Charity

As a participant on the Camp South Africa programme, you play a crucial part in the development of the children who attend the schools we visit within the Port Elizabeth area, but did you know that, in effect, you actually become a sports scout?

Read below for more information on the Junior School of Excellence (Siyakhula) programme offered in partnership with the charity we support, United Through Sport.

Summary

The Junior School of Excellence (JSE) Programme is based at Isaac Booi in Zwide, and relies on the recommendation of both Camp South Africa volunteers and school staff to select children from within the wider community to invite them to attend an after-school activity programme to further their sporting or academic ability.

How does it work?

Most of the children are selected from within our established Mass Participation Program (MPP), which is what you as a Camp South Africa participant will be helping to facilitate at schools during your time at Camp.

Children for the Junior School of Excellence Program are initially identified for their sporting ability and dedication to the MP program. Their school reports, attendance and academic ability are reviewed to assess their work ethic and home visits are conducted to measure parental / guardian support for the programme and to gauge an understanding of the financial situation of the family. The main criteria, however, to determine participation is the child’s determination to succeed and commitment and desire to take part in such an opportunity.

From this process, an initial number of children are selected to partake in the program, all of whom are within their final year of primary school (grade 7).

The Programme

Once in the programme, the children are expected to attend daily after school activities which continue to nurture their sporting ability as well as develop them further by providing extra life skills sessions, personal mentoring and academic support.

The sports teams from the Junior School of Excellence compete at the highest level with many of the top well resourced schools in the area and the country and for many of our children this is their first taste of top level competition against children from various cultural backgrounds and for many marks the beginning for them broadening their horizons to the possibilities and opportunities for them in the new South Africa.

During their year at the Junior School of Excellence the children have the opportunity of being coached by top provincial sports coaches, compete against top opposition, be mentored and nurtured by high level academic support and interact with various role models from South Africa and internationally, which all contribute to an all-round personal development experience.

The Goal

Importantly, over the year that the children are within the program, they are developed holistically yet with a specific focus on their sporting ability. Once graduated from the program, as many children as possible are placed at former model c schools for their high school career (from grade 8 to 12) as part of the Senior School of Excellence Programme.

The schools provide the scholarships based on their desire for talented sports players. The extra mentoring, life skills and academic support from the program allows the children to adapt smoothly and contentedly from township primary school to their new top level high school.

Once at high school, United Through Sport South Africa continues to support the children with individual needs such as food, transport and extra tuition as well as schooling fees and uniform.

These children are expected to ‘give back’ to the community by assisting in United Through Sport holiday programs during school holidays.