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Programmes
Courses Frequency and Duration Two Main Approaches to Impacting Students
Life Skills – Focusing on “changing the world within”, and mostly run in communities where people live, study or work
Leadership Skills – Focusing on “changing the world around us”, and mostly run at World Changers leadership centre in Shongweni, on the eastern outskirts of Durban
Note: Both courses have element of each form of “change”, but life skills focuses on internal change, while the leadership course focuses on change externally.
· Unemployed – Mostly youth between 18-35 years old, but some includes some older and some younger people · High School Students · Employees – Particularly targeting the lower level employees, but also including employees at all other levels of the organisation · Organisational Leaders – Of churches, businesses, schools, etc.
In the future, World Changers would also like to reach: · University Students · Prisoners
Courses Frequency and Duration
While Region 1 leadership students are involved in running life skills courses, Region 2 starts a leadership course. While Region 2 leadership students are involved in running life skills courses, Region 1 starts another leadership course. And the cycle continues…
Two Main Approaches to Impacting Students
Education – Giving people skills and knowledge on various topics. (People who have certain skills and knowledge pass these on to students, who generally don’t have them.)
Impartation – Passing on one’s passion, values, heart and attitudes to others. (This goes beyond just learning a skill or gaining knowledge, but involves “catching” the heart of what the facilitator / speaker shares)
· Vision/Goal Setting/Life Purpose · Healing of the Past (Forgiveness, Reconciliation, Confession) · Relationships and People Skills (Conflict Resolution, Teamwork, Sexual behaviour, Romantic Relationships, Understanding People) · Communication Skills (Public Speaking, Interpersonal Communication) · Leadership Skills (Decision Making, Initiative, Leadership Styles, Team building, Accountability, Mentoring) · Self-Esteem (Understanding weaknesses and strengths, Motivation) · World View (Understanding belief systems) · Personal Growth (Self-Leadership, Spiritual Growth, Family Issues, Character Building) · Volunteerism and Active Citizenship · HIV/AIDS – Prevention, treatment, care for the affected · Job Preparation Skills and Finances (Prioritising, Budgeting) · Opportunity Awareness (jobs, learnerships, tertiary study, volunteering)
More than 95% of students trained were Zulu, from the townships and rural communities in the target areas. Over 90% of the unemployed trained were between 18-35yrs.
World Changers is provisionally accredited with the Services SETA, according to the South African Qualifications Authority (SAQA) framework. WCA also has course materials (facilitators and participants manuals) for the courses, as noted below.
Note: NQF levels and Credits in
italics are assumed, but not confirmed. Also, all other courses not listed
above are not likely to become accredited, as they are too short.
Unemployed students of life skills and leadership programmes 1. A 12 session programme for 2 hours run on weekday over 12 week period in each area where life skills courses are run. The programme includes further life skills teachings, motivational talks, testimonies from former successful students, talks from opportunity providers, information sharing about opportunities available and, most importantly, ongoing guidance and support to help participants to be productive with their time, thus improving their chances of getting further opportunities. This course targets those students who finished the recent life skills course, although students from prior courses are welcome to attend. 2. Monthly sessions covering much of the same as above, but held during time that people who are working or studying can attend (e.g. weekends). This is an ongoing meeting for all former students of life skills in every area where World Changers has run courses in the past. 3. Special events. On a quarterly, semesterly or yearly basis, special programmes are run to bring together students from various areas. Smaller events are run in the local region, covering several different areas where life skills have been run, and larger events are located in more central venues and include activities such as career fairs.
High School Students 1. As the high schools team does ongoing work into the schools, they are able to keep in touch with students throughout their tenure in these schools. Also, since the life skills programme lasts for one year, this gives the facilitators a long period of time to work with the students. 2. The facilitators also meet with students on a one-on-one basis outside of class time. 3. Of all the students that attend life skills, several are chosen to be a part of leadership programmes, which involves further input into those particular students lives. 4. When students finish high school, they are encouraged to participate in the monthly follow-up meetings that are run for the unemployed.
Employees 1. This involves monthly meetings in the places of work after the life skills programme has finished, involving much of the same content as the monthly meetings for the unemployed. Employees are also encouraged to attend the monthly follow-up meetings held for the unemployed life skills students.
Student Placement 1. WCA has staff who put significant energy in seeking opportunities for students (work, study, volunteer, business creation, etc.). 2. WCA shares these opportunities with the relevant students directly, through the area coordinators and through follow-up meetings. 3. WCA encourages students to actively volunteer and pursue self-study (e.g. read books, be mentored by others), and to record what they are doing and studying. This information is attached with their resumes and WCA motivates to companies that it has students that may be fairly unskilled and inexperienced, but that they have tremendous initiative and commitment, as evidenced by what they have been doing with their lives with severely limited resources. 4. WCA monitors the progress of these students in the various companies in which they are placed.
Research Project It is part of WCA’s plan to run an exhaustive research project to assess the impact of students in various programmes over an extended period of time. The concept is for this research project to be undertaken in at least one area, but ideally 3 different areas. This type of research initiative should ultimately be held in every community where WCA runs programmes every three years.
Computer Training WCA ran computer training in the first two areas where it ran life skills. These courses are still carrying on in the place where WCA was founded, KwaNyuswa, for life skills students there. WCA would like to partner with organisations that can provide computer training for its unemployed life skills students for free or at a low cost..
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