Workshops

We have a collective experience of almost 30 years of working with educators to help them develop inclusive, caring and engaging classrooms and schools where all children feel safe, yet challenged. Over this period of time we have worked with close to 10 000 educators in South Africa – across our provinces, our cities and rural areas - as well as teachers and school leaders in other countries.

Since 2016 we have facilitated FutureProoof Schools workshops on school transformation
in partnership with Facing History and Ourselves and Shikaya. 

ReflectActions for School Leaders

HAIR, IMPLICIT BIAS & HOW CULTURAL INTELLIGENCE CAN HEAL OUR SCHOOLS

 In October and November 2016 we arranged a day of reflection for school principals, management teams and governing bodies. This was arranged as a direct response to the protests around hair that spanned the nation from Pretoria to Cape Town. These protests (including those at tertiary institutions) called on all stakeholders invested in the learning journey of young people to reflect on the access to, and culture of, places of learning in South Africa.

These Reflection & Learning days were held in Durban, Pretoria, Johannesburg and Cape Town. More than 300 school leaders (representing over 100 schools) attended these workshops from across the country. They were ready to start a conversation that was long overdue. 

ReflectActions for Schools

IDENTITY, UNCONSCIOUS BIAS & BELONGING

In 2017 we facilitated eight ReflectActions for Schools. These days of reflection and learning helps the entire staff think about what it means to actively create schools where everyone feels they belong. The aim is to help schools see the current conversations around diversity in schools as potentially transformative moments in which truly inclusive and emotionally literate learning environments can be created. It is a day for staff to all have common conversation where differing views are spoken and heard.

During the process, staff reflect on Identity and Practice - who they are as teachers, leaders, administrators, support staff and what it means for their interactions with learners. They learn about the impact that Implicit or Unconscious Bias has on them as educators, how this plays out in their school and what they can do about it. Finally, staff explore how the school can better prepare all learners for a diverse world and what needs to be done to strengthen the process of transformation and the experience of belonging for all.

Transformation Conversations

FOR SCHOOL LEADERS

As a follow-up to the 2016 ReflectActions we invited school leaders to a morning of reflection and sharing on transformation and inclusion in schools. It was an opportunity for them to hear from young people who attended schools like theirs. They also heard from principals and teachers who have been grappling with what it means to ensure that all learners feel they belong in their schools. The morning introduced the school leaders to areas of focus and some places to begin.

We ran these Transformation Conversations in Durban, Johannesburg and Cape Town during November 2017. More than 350 participants attended representing approximately 120 schools, universities and education organisations.

ReflectActions have been facilitated for:

Western Cape   

• The Settlers High School
• Wynberg Girls’ High School
• Rustenberg Girls’ High School
• Herschel Girls’ School
• The Grove Primary
• Rondebosch Boys' Preparatory School

Gauteng   

• The Ridge Primary
• Dainfern College
• St John’s College
• Pretoria Boys’ High School

KwaZulu- Natal   

• Durban Girls’ College
• Glenmore Primary School
• Clarence Road Primary School

We would love to hear from you. Send us a message if you would like to learn more or share what you have been doing.