The Foundation has been involved in a number of education and skills development initiatives since 2002.
Science Outreach Programme:University of the Witwatersrand (2005-2008)
The Foundation together with the Wits Foundation and other sponsors entered into an agreement with the Cosmic Dust Laboratory at the University of theWitwatersrand. The sponsorship and agreement enabled the Cosmic Dust Laboratoryto implement an outreach programme for Gauteng and Free State high school students who were brought to campus for lectures and demonstrations illustrating the interesting universe of astronomy. The primary intention of the programmewas to stimulate a sustainable interest in science disciplines amongst the 11,640 learners who were exposed to the programme.
Student Bridging Programme: University of Kwa Zulu Natal (2005- 2008)
At the time of the Foundation’s collaboration with the University of Kwa Zulu Natal, the university was running a customised “Bridging Programme” for black Matriculants who had failed to satisfy the regular entry requirements especially in Science and Mathematics required for admission into the Science Faculty of the University of Kwa Zulu Natal. Following participation in this bridging programme students were able to enrol for engineering degrees with an enhanced capacity to complete their studies. A total of 23 engineering students benefited from this programme and an overwhelming majority completed their degrees in an academic programme, known for a high dropout rate.
Student Bridging Programme: University of Pretoria (2005 – 2008)
The University of Pretoria bridging programme was a foundation year post matric intervention. Selected students planning to pursue degrees in Medicine, Engineering, Science as well as Economic and Management Scienceswere given a demanding and structured year long exposure to the foundations of the disciplines they intended to pursue in their degree studies. A total of 68 University of Pretoria Foundation year students benefited from our support.
Youth Enterprise Society (2005-2008)
Between 2004 and 2008, the Tiso Foundation supported the YES programme. The YES programme organisesstudents in chosen schools to participate in the society via modular programmes that equip them with entrepreneurial skills, business function and basic concepts of enterprise initiation. This outcomes based extramural programme for grade 9 to 11 learners was implemented by the Education with Enterprise Trust. A large number of learnersacross nine provinces benefited from the YES programme.
The Eric Molobi Scholarship Programme (2007-2013)
One of the earliest offerings of the Foundation was a scholarship named after the late social and economic development proponent, political leader and businessman Eric Molobi. Managed and administered by the Kagiso Trust, scholarships are awarded to high academic achievers from rural and historically disadvantaged communities.The Foundation has to date supported 24 bursary recipients selected from 165 schools in five provinces and are part of Kagiso Trust’s Beyers Naude Schools Development Programme.
ACE Programme (Advanced Certificate in Education) – (2009)
Through the Advanced Certificate in Education Programme which the Foundation supported in 2009, the Universityof the Witwatersrand Faculty of Education provided training to teachers from 8 Tembisa township schools in Mathematics, Mathematics Literacy and Science. This Intervention had significant impact in improving the overall Mathematics and Science perfomance of students matriculating from the schools.
The Maths Centre for Professional Teachers (2010 – 2012)
In May 2010, the Foundation entered into a three year partnership with the Maths Centre for Professional Teachers. The Foundation awarded an amount of R1.5 million to the Math Centre’s learner and teacher development Programme,as part of the Tiso AEL Development Trust initiative. The Maths Centre is a national organisation whose primaryobject is to equip teachers, learners and parents with specialized and relevant learning material proven to develop highercompetency and perfomance in the areas of mathematics, science, technology and entrepreuneurship. The Maths Centre currently operates in 40 technical high schools, a 130 high schools and 20 early childhood development centres throughout the country.
SciMathUS: Stellenbosch University (2011)
In 2011, the Foundation entered into a partnership with Stellenbosch University to help fund the university’sSciMathUS programme. The Programme addresses the chronic national challenge of small numbers of blackstudents who enter our universities to pursue university studies in Mathematics, the Natural Sciences as well as Accountancy. The university’s structured 10 month Programme accommodates up to 100 students per year and is geared to enable students to gain appropriate entry into regular university studies in the faculties involved.During the course of the Foundation’s participation in the SciMathUS programme two Tiso Foundation study bursaries were awarded to two former SciMathUS participants to enable them to proceed with further studies in medicine and applied mathematics respectively.
Cambridge Global Leaders Programme
The Tiso Foundation’s continued commitment to the upliftment and development of South Africa’s youth, through education and skills development has led our the partnership with the University of Cambridge as part of its Global Leaders Scholarship Programme. The aim of this project is to award outstanding but disadvantaged black South Africans the opportunity to complete their Master’s degree at one of the world’s foremost universities.
The Tiso Foundation in collaboration with Canon Collins Educational and Legal Assistance Trust will provide funding for two students each year for five years to complete a Master’s degree at the University of Cambridge across a wide variety of subjects. The Global Leaders programme was designed specifically to empower deserving young men and women in vital countries who would go on directly to invest in their nation’s future.
The Global Leaders Programme is based at Clare Hall, Cambridge University’s most international college and aims to educate over 100 students across an initial six year period from the developing and ‘emerging’ world. Global Leaders is working with charitable, corporate and governmental institutions worldwide to help foster the empowerment of young men and women in vital territories with a particular emphasis on Africa and the Middle East. The University currently educates a very low number of students from these regions and the intention of Global Leaders is to change this state of affairs, for good. Global Leaders will work with educational and commercial institutions in-country to help create professional opportunities for students on their return to South Africa.