Impactful projects that require your support

Unisa Children’s Literature Project

The Unisa Children’s Literature Project aims to combat illiteracy in South Africa by promoting children’s literature in all official indigenous languages. Launched in October 2023, the project supports literacy development through its Children’s Literature Awards, fostering a reading culture nationwide. Aligned with the National Development Plan and Sustainable Development Goals, the project is led by the College of Human Sciences and the School of Arts, ensuring accessible children’s literature across online platforms, schools, libraries, and homes.

Versioning of the Bachelor of Education Foundation Phase in 11 Official Languages

In response to the decolonisation and Africanisation movements, UNISA has embraced a Transformation Agenda over the past five years to align its curriculum with these principles. The University supports the 2020 Language Policy Framework for Public Higher Education, which emphasizes the use of African languages in teaching and learning. The project aims to preserve indigenous languages in higher education and equip BEd Foundation Phase students with the necessary terminology for their classrooms.

Golf Caddies Capacity Development

Unisa in partnership with The Finding the Fair Way Foundation, is providing capacity-building workshops for golf caddies. This initiative aims to improve the socioeconomic conditions of caddies by offering them skills and knowledge for professional opportunities. With approximately 4,000 caddies working across 400 golf courses in South Africa, many lack formal training or education beyond matric. This program addresses this gap through a six-module course over three months, covering orientation, communication, personal effectiveness, financial literacy, and golf fundamentals. Graduates will receive a UNISA-accredited certificate.

Nurturing ECCE Practitioners

South Africa faces a shortage of qualified teachers, impacting the development of specialized skills needed for economic growth. Higher education institutions, including Unisa, address this by offering various teacher education programs. Early Childhood Development (ECD) is crucial for equity, social justice, and sustainable growth. Quality ECD allows children to thrive and develop optimally. Professionalizing ECD practitioners through Short Learning Programmes is essential for achieving quality outcomes.

Enhancing School Effectiveness and Leadership

Unisa focuses on improving school effectiveness, governance, and leadership. This initiative aims to address challenges in school management and governance by providing targeted training and support to school governing bodies and leaders. The program emphasizes developing skills and strategies to enhance school performance and leadership effectiveness, ensuring a positive impact on educational outcomes in the region. Research highlights that a well-trained, valued, and well-compensated Early Childhood Development (ECD) workforce is essential for improving child and family outcomes. Despite recognition in the National Integrated Policy in ECD (NIECD) for the need for skilled practitioners, challenges persist. Recent audits reveal that many ECD practitioners are underqualified, with 22% lacking relevant qualifications.

Enhancing STEM Teacher Development

STEM education is vital for innovation and addressing global challenges. To ensure that STEM educators are well-prepared, Unisa is focused on improving STEM teacher development.

The partnership aims to:

  • Conduct a needs assessment to identify gaps in current STEM teacher programs.
  • Develop and implement the Programme in STEM Education.
  • Update STEM teacher curricula to align with current standards and integrate emerging trends and technology.
  • Offer ongoing professional development through workshops, seminars, and courses, in collaboration with industry and professional organizations.
  • Establish a mentorship program to support new educators and students in STEM fields.
  • Implement monitoring and evaluation to track progress and address challenges.

Development of African Indigenous Languages for the BEd Foundation Phase

The BEd Foundation Phase program, initially offered only in English, is being translated into South Africa’s eleven official languages to enhance accessibility and improve student outcomes. Unisa aims to transform Teacher Education by making this program available in students' home languages.

The project focuses on:

  • Providing resources for teaching in mother tongues.
  • Preserving indigenous languages and knowledge.
  • Developing digital resources in these languages.
  • Using expert translators to maintain language integrity.
  • Creating research opportunities through language translation.
  • Translating 30 modules into 10 languages, accommodating longer orthography.

The program will be available in Nguni (Zulu, Xhosa, Ndebele, Swati) and Sotho (Tswana, South Sotho, Pedi) languages, with Venda and Tsonga having distinct structures. This initiative supports learning in students’ mother tongues, with materials accessible via an open resources portal.

Accessibility and Inclusivity in Higher Education

Unisa is committed to ensuring accessibility and inclusivity for all students, especially those with disabilities. ARCSWiD is pivotal in providing support services like alternative study materials and managing computer labs. However, challenges such as limited access to assistive technologies and inadequate infrastructure impact effective support delivery.

To address these issues, ARCSWiD seeks to:

  • Upgrade computer labs with adaptive technologies, including keyboards, screen readers, and braille displays.
  • Provide diagnostic tools for assessing various disabilities, such as autism and learning disabilities.
  • Procure assistive devices for students with visual, hearing, physical, and intellectual disabilities.
  • Enhancing ARCSWiD's capacity and advancing research will empower individuals with disabilities and promote independent living.

Enhancing Pedagogical Leadership in Early Childhood Development (ECD) from Birth to Nine Years

This project provides ongoing training for Foundation Phase Heads of Departments (HoDs) and community ECD principals on pedagogical leadership and cultural models like lekgotla, with basic ICT skills for online facilitation. The goal is to improve early childhood education quality across South Africa by strengthening the support and supervision of ECD teachers.

Many HoDs and community ECD principals currently lack adequate ECD knowledge, leading to ineffective support and diminished educational quality. This project addresses the challenges of shifting ECD responsibilities to the Education Department and aligns with policy recommendations for ECD training and qualifications. By bridging knowledge gaps, the initiative aims to enhance teaching quality and improve learner outcomes in ECD programs.

Climate-Smart Agriculture Training in Carletonville

Agriculture is vital for South Africa's economy, contributing 2% to GDP and supporting livelihoods. However, climate change threatens this sector by affecting water availability, temperature, and soil fertility. UNISA’s Department of Agriculture and Animal Health offers Short Learning Programmes (SLPs) on sustainable practices and agri-business management to address these challenges.

Training for TVET Teachers:

  • Learning Objectives: Define and align teaching materials with intended outcomes.
  • Information Gathering: Collect accurate, current information from reliable sources.
  • Organization: Present information logically using visual aids for better understanding.
  • Hands-On Activities: Include field trips and experiments to enhance learning.
  • Interactive Training: Utilize diverse methods for practical, engaging sessions.
  • Technology Use: Incorporate multimedia and interactive resources.
  • Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL): RPL allows TVET teachers to gain credits based on existing knowledge and skills, facilitating formal qualification and improving employability and lifelong learning.

UNISA FOUNDATION

Where to find us

Tel: 012 441 5687

E-mail: ufound@unisa.ac.za

Unisa Main Campus (Muckleneuk)
Preller str, Muckleneuk Ridge, Pretoria
Kgorong Building, 2nd floor