Scheepers said they will look at rolling out the programme with another group of journalism students in the second term.

By Candes Keating

Written by CPUT News
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CPUT staff and students have once again made a valuable contribution to the success of the annual Jazz on the Rocks Festival, which was held at the Cape Columbine Nature Reserve on the West Coast.

The festival not only boosts tourism to the Paternoster area but also helps to empower young people through skills development.
Last year CPUT’s Town and Regional Planning and Architecture Department joined forces with Camissa Solutions to train youngsters from the area in mapping skills and the project was extended this year.

Jacqui Scheepers, manager of Service-Learning and Civic Engagement Unit at CPUT, says that this year staff and students from the Faculties of Informatics and Design and Health and Wellness Sciences worked hand in hand with Camissa Solutions.

Town and Regional Planning students trained local youth in the art of map reading. which they would use to assist guests find their plots during the festival, while Emergency Medical Care students worked in shifts to support the medical teams on site.

“Together with the Service-Learning Unit, lecturers like Nicholas Pinfold (Department of Town and Regional Planning), Navindhra Naidoo, Llizane Mcdonald and Daglin Thomas (Department of Emergency Medical Sciences) were instrumental in the launch, coordination and implementation of the project on site before and during the festival. In partnership with Camissa Solutions, the next phase will include follow up training sessions with unemployed West Coast youth.”

She said the students did CPUT proud with their professional attitude and theoretical knowledge of their disciplines. Clarence Ford from Camissa Solutions looks forward to a continued fruitful relationship with CPUT.

“Together with CPUT we are building communities.”

Dale Sparrow, a fourth-year EMS student says the project was a great experience for final year students to develop their managerial skills.

“Setting up a medical unit in the field is an important aspect for our future qualification,” he says.

Written by Ilse Fredericks
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A project, which has helped hundreds of young people by giving them a second chance to write their matric exams, is growing from strength to strength, thanks to CPUT and a range of partners.

Recently a new intake of learners, who will make up the class of 2017, were inducted into the Second Chance programme, which will provide them with free tuition.

The CPUT programme was first launched and co -sponsored in 2015 by the National Youth Development Agency and the Education Training and Development Practices SETA.

In 2016, the Chemical Industries Education and Training Authority came on board to sponsor 50 learners specifically for Mathematics and Physical Science.

This year the project is proving to be in huge demand with more than 2 000 applications received for the only 300 available places in 2017.

They will have the opportunity to rewrite the matric exams in Mathematics, Physical Sciences, Life Sciences, Accounting and English First Additional Language, thanks to the Advancement Department, the Service-Learning Unit and the Faculty of Education at CPUT, the Western Cape Education Department and the ETDP-SETA.

At a mini seminar held at the Granger Bay campus, where stakeholders could reflect on and evaluate the project, one of the project’s many success stories was celebrated.

Lakin Seconds, who completed the programme last year and was at the top of the class, has been awarded a bursary through the Solomon Mahlangu Bursary Fund. She is currently studying medicine at the University of the Free State. Her parents thanked the stakeholders for helping Lakin to achieve her goals.  

“No student can turn around and say they didn’t get a second chance. It is an excellent programme.  I don’t have the words to say how thankful we are. I’m promoting the programme wherever I go,” Lakin’s mother, Lynn Seconds, told the stakeholders.

Jacqui Scheepers, project manager and manager of the Service-Learning Unit at CPUT, says the project would continue to build on its successes this year, while aiming to increase attendance and parental involvement.

Written by Ilse Fredericks
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A conversation between two CPUT staff members and the rector of an iconic District Six church lit the spark for the development of a virtual memorial based on baptism records. 

The St Mark’s Anglican Church, situated on the District Six Campus, survived the forced removals in District Six and has become a symbol of resilience to many.

Father Austen Jackson said that since he came to St Mark’s in 2016, he’d had a vision of building a memorial for the people who were baptised at the church between 1871 and 1983, which was the last year people were removed from District Six.

He shared this vision with the congregation from time to time and during a meeting mentioned this to Jacqui Scheepers, CPUT’s manager of Community Engagement and Work Integrated Learning, and Nicholas Pinfold, lecturer in Town and Regional Planning.

“We spoke about how CPUT could help us with this and Nicholas immediately said they would be able to help us and that his colleagues have been thinking along the same lines in terms of using maps to recreate a historic community,” said Jackson. Siddique Motala, Senior Lecturer in the Department of Civil Engineering and Surveying who has been involved in the mapping of District six for many years, also came on board.

The other partners on the project are the University of Michigan through its Global Information Engagement Program and the District Six Museum.

“We thought of a virtual memorial, something interactive, that involves the names of the people. We want to ensure a life for these records in future,” said Jackson.

Motala said not only could the process add to our understanding of District Six but importantly it could also help in the restitution process as it could serve as proof of residence in District Six.

The baptism records were digitised in 2012 and have now been passed on to three students from the University of Michigan.

“They have been looking at how they can convert the digitised records into numeric digital records that can be used in an attribute table that is attached to a map in a GIS (Geographic Information System),” said Pinfold.

Michigan student Jackson Huang said that originally the hope was that they could run the records through software and extract the information but they’ve had to take a more manual approach.

“Because the records are handwritten and in so many different people’s handwriting this was not possible. This was a diverse community with different languages and different versions of names because of the way language changes over time so we’ve had to take the manual route,” he said.

The students started on a 400-page volume that stretches from 1950 to 1957 and has thus far completed half of it.

Pinfold said Town and Regional Planning students have been getting familiar with District Six as it was in 1968 (when the demolitions began) by digitising the buildings, flats and other units and doing a 3D model of it. They’ve also done a land use map with different colours denoting different uses to get a sense of what the activities were in the area at the time as well as of the density of the dwellings.

Motala’s undergraduate students are also involved in the creation of the master map of addresses as they were in 1968 while postgraduate students are using a subset of the master map to create the baptism records.

The CPUT students will also ensure the continuity of the project once the Michigan students returned to the US.

Pinfold said the project would be an ongoing service learning and community engagement project.

“The campus is slap bang in the middle of where D6 was we have a responsibility to give back and let our students understand the context.”

Written by Ilse Fredericks
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Hygiene and food safety was on the menu when food vendors for the 2018 Jazz on the Rocks Festival received training at the Cape Town Hotel School ahead of the annual event.

The Festival, which is held at the Cape Columbine Nature Reserve on the West Coast, not only provides a welcome boost for the local economy but also empowers local residents through skills development.

Jacqui Scheepers, Acting Director of the Centre for Community Engagement and Work Integrated Learning, said the centre, CPUT Hospitality Management, the Hotel School and Camissa Solutions had combined resources and expertise for the benefit of the food vendors.

Twenty-four vendors were transported to the Granger Bay campus from the West Coast where they received training on safe and hygienic food preparation and storage as well as customer care and service excellence.
They were also treated to a tour of the Hotel School’s facilities.

Food vendor Nathalie van der Heever said the training had been extremely helpful.

“Even though we’ve been doing this for a while, there is always something new you can learn. The information on the right temperatures for food preparation and food storage was useful. We are thankful for the experience.”
Lovetta Bolters, Chief Executive Officer of Camissa Solutions, said the vendors attending were the breadwinners in their families.

“By pooling our resources we can come up with opportunities like this that benefit the people. The participants will go back into their communities and share what they’ve learnt here today.”
Scheepers said the project was one of a series of transdisciplinary service learning projects during the festival, involving a number of CPUT departments, including Emergency Medical Services, Town and Regional Planning and Mechanical Engineering.

Funding for these projects was received from the University Capacity Development Grant.
“The festival gives us opportunities to do projects in a rural area and to bring skills and empower local communities. We are looking at building long-term relationships with these communities,” she said.
The four-day festival wraps up on February 25.

For more information on the Cape Town Hotel School click here.

Written by Ilse Fredericks
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Phanadapreneurs, a Community Engagement Student Leadership Academy student project team, recently hosted a Community Engagement Business Bootcamp at the Cape Town Hotel School, Granger Bay.

Jacqui Scheepers, Manager: Service-Learning and Civic Engagement, said: “The bootcamp provided for engagement across multi-sectoral boundaries with the aim of stimulating enterprise development and enhanced business practices in the informal sector.”

Student entrepreneurs, startups, emerging entrepreneurs, parastatals, local provincial and national government, business support development agencies and funders all formed part of the auspicious event. The focal activities of the event included information sharing, dialogue, skills development, business success storytelling, networking, but most importantly how students can contribute and assist with economic growth within their respective communities.

“The bootcamp forms part of a broader initiative by the Service-Learning and Civic Engagement Units, Centre for Community Engagement and WIL [Work Integrated Learning], where students are encouraged to be more agile in their approach and are encouraged to think of ways and means to alleviate socio-economic issues within their respective communities,” said David Haarhoff, project lead.

Haarhoff added that they strive on equal opportunity. “From a Community Engagement perspective, it is imperative for us to continuously enhance students’ capabilities by offering such projects where our students are exposed to creative thinking and offered the opportunity to grow in all spheres of life through contributing to the well-being of small business enterprises and society at large,” he said.

In his opening address, Dean of the Faculty of Business and Management Sciences, Prof Paul Green, encouraged students and entrepreneurs to explore, experience and most importantly, to be flexible in their thought processing when considering this critical issue of socio-economic advancement in their communities.

The keynote speaker, John Peters, Chief Director: Western Cape Department of Economic Development and Tourism, sketched the current scenario in South Africa in terms of high youth unemployment rate, low start-up rate of new business and high discontinuation rate of existing businesses. Peters further highlighted a weak entrepreneurship culture, regulatory and bureaucratic constraints, inadequate, fragmented and uncoordinated support eco-system, infrastructure, crime/extortion and other binding constraints as well as a lack of information and awareness.

Peters advised that government offers a number of financial and non-financial support to start-ups and encouraged the youth present to utilise these services. He urged students to become tech savvy, and to welcome competition, stating that it can sharpen their thinking and will allow them to be more efficient and more effective. In closing he alluded that most successful entrepreneurs never relied on handouts and/or begged government for support.

Jayde Barends, Senior Technology Transfer Officer, CPUT Technology Transfer and Industry Linkages, provided context in respect of her department and the technology transfer process from idea conceptualisation to socio-economic impact. Rushdeen Rose, Project Coordinator, Technology Station: Clothing and Textile, CPUT provided a detailed outline of services offered by the technology station as well as the various training programmes and industry initiatives the station is currently embarking on.

Phillip Chibvuri, Finance Specialist within the Residence Department at CPUT, provided context in terms of financial architecture and encouraged students to take time to know the worth of their “money”.

Director: Advancement Department, Calvin Maseko, highlighted that his department considers all three pillars of CPUT when embarking on fundraising initiatives. This includes Learning and Teaching, Research and Community Engagement.

Christopher Cupido, Acting Head of Department: Entrepreneurship and Business Management touched on the ENACTUS programme with a particular focus on students’ social enterprise development through ENACTUS as a CE project.

The National Youth Development Agency (NYDA) was also represented at the Business Bootcamp by Xola Gxilishe, Jobs Officer, who gave a rundown of entrepreneurship and youth cooperative development programmes offered by the agency.

Amangile Botya, Akha Bobo, Williams Matsepone and Sakhile Mabena, young entrepreneurs, CPUT students and alumni, shared their respective business success stories. Scheepers viewed the bootcamp as a step towards the strengthening of partnerships and relationships within the business development sector and aims to engage in further community engagement initiatives and projects.

Written by Aphiwe Boyce

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The Second Chance Programme at CPUT has once again helped scores of young people to improve their matric marks.

More than 500 learners enrolled for the Second Chance Programme in 2016 and received their results on January 5.

This programme gave them the opportunity to rewrite their matric exams in Mathematics, Physical Sciences, Life Sciences, Accounting and English, thanks to the Service-Learning Unit and Advancement Department at CPUT, the National Youth Development Agency, the Education,Training and Development Practices SETA and the Chemical Industries Education & Training Authority (CHIETA).

The new intake of learners for the class of 2017 will open soon.

Project manager and manager of the Service-Learning Unit at CPUT, Jacqui Scheepers, said 2016 matric pupils who didn’t achieve their goals should remember that there’s always hope.

“All they have to do is make contact with us. All it takes is dedication and hard work. As has been proven by the results, some learners jumped from a failure to 60-odd percent. If they can do it so can you.”

To qualify candidates must have written Grade 12 in the years 2014, 2015 or 2016 and have either failed or wish to improve their mark.

For more information learners can visit the 2^nd Chance application desk at the New Science Building, Bellville campus, CPUT from 16 January – 3 February 2017 from 09:00 – 13:00 to complete applications and submit certified documents.

Bring along three certified copies of your ID and a certified copy of your most recent results. All certified copies must be no older than one month.

Contact Yandiswa Mene at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or Theresa Burns at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or call 082 419 4736 or 021 959 6868/9 for more information.

Written by Ilse Fredericks

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A service-learning project, run by the Education Department at the Wellington Campus, has received a much-needed donation from the Gift of the Givers Foundation.

The foundation, which is the largest disaster response non governmental organisation of African origination on the African continent, lends a helping hand to organisations, countries and individuals who are in need.

Since the foundation’s establishment several years ago, they have delivered over R360 million in aid to 27 countries around the world, including South Africa.

Apart from their disaster relief activities, the foundation lends a helping hand to organisations, schools, projects and individuals who are in need.

The foundation recently donated funds to the Education Department, which will enable them to feed learners from poor and rural schools involved in their Inclusive Education Learner Support Project.

The project, which has been running for several years, is one of the most successful service-learning projects at CPUT.

Irene Lewis, an Inclusive Education Lecturer who is spearheading the initiative, said the project sees Education students providing tutoring to 200 learners from rural schools in the Wellington area over a 10 week period.

Many of the learners have learning problems and through the project have access to individual tutoring in literacy, numeracy and motor skills.

However, Lewis said the learners, who are bussed to the campus once a week for the lessons, often arrive hungry and are unable to concentrate.

“On one occasion a learner was laying with his head on the desk. He told us that he was dizzy because he had not eaten. He said he ate his last meal the previous night,” said Lewis.

Debbie Cilliers, an Inclusive Education Lecturer who is also a convenor on the project said learning is not possible if learners are hungry.

Unable to rely on ad hoc donations for feeding the learners, the lecturers approached the Service-Learning Unit for assistance, who then secured funding from the Gift of the Givers Foundation.

Gawa Sayed, a representative from the foundation said they are passionate about education and did not hesitate to make funds available to feed the learners for the duration of the project.

Sayed, who visited the Wellington campus to see the project in action, said she was impressed with the level of commitment from staff, students and learners including how well the project was run.

On arrival to the campus, learners meet up with their student tutors and then enjoy lunch. They are then taken to various venues where they receive individual tutoring.

Jacqui Scheepers, Manager of the Service-Learning Unit said the Education Department’s project is an excellent model for other service-learning projects.

By Candes Keating

Written by CPUT News
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The Civic Engagement (CE) Unit, Centre for Community Engagement and Work Integrated Learning, in collaboration with the Faculty of Education celebrated Women in Education recently at Fleur Park, Gordon’s Bay.

The event was in commemoration of women’s month, targeting aspiring and novice teachers and encouraging them to continue the excellent work done in their respective fields by contributing to well-rounded learners within the education system. Participants included, faculties of Education, Health and Wellness, Business and Management Sciences students, Service-Learning staff, novice teachers from the Western Cape government, EduFocus Projects NPO member and the Faculty of Education’s Learning and Teaching Coordinator, Dr Dorothy Esau.

“This CE project was aimed at fostering professional development, empowerment and holistic well-being among women in the education sector. Furthermore, the event provided a platform for educators to discuss and address critical issues pertaining to teaching professionalism, gender discrimination, gender-based violence (GBV) awareness and women’s health,” said Esau.

Presentations delivered at the event included Professionalism in Teaching by B.ED. Hons student, Dealshaad Swart, covering critical issues to effective teaching: knowledge of education policies, subject expertise, work ethics, continuous learning, maintaining a positive disposition, time management, classroom management, conflict resolution and effective communication skills.

Anziré Coetzee, fourth-year B Ed SP/FET phase student focused on addressing gender discrimination and promoting awareness of gender-based violence in school settings. Coetzee’s presentation highlighted the importance of creating safe and inclusive learning environments.

Emergency Medical Sciences students, Nompumelelo Ntuli and Zenobia De Bruin focused particularly on prioritising women’s health issues and holistic well-being with the focal point being around the significance of self-care and practical activities to support participants’ physical and emotional well-being.

The weekend was concluded with a surprise high tea and photo shoot at Krystal Beach Hotel, allowing participants to unwind and enjoy the beautiful surroundings. The event was sponsored by EduFocus Projects NPO, the brainchild of Esau. Veteran teachers were invited as special guests and Jolene Martin, lead actress from the local telenovela, Arendsvlei, delivered an impactful, profound, and dynamic keynote address, titled: “Find your light”. Attendees walked away empowered and ready to exude #MainCharacterEnergy.

Jacqui Scheepers, Manager of Service-Learning and Civic Engagement applauds and supports the expansion of this project to include more novice teachers in the following year and commended David Haarhof from the CE Unit for the excellent project coordination. The programme provided a conducive environment for collaborative learning, sharing experiences, and to building a supportive community among women educators. The valuable insights gained during the retreat are expected to have a positive impact on participants' professional growth and the educational landscape.

Written by Aphiwe Boyce

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The Service-Learning and Civic Engagement Units (SLCE), Community Engagement and Work Integrated Learning embarked on a food garden project at Excelsior High School in Belhar.

The initiative was driven by the Green Legacy student team, the Civic Engagement Student Leadership Academy. In the Student Leadership Academy, student teams are required to align their individual projects with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. This project is aligned with the second goal, creating a world free of hunger by 2030.

Excelsior High School in conjunction with the Western Cape Education Department feeding scheme makes provision for approximately 300 learners to have a meal daily. “Each student and staff member at CPUT represents a community. As a university who strives toward accountability in terms of social responsibility, we must embrace our neighbouring schools and communities. Embarking on projects of such nature reduces food insecurity and instils a sense of responsibility in learners at a very young age to adjust their thinking in terms of food security,” said David Haarhoff, Project Lead.

Luthando Ndayi, group leader of Green Legacy, placed emphasis on the importance of food garden projects and the positive impact it has on society in general. Learners committed to their involvement by signing a pledge indicative of their commitment to the project and the broader goal of creating a world free of hunger. The programme started off with formalities, followed by a quiz and then the planting of crops. Horticulture students (Advanced Diploma as well as postgraduate students) partnered with the SLCE units by offering expert advice and guidance to both learners and students.

“We are also extremely grateful for Shadowlands Nursery’s contributions toward crops planted at the school. Each little contribution adds to the success of the bigger picture,” said Haarhoff.

Feedback from learners was they had fun activity and would love to do it again and learning about the environment was the best thing ever. They were grateful to CPUT before urging the team to come back and teach them more about gardening so that they can tell others at home how brilliant gardening was.

Jacqui Scheepers, Manager SLCE, indicated that projects like these provide opportunities for students to engage and contribute to society in an interdisciplinary and intercultural environment, which is in line with CPUT’s Vision 2030. “This project is important for our institution as it encourages learners to see learning as fun and positive. Engaging with our students in Civic Engagement projects allows for learners to consider and to view post-school studies, hopefully at CPUT, as a future option.”

Written by Aphiwe Boyce

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The Service-Learning and Civic Engagement (SLCE) Units, Centre for Community Engagement and Work Integrated Learning, in collaboration with Lovafriworx CEO, Lovetta Bolters, recently hosted an Emergency Medical Services (EMS) Interdisciplinary project in Mossel Bay.

This was led by EMS Lecturer and SL Departmental Coordinator, John Meyer. The purpose of the project was for students to empower a group of thirty community members from the Southern Cape region with the necessary basic first aid skills. The skills acquired during the engagement was intended to enhance the participants’ life skills and, in essence, promote their chances of employment. The focal points of the project training included: Basic Life Support (BLS) Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR), BLS Relief of choking and basic first aid level wound dressing and bleeding control.

David Haarhoff, Project Lead for Civic Engagement, said the Community Engagement projects of this nature have become critical, and could be the decider between life and death before medical emergency services are dispatched to a scene, particularly in remote and under-resourced communities. Haarhoff said the skilled first responders are able to assist a distressed patient and save a life. He added that in South Africa, the unemployment figures have increased exponentially, forcing youth and society to be more agile in their approach, by finding ways and means to increase their chances of employability.

“The excitement exuded by the participants, as well as the participating students, is noteworthy. The dedication and commitment displayed by community members to complete their project training was commendable. The participants engaged well within the group work activities and were eager to learn. CPUT’s social footprint has evidently become more prevalent within communities. It is extremely important that we continue to make inroads in relation to our vision 2030 strategic blueprint,” said Haarhoff. He added that Community Engagement requires staff members to have a well-rounded disposition when dealing with the myriad of challenges when engaging with members of the community.

EMS Course facilitator, Athenkosi Sobada, was happy with how the project went and with the great teamwork. Sobada said the students were great to teach, engaging very well. “You could tell they wanted to learn by the interest they had about the course content and asking questions to get clarity about previous cases they encountered. Since the course is Seta accredited, the learners can go to the nearest schools and ambulance services to work as first aiders when they have sports events and they can be renumerated.”

The EMS staff members and students were also joined by students from faculties of Education, Engineering and the Built Environment, Informatics and Design, and Business and Management Sciences. SLCE Manager, Jacqui Scheepers, said the students were inspired by the passion and dedication of the community participants and by the positive impact which the programme and their contributions had on the community. “Working across academic disciplinary boundaries is the hallmark of SLCE and is aligned to CPUT’s Vision 2030.”

The Film and Video students were given an opportunity by Camissa Solutions to practice their craft at the festival, guided by Randel Lakay, a professional film and TV producer. The students also participated in public health and wellness campaigns at the cultural Mossjazz festival for two days. Scheepers said that building relationships and partnerships with external university organisations are imperative to community engagement projects. “This contributes to the holistic development and sense of citizenship of students.”

Written by CPUT News

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The Civic Engagement Unit recently reflected on the Atlantis Special Economic Zone STEAM Programme, which was launched this year and is led by the Advancement Department.

The purpose of the programme is to assist 40 learners from surrounding schools in Atlantis with Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Mathematics (STEM). STEM is high on the agenda of the University, encouraging learners to dispel the negative connotation relating to subjects and careers within the field.

As the world's reliance on technology and innovation grows, so does the demand for individuals to upskill, particularly in the STEM vocations.

Advancement Department director, Calvin Maseko commended the Service-Learning and Civic Engagement Units for a job well done, especially the academy leadership. Maseko said the leadership role which the participating students played in the project was “impressive and student leaders can serve as role models for the learners”. “The Unit staff [members]has created a positive environment where students are respected and affirmed and are provided with spaces to develop their leadership skills and competencies. The student academy should be compulsory for students who wish to occupy leadership roles at the university.”

SLCE Manager, Jacqui Scheepers, said this interdisciplinary community engagement project calls on students to conduct ongoing research, develop activities and then implement through sharing their skills and knowledge. Scheepers said the students also had to work closely with the facilitators and the CE Unit to ensure that all the logistics were put in place like indemnity forms, registers and transport. “As the programme was held early on Saturdays in Atlantis, students had to travel to one pick-up point on the Bellville campus, and then travel to Atlantis. This is an indicator of the dedication, discipline and commitment which the student leaders displayed.”

Recently a reflective workshop was conducted with students from the Community Engagement Student Leadership Academy who were involved in offering tutoring and teacher support throughout the 26 sessions offered to learners this year. The student project leader is Lutendzo Moavi, Sports and Leisure Management student, who is responsible for coordinating the weekly programme and student activities on site. Learners were provided with workshops on Mathematical concepts and Robotics using Lego. The students also accompanied the Learners to the Cape Town Science Centre, which was a learning experience for both groups.

A number of students reflected on the project and were asked what stood out for them. Simphiwe Makhathini indicated that the yearning of the pupils to learn and compete was “admirable and allowed me to think on my feet, accessing the need demand and delivering”.

Atlegang Lekabe, Sports and Events Management student, said: “The project has taught me patience and perseverance. Meeting learners from different backgrounds was a bit challenging. However, what we did as a group was to find ways in which we will be able to relate to the learners, so that they may be comfortable and from there onwards we were able to actively engage and learn from each other. What stood out for me, was a young man who comes from a very troubled household, however the passion he has for his academics inspired me as you would normally find kids from such environments tend not to be interested in academics.”

A student, Sydney Hlongwane, said the project reaffirms the notion that programmes like Atlantis STEAM are defining the future of learning and paving the way for a new generation of thinkers and doers.

Project Lead for Civic Engagement, David Haarhoff, commended all partners inclusive of “our University for their continued efforts in assisting learners to become more comfortable in the STEM subjects”. Haarhoff said offering the exciting activities for the duration of the 26 sessions has provided them with a different perspective and methodology to deal with problem solving and challenges. “Further to this, I am of the opinion that the learners are able to utilise these problem-solving methodologies to assist them to overcome life challenges.” The project will resume in February 2024.

Written by CPUT News

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Mandela Day not only honours the former stateman’s life and achievements but also inspires individuals and communities globally to devote their time and efforts to make a positive difference in the lives of others.

As the heavy rain and gusty winds continued to batter the Western Cape on this day, the staff and students were excited to engage in a meaningful act of kindness that brought joy to children in low-resourced local schools such as Balvenie Primary School, Astra Special Education School, as well as The Saartjie Baartman Centre for Women and Children.

Led by the Service-Learning and Civic Engagement (SLCE) Unit, the Community Engagement Student Academy (CESA) project group, known as The Community Connectors, groups of staff members and students visited the classrooms at these venues and read stories to the learners. The teams also delivered an entertaining programme that included the performance of a children’s story, a quiz and other interactive activities.

SLCE Manager, Jacqui Scheepers emphasised the importance of institutional projects that express the Ubuntu philosophy through action within the communities around CPUT. “The support, teamwork, good spirits, and camaraderie displayed by staff and students from across the institution and various campuses was evidence of what could be achieved in communities when there is unity and purpose,” said Scheepers.

She also quoted Tata Madiba who said: “What counts in life is not the mere fact that we have lived. It is what difference we have made to the lives of others that will determine the significance of the life we lead.” Scheepers said this was displayed by the CPUT community who visited three community sites to engage in activities with school learners to celebrate the legacy of Tata Madiba and express the spirit of Ubuntu as part of CPUT’s Vision 2030.

CPUT Libraries has coordinated the drop-off sites of reading materials at all campus libraries which were donated by staff and students. Scheepers said the donation of new/pre-owned books and reading materials of all genres children’s books, CDs, magazines and many more) “contributes to the educational development of our communities”, adding that reusing pre-owned reading materials is also environmentally responsible as it reduces waste.

Scheepers stated that the Balvenie Primary School Library is a long-term project site for SLCE interdisciplinary projects in conjunction with Architectural Technology, Construction Management and Quantity Surveying, Interior Design, Mechanical Engineering, and Graphic Design departments. Industry and service-learning partner, Nadeson Consulting staff members joined CPUT at Balvenie Primary and handed over books, a laptop, and a printer to the library. They also raised R5,000.00 through crowdfunding for the library.

The school principal, Farieda Wakefield expressed her gratitude to CPUT and Nadeson Consulting for their kind donations and for engaging with their learners.

Wakefield said: “It's such a joy to see people come on board to invest in our community. One of our mottos at our school is always: This can be Elsie's River, but we don’t need to be like Elsie's River … One of our challenges is getting people on board to come and invest in our school… So the fact that CPUT and Nadeson Consulting came on board to have a library, I must say thank you very much to CPUT and other role players who after so many years want to see this project through…Thank you very much for whatever you're giving to the school, small or big it doesn’t matter what it is, we are just happy that at the end of the day, we will have a library to at least see what we can do to enhance the academic performance of our learners.” She added that the school needed more interventions to improve the dire situation at the school.

Regina Sikhosana, Branch Manager, Bellville Campus, brightened the room when she mentioned the available assistance from the library and said: “So we are going to adopt you until you graduate”.

In The Saartjie Centre for Women and Children's new therapeutic library, the Community Connectors and library staff sorted out the books, packed the bookshelves, and then engaged with the learners. Miriam Fredericks said: “Your support is instrumental in our ability to continue to provide essential, life-changing services to survivors of domestic violence and their children.”

The SLCE unit have undertaken to conduct a life skills programme with the hostel learners at Astra Special Education School in the future.

Scheepers also conveyed “a special thank you” to all the stakeholders, staff and students for their participation.

Written by Aphiwe Boyce and CPUT News
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