Project Overview : ....( Pdf Description of Project )

Research has shown that learning is more effective when learners are actively involved in the learning process. Learners learn best when they construct something that they find personally meaningful. Herein lies the basis of the project.

Primary Schools - Grade R to 7 - [ 5 Schools a year for the next 5 years ] Numbers
◄ Schools are provided with a full range of LEGO Educational kits & support material
◄ Teachers receive initial & on-going training plus teacher guides & activity packs
◄ Learners ( Grade 4 to 7 ) receive workbooks
....Kits & Support material : ...Junior ....Intermediate

The curricular material and training is designed with the understanding that learners cannot simply be given knowledge; they must actively build their own theories and marry new information to their existing views. It is also based on the belief that children learn well through creative or constructive play.

Project Progress :

• In conjunction with the GPEDU we identified the first 5 schools in Atteridgeville for 2009.
  Bathogwa / Mmabafeng / Makgatho / JJ de Jong / Patogeng
  
• The LEGO kits were delivered on 22nd July 2009.
  PHOTOS
  
• Initial training was conducted at Lemoshanang Teacher Centre on 25th July 2009.
  GRADE R & 1.. ..GRADE 2 & 3...... GRADE 4 - 7
  
• 2 Vuleka schools were also chosen to pilot the project.
  St Marks...........St Martins
  
• Initial training was conducted at Vuleka on 3rd August 2009.
  PHOTOS
• 18th & 24th of Aug - Follow up sessions with all 5 township schools.
  Happy to report that the LEGO kits are being used in the classrooms at all 5 schools. Teachers and learners are all very motivated.
  PHOTOS
• On the 21st of September we did a presentation of the project to about 40 LEGO employees.
• Then on the 24th of September we were thrilled to be able to do the presentation to Kjeld Kristiansen. ( Owner of LEGO )
• 27th to 30th of Oct - Next round of Follow up sesssions. Bathokwa gave us some pictures of a Grade 7 class and we visited all the classes from Grade R to Grade 7 at Makgatho Primary School to see how the learners were doing. These pictures speak for themselves.
  PHOTOS
• Attended the end of year Prize Giving at Vuleka. These learners have done so well at technology this year. So many have now received full bursaries to study at Private Schools in 2010.
  2010

• In conjunction with the GPEDU we identified the next 5 schools in Atteridgeville for 2010.
  Bud-Mbelle / Mahlahle / Masizani / Makwaraneng / Motsweding
• The GPEDU also identified a farm school that has been producing some excellent results and included them in the project for 2010.
  Congratulations to Bathabile Primary School.
• The LEGO kits were delivered on the 15th of January 2010.
  PHOTOS
• Initial Training took place over 3 weeks this year.
  #1 - 19th January 2010 #2 - 26th January 2010
  #3 - 2nd February 2010
• Outstanding teachers from 2009 were asked to assist with the training in 2010 as "Master Trainers" Congratulations to you all !
• Bathabile had their own training sessions.
  #1 - 28th January 2010 #2 - 4th February 2010
  #3 - 11th February 2010 & 16th February 2010
• During the second week of February we had a visit from some colleagues from LEGO Education in Denmark. They came to learn about and assist with the project & training. During the week, we visited many of the old and new project schools and met with DoE. PHOTOS
• On Wednesday 17th of February, we ran a training session for the subject advisors - Department of Education - Tshwane South. PHOTOS
  Special thanks to Leon Faurie for all his input and assistance.
• On Thursday 25th and Friday the 26th of March we delivered 5 security cabinets to each of the 11 schools. These cabinets will allow the schools to safely keep the equipment in the classrooms.
• 29 April - Visited all the new schools - dropped off Dolls Family Sets and completed First Follow Up Session for 2010. Some of the schools have made amazing progress so far this year.
• 12 May - Held a mini LEGO stadium building competition at Bathabile Primary. Bo Jensen [a master builder from Denmark], Jason Datnow [ a South African builder ( see model ) ] and two representatives from the Gauteng Education Department assisted and acted as judges.
• 19 May - Classroom Visit - Mahlahle Primary School - lessons in grade 2, 1 and 7 classrooms.
• 25 May - Classroom Visit - Masizani Primary School - lessons in grade 2, 3, 1 and 5 classrooms.
• 27 May - Classroom Visit - Bud-Mbelle Primary School - grade 6 class on the netball court. May sound strange, but is a good idea !
• To celebrate hosting the Soccer World Cup, the LEGO Foundation ran a very exciting mini project : schools in Gauteng were invited to participate in a
  LEGO Soccer Stadium Building Competition.
• After the World Cup Soccer in South Africa, many schools were affected by industrial strike action by most of the teacher unions. We did a number of follow-up visits to teachers in their classrooms - but during this period, access was difficult and follow-up visits infrequent.
• In October, South Africa hosted the first Care for Education conference at Sun City. Here partners from around the world came together to discuss the various activites/projects taking place in their countries. It was an excellent opportunity to learn from and share with each other.
• It was also an opportunity to visit some of the schools in Atteridgeville.
• Southern Hemisphere conducted an Impact and Outcome Assessment of our project - fieldwork was done on the 25th to the 29th of October 2010.
  The research included :
  ◘ Classroom visits / Observation - Grade R to Grade 3
  ◘ Learner surveys - Grade 4 to Grade 7
  ◘ Teacher surveys - 10 teachers per school
  ◘ Interviews with - Principals / Parents / Education Department / HOT
  ◘ Teacher Focus Groups - between 5 and 8 teachers per school
• The final report will be released early in 2011 and a link posted on this site.
  ....... Research Report
  
• In conjunction with the GPEDU we identified the next 5 schools in Atteridgeville for 2011.
• Congratulations to the following schools who met at Lemosanang on the
  30 of November to discuss thier participation in the project :
  Esikhisini / Isaac More / N'wa Mhinga / Phuthaditshaba / Thoho ya Ndou
  2011

• 18 Jan - Visted the 5 new schools for 2011 - See Photos
• 1 Feb & 3 Feb - Initial Training - Week 1 at Lemosanang Teacher Centre
• The LEGO kits and cabinets were delivered on the 3rd of February 2011.
  PHOTOS ...................Video 1 .......Video 2.......Video 3
• 8 Feb & 10 Feb - Initial Training - Week 2 at Lemosanang Teacher Centre
• 15 Feb & 17 Feb - Initial Training - Week 3 at Lemosanang Teacher Centre
• Certificates were handed out to teachers who completed the training.
• Draft Report on Impact Study released : Southern Hemisphere Report
• Outstanding teachers from 2009 & 2010 were asked to assist with the training in 2011 as "Master Trainers" - Thank you so much for all your help!
• 16 to 19 Mar - A TV producer, Søren Johan and cameraman, Jes Hansen visited South African and some of the schools in Atteridgeville to film and produce some short documentaries about our project.
• While they were here, we also visited Ezibeleni school in Katlehong, to show how we are using some of the project lesson ideas with some of the LEGO Charity boxes we have been distributing on LEGO Care for Education's behalf to schools, pre-schools, day care centres and institutions throughout SA.
• 7 April - Visited classes at St Marks with Bente Molgaard from Hempel in Denmark [ Fantastic that other donors are keen to get involved ! ]
• 14 April - Brent Hutcheson was invited to do a presentation about the project for the 2011 LEGO Idea Conference in Denmark.
• 20 April - Project Visit by SA and overseas donor representatives - [ Dr Sheila Mokoboto-Zwane and Mr Christophe Voumard and family ] - visited 2 schools in Atteridgeville ( Makgatho & Bathokwa ) . Also had a meeting with the Department of Education in Pretoria.
• The lessons we saw at Makgatho were excellent and really showed the power of the project once the teachers get used to working with the LEGO.
  Congratulations to Jane, Clementine and their staff !
• 24 May - Classroom Visit - Makgwaraneng Primary School - lessons in grade R, 1 and 7 classrooms.
• 26 May - Classroom Visit - Motsweding Primary School - lessons in grade 6, R and 2 classrooms.
• Excellent news ! We have just been awarded a 6-school extension to our current project. Names of the 6 new schools will be posted here soon.
• 7 June - Classroom Visits - Phuthaditshaba & Thoho ya Ndou
• 8 June - Classroom Visits - Isaac More & Esikhisini
• 10 June - Classroom Visits - N'wa Mhinga
• New schools for Extension Project are :
  Cosmo City West / Dieplsloot # 4 / Sharonlea / Muzomuhle /
  Paradise Bend / Masakhane-Tsweleopele comb with Zandspruit
• These schools are from the Johannesburg North District
• 22 June - Met with the Department of Education and all the heads of the project extension schools to explain the project and the roll-out plans.
• 22 Aug - Follow-up Training - Isaac More
  [ Brain Gym Exercises - Numeracy & Literacy Lessons - Curricular Integration ]
• 31 Aug - The LEGO kits & security cabinets were delivered to all the new project extension schools.
  PHOTOS
• 6 Sept - Follow-up Training - Thoho-ya-Ndou
  [ Brain Gym Exercises - Numeracy & Literacy Lessons - Curricular Integration ]
• 7 Sept - Teacher Training Session 1 - Ext - Paradise Bend
• Some more great news ! Hempel have agreed to support the further development of one of our project schools - see Vuleka Schools. This is fantastic news and will make a huge diffrence in the lives of many children.
• 13 Sept - Teacher Training Session 1 - Ext - Cosmo City West
• 21 Sept - Teacher Training Session 1 - Ext - Muzomuhle
• 26 Sept - Teacher Training Session 1 - Ext - Diepsloot #4
• 28 Sept - Follow-up Training -Phuthaditshaba
  [ Brain Gym Exercises - Numeracy & Literacy Lessons - Curricular Integration ]
• 29 Sept - Project visit by Hempel - Esikhisini
• 7 Oct - Assisted NASA with a "build-your-future" LEGO building event for 400 learners in Cape Town.
  SABC News article
• 10 Oct - Teacher Training Session 1 - Ext - Sharonlea
• 11 Oct - A team from NASA including Dr Leland Melvin, Associate Administrator for Education and an astronaut, visited two of our project schools in Atteridgeville. Makgatho and Isaac More.
• The NASA team also visited Eduplex - an inclusive and unique parallel medium (English and Afrikaans) mainstream school, which caters for both normal hearing and a small number of deaf children. [www.eduplex.co.za]
  One of the initiatives the NASA team had heard about and wanted to see was their "Space Themed - Introduction to Robotics Club"
• We are hoping soon to be able to offer similar robotics classes for learners leaving our project schools - to assist them with maths and science during their high school years - to continue with them until they are in a position to study further at a tertiary institution.
• 19 Oct - We were asked to do a full presentation about our project to the Education Portfolio Committee of the Gauteng Provincial Legislature. Went really well - they were very impressed by what we are doing.
• 26 Oct - Teacher Training Session 1 - Ext - Masakhane-Tswelelopele
• 26 Oct - Teacher Training Session 1 - Ext - Zandspruit
• All the project extension schools have now had their initial training.
• Delivered all the carpets for grade R classrooms to the project ext schools.
• 1 Nov - Launched the Care for Education Facebook Page and NPO
• 8 Nov - Follow-up Training - Esikhisini
• 9 Nov - Follow-up Training - N'wa Mhinga
• 28 Nov - Met with the Departent of Education at Lemoshanang to discuss a "Robotics Intervention" to help learners at High School - aimed at girls and learners from our project who show initiative whilst at Primary School.
• In conjunction with the GPEDU we identified the next 5 schools in Atteridgeville for 2012.
• Congratulations to the following schools who met at Lemosanang on the
  28 of November to discuss their participation in the project :
  Banareng / Kgabo / Matseke / Seaparankwe / Walton Jameson
  
  2012

• The LEGO kits & security cabinets were delivered on Monday 30th January.
  PHOTOS
  
• Two of our schools, Makgatho & Esikhisini were visited by the Gauteng Provincial Legislature ( Education Committee ) and a number of Gauteng Education Department officials. The committee were interested to see how the project was being implemented, what was happening in the classrooms, and wanted to talk to the schools, heads, teachers & pupils.
• 9 Feb - Met all 16 schools from previous years at Lemoshanang to hand over their workbooks for 2012.
• 9 Feb - Introduced a new idea - gave each school a digital camera to assist us with recording of the project and to record the progress of the project.
  [ This will show us how the products are being used in the classrooms whilst we are not there and account for all the equipment at the schools ]
• 11 Feb - Initial Teacher Training 2012 - Lemoshanang (08H30 to 15H30 )
• 22 Feb - 2 Mar : Visited a school project in India ( Arcot Lutheran Church ) They have started a LEGO project based on our project in Atteridgville. Have plans to connect ( internet ) the schools in India with the schools in SA.
  Link to LEGO Foundation Newsletter article
• 1 Apr - appointed Evah Mabena ( a Teacher and Master Trainer from the project ) as a township based / teacher's centre project co-ordinator.
  It really is great to have Evah as part of the HOT team !
• 11 Apr - Teacher Training Session 2 - Ext - Sharonlea
• 11 & 12 April - Our project was visited by "Seniors without Borders" [ A Danish organization that supports projects working with children & adolecents either living with AIDS or needing Psycho Social Support ]. They brought a team of experts from Zambia, Uganda, Scotland, Zimbabwe and Denmark to explore ways to maximize the benefits of working/playing with the LEGO kits.
• 18 Apr - Teacher Training Session 2 - Ext - Masakhane
• We are busy establishing a "LEGO Teachers' Centre" at Esikhisini Primary School. We have converted a run-down classroom into a Science & Technology Centre and created an office at the centre. Evah Mabena will be based at this new venue. She will be available to train new teachers, assist teachers with CAPS integration, extra ideas and activities and help us with school visits.
• As an extension to our current project, we will also be using this new Centre as a robotics training venue. Students from Tswane University of Technology ( TUT ) will travel into the township to offer robotic classes in the afternoons during the week. Students from our project schools who show initiative and ability in Maths, Science & Technology will be invited to attend these classes. They will be expected to continue attending these classes whilst at High School. These students will also form teams to participate in WRO ( World Robot Olympiad )
• 19 Apr - The new CEO of the UBS Optimus Foundation, Phyllis Costanza visited two of our project schools in Atteridgeville [ Esikhisini & Isaac More ] Phyllis also met with the Department of Education to discuss the progress of the project, and possibilities for the future.
• 20 Apr - Teacher Training Session 2 - Ext - Muzomuhle
• 25 Apr - Teacher Training Session 2 - Ext - Paradise Bend
• 3 May - Teacher Training Session 2 - Ext - Diepsloot #4
• 7 May - Held a meeting for parents and learners, to inform them about the township robotics project. Only 40 learners ( 10 of the top from Esikhisini, Bathokwa, Thoyo ya Ndou and Masizani ) were chosen to start the pilot project. They will attend classes every Wednesday & Friday afternoons.
• 8 May - Teacher Training Session 2 - Ext - Zandspruit
• 9 May - Start of Township Robotics : 1st Group of students 10 from Bathokwa and 10 from Esikhisini started with robotics. They were assisted by Johan Benade and students from Tshwane University of Technology.
• 11 May - Start of Township Robotics : 2nd Group of students 10 from Masizani and 10 from Thoho-ya-Ndou started with robotics.
• 14 May - Two of our project schools were visited by a team from The LEGO Foundation ( Jette Orduna & Frederikke Tømmergaard )
• 15 May - The Foundation Team visited some of the institutions we work with, where we have used Charity Boxes. They also attended a session at Mother Touch Academy ( Pre-School ) in Diepsloot where we handed over Charity Boxes and completed the initial training for 6 teachers.
• 16 May - Follow-up Training - Seaparankwe
• 22 May - Follow-up Training - Banareng
• 24 May - Follow-up Training - Walton Jameson
• 24 May - Follow-up Training - Matseke
• 3 May - Teacher Training Session 2 - Ext - Cosmo City West
• June : Evah started with her visits to schools and with extra training for schools and new teachers. Evah's office at Esikhisini is now stocked with all the kits, so we now have our first LEGO Teacher's Centre in a township.
• At the end of the 2nd Term we started to collect pictures from schools who were given cameras at the start of the year. We'll display some of these pictures periodically in our gallery. School Camera Gallery - #1
  [ This is a great way for us to track/record the LEGO classroom activities ]
• 16 July - Evah attended a Grade R Cluster Meeting at St Annes - She assisted teachers with extra lessons for them to try in their classrooms.
• 21 July - 5 Teams from Atteridgeville competed in the regional WRO robotics competition at Tswane University of Technology.
• 28 July - 3 Teams made it through to the national finals of WRO.
• WRO 2012 : A township team, the Crazy Divas achieved 3rd place in SA at the World Robot Olympiad. We are all so proud of the team, their coaches, their teachers and their schools. An amaxzing achievemnet in such a short space of time.
• 31 July - Delivered carepts to Banareng ( for their new Technology Lab ) and spent the day putting up banners and fixing up the Technology Lab at Esikhisini.
• 6 Aug - Started filming for a TV program - Mother of All Professions. [ Mother of all Professions 3 shares inspiring stories, success stories of mentors, trainers, teachers and role models who are giving back to society. ] This is fantastic recognition for our project and the impact the donation of Charity Boxes from the LEGO Foundation has made.
• 7 Aug - Filmed at Esikhisini Primary School - did interviews with the head, teachers, learners, and students from TUT who run the robotics classes. To make this day even more special, it snowed ( yes, real snow in the township - a first for all the kids and most of the teachers ) while we were busy with the TV filming.

  Catch Mother of all Professions
  every Saturday on SABC 2 at 12h00pm-12h30pm
• 29 Aug - Visted 2 schools - Isaac More & Makgatho with a team ( Randa, Jens & Michael ) from The LEGO Foundation. They spent time chatting to the heads, the teachers and watching some lessons in the classrooms. The Foundation support the project by supplying all the LEGO equipment donated to the schools every year, and they were interested in seeing the progress of the project.
• 29 Aug - The LEGO Foundation team met with the Department of Education in Pretoria to discuss the progress of the project and new research that we'd like to conduct before the end of the project in 2013.
• They then travelled back into Atteridgeville to visit the Township Robotics Initiative. They attended one of the training sessions in the upgraded Science & Technology room at Esikhisini Primary School.
• 30 Aug - We took the team to Cosmo City. Here they visited on of the pre-schools that were donated Charity Boxes at the end of 2011. They chatted to the head, Linda, and watched some of the classes working with the LEGO manipulatives.
• Our next stop was Cosmo City West Primary School. Again they spent some time with the head, and visited a number of classrooms.
• At the end of August we again collected pictures from schools who were given cameras at the start of the year. The schools that gave us pictures this time are :Motsweding - Phuthadistshaba - Bud-Mbelle. Thank you teachers !
  School Camera Gallery - #2
• 4 Sept -Follow-up Training - Diepsloot #4 Primary School
• 12 Sept - Follow-up Training - Masakhane Primary School
• 13 Sept - Follow-up Training - Muzomuhle Primary School
• 17 Sept - Follow-up Training - Sharonlea Primary School
• 19 Sept - Follow-up Training - Banareng Primary School
• We were asked to do a presentation about our project to a group of teachers and heads from schools in the UK who were in South Africa as part of an exchange program. Also explained the township robotics initiative.
• 25 Sept - Follow-up Training - Seaparankwe Primary School
• 12 Oct - Follow-up Training - Zandspruit Primary School
• From the 15th to the 19th of October we had a visit by Oksana Roma - a colleague working for Care For Education in Ukraine. She visited some of our project schools, some of the institutions that received charity boxes and training and a few sites in South Africa.
• 16 Oct - Follow-up Training - Paradise Bend Primary School
• 17 Oct - Follow-up Training -Walton Jameson Primary School
• 17 Oct - Follow-up Training - Seaparankwe Primary School
• Towards the end of October our project was visited by Professor Hasina Ebrahim as part of an external evaluation. She spent some time observing lessons in the Foundation Phase at 4 schools. She also conducted focus groups with foundation phase teachers, heads of department, heads of schools, HOT staff and officials from the Department of Education.
• 7 - 11th Nov - So proud of our team ( 3 girls from Bathokwa - The Crazy Divas ) who represented South Africa at the World Robot Olympiad in Malaysia. Follow their amazing story here.
• There are only 2 government schools left in Atteridgevile who are not yet part of our project, and so in conjunction with the GPEDU we decided to invite 6 other local schools to motivate why they should be considered for the last 3 schools for 2013.
• 28 Nov - Did a presentation to all the schools interested in being a part of the project for 2013 at Lemosanang Teacher Centre.
• Congratulations to the following schools who have been selected for 2013.
  St Annes / Marematlou / Olievenhoutbos / Walter Sisulu / Philena

  2013
  
  
• 23 Jan - Visted 2 schools : Seaparankwe & Esikhisini with Ricus Jacometti from the Medicor Foundation. This foundation supported the 6 extension schools that were added to our project.
• 11 Feb - 550 Boxes had to be sorted and prepared for the 5 new schools
• The LEGO kits were delivered on Thursday 14th February. PHOTOS
• The security cabinets were delivered on Friday 15th February.
  
• 16 Feb - Initial Teacher Training 2013 - Lemoshanang (08H00 to 16H00 )
• 7 Mar - Visited 2 schools that have been identified as possible extra venues for Township Robotics 2013 - Isaac More and Banareng.
• 10 & 11th of April - Initial Teacher Training 2 - Added 2 extra training dates for Olievenhoutbosch schools - Grade R and 1
• 16 Apr - Start of Township Robotics 2013 : 10 learners from Seaparankwe and 10 from Marematlou started with robotics. These sessions are being run by students from Tshwane University of Technology. Group 1
• 16 & 17th of April - Initial Teacher Training 2 - Added 2 extra training dates for Olievenhoutbosch schools - Grades 2 to 3 and Grades 4 to 7
• 16 & 17th of April - Initial Teacher Training 2 - Added 2 extra training dates for Olievenhoutbosch schools - Grades 4 to 7
• 17 Apr - Start of Township Robotics 2013 : 10 studentsfrom Esikhisini and 10 from Bathokwa started with robotics @ Esikhisini. Group 2
• 18 Apr - Start of Township Robotics 2013 : 10 student from Banareng and 10 from Makgwaraneng started with robotics @ Banareng. Group 3
• 19 Apr - Another 3 groups started robotics for the first time :
  - 10 from Patogeng and 10 from Motsweding @ Banareng Group 4
  - 10 from Isaac More and 10 from Matseke started @ Isaac More Group 5
  - 10 from Thoyo Ya Ndou and 10 from Masizani @ Esikhisini Group 6
• Our project now has 160 learners a week doing "Township Robotics" at 3 centres throughout Atteridgeville.
• 25 Apr - Steen Lund from LEGO Education in Denmark spent the day in Atteridgeville visiting a number of classes at four of our project schools.
  ( St Annes, Motsweding, Esikhisini & Banareng ) He also visited some of the new Township Robotic centres.
• 8 May - Official Opening of Township Robotic Centres in Atteridgeville - Esikhisini Primary School hosted an amazing event - guests included Michael Renvillard ( LEGO Foundation ), Ms H Kekane ( Director: Distric Tswane South Education Dept. ), other Dept. of Education officials, heads from a number of the project schools and community representatives. Used the occasion to show the DVD about the Crazy Divas' trip to Malaysia for the 2012 WRO.