SERVICE LEARNING PROJECTS
Eat Pray Love
This is a service project that is aimed at the children’s skills and social development. The service group work with children between the ages of 8 – 10, in small learning groups. Students are taught skills for their tutoring, how to work with younger children and to understand their approach in community development.
Community Needs
- Safe Learning Environment
- Learning through creativity
- English Language skills
Project Needs
- Stationary
- Color pencils
- Paint /Stencils
Simunye Music
This is a music service project, where kids get to learn and perform different aspects of music. Students are able to experience music and perform in front of their peers. Recycled materials are used in creating musical instruments with available resources. The ages of the participants with our partner Afrika Tikkun are between 10-12-year-old, and we do a variety of activities and other fun games.
Community Needs
- Creative Learning Environment
- Explore learning through music
Project Needs
- Musical Instruments
- Recycled Material
Drama Connect
Drama Connect, is established to find creative ways in which social issues are explored. The project has a cooperative approach in which planning, implementation and reflection happens in a collaborative effort. The project activities are guided by Theatre of the Oppressed principles, Augusto Boal’s exercises for actors and non-actors – culminating in an improv performance.
Community Needs
- Understanding about various acting skills and techniques. How to use theatre to explore social issues
Project Needs
- Live performance as a collaborative group
Afrika Tikkun Dance
This service activity focusses on movement and engages students through dance. Students collaborate with the students at Afrika Tikkun by creating choreography and performances for the local community.
Thokozani Pre-School
Thokozani, meaning CELEBRATION in Zulu, is a place of joy & safety for these children – they are nurtured with food & love as well as being educated and prepared for secondary school. Students interact with a variety of activities through various service projects.
Community Needs
- Safe Learning Environment
- Learning through creativity
- English Language skills
Project Needs
- Stationary,
- Color pencils,
- Paints, Paper,
- Toys,
- Books,
- Lego,
- Sporting Equipment
Human Rights Advocacy
Students advocate to bring about awareness around many Human rights social issues such as: Xenophobia, Gender Based Violence, and Human Trafficking. Students use social media, creativity, and technology to generate awareness and advocate for those without a voice. Various modes of communication and service learning skills such as action research are used.
SPCA
The Midrand SPCA (Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals) are committed to helping animals in need, and being a voice for those who do not have one. They provide the core “freedoms” to all animals in their care. AISJ students volunteer their services by socializing the animals by walking and playing with them, cleaning out kennels and catteries and assisting where needed, e.g repairing fences and kennels and / or garden to remove unwanted weeds.
Project Needs
- Printing- posters/advertising awareness
- Finances to purchase new leads/toys
Community Needs
- Carers for the animals at SPCA with: socializing, training, cleaning, and gardening.
Shumbashaba
Shumbashaba Horses Helping People is a community organization that believes in the healing power of horses. They offer comprehensive equine assisted therapy programs where horses are used to facilitate growth, learning and healing for people. Students are engaged in horse care, cleaning the stables and the riding equipment, and gardening.
Friends of the Free Wildlife
Free Me is a Wildlife Rehabilitation Centre that rescues wild animals that have either been hurt, disorientated or confiscated (due to illegal trade). Rescued animals receive the appropriate treatment and then are released back into their natural habitats. Human contact is kept to a minimum and only the trained staff are allowed access to the animals. Our role is to help with the maintenance of the centre, such as cleaning, repairing and painting the cages. Our students are also exposed to the process of how to release the animals back into the wild.
Garden Squad
Our community gardening service activity is on campus, as well as in ES and Pretoria campus. Our aim is to grow sustainable gardens to provide produce to share with our community. If you like to make a difference in our environment, through getting your hands dirty; composting, planting, and helping others, this service activity is for you!
Reforestation Project
The reforestation project is aimed at teaching environmental sustainability and does direct action by growing indigenous trees in association with Food and Trees for Africa organization, ready for Arbor month in September.
Community Needs
- Understanding about the growing and caring for the environment for sustainability.
- Growing trees and vegetable produce for the local community.
Project Needs
- Funding to purchase bags/ seeds/seedlings
- Garden tools/compost/bark/water
- Garden/tunnel to grow trees and vegetables
Soccer Unity, Funky Cup; Limpopo Soccer Tournament
Hosted at Maphutha High school in Indermark, Limpopo. The objective to encourage the youth from rural and informal settlements, to use sports as alternative to alcohol and drug abuse. Limpopo participants/players must be registered students and must attend workshops that are offered at the tournament. During their time in Limpopo, AISJ students are involved in service projects with community members in need.
Project Dignity
The aim of this project is to educate teenagers in our local community about sexual health; in particular pregnancy, menstruation and HIV. Our Diploma Biologists will be running workshops, handing out information and raising funds. All with the aim of improving personal and sexual health for young adults in Diepsloot
Community Needs
- Knowledge and understanding about sexual health, menstruation, and reproduction
Project Needs
- Funding to purchase SUB Z Pads
- Teaching tools and materials
Red Cross
SARCS is an organization which is focused on addressing the numerous aspects of healthcare and disaster management within South Africa. SARCS offers a Youth Volunteer Program that provides students with the opportunity to make a positive impact in the South African community as well as to express their interest in healthcare and its counterparts. It also stimulates personal growth by allowing students to undertake new challenges and develop new skills.
Community Needs
- Knowledge and understanding about health and wellbeing.
Project Needs
- Commitment and dedication from all project members
- Commitment, organisation and communication from all project executives and project leaders
Philile Pre-School
Philile is a nonprofit organization aimed at transforming the lives of children and disadvantaged communities in South Africa. Our main focus is on early childhood development, and to work towards Philile’s Mission to uplift disadvantaged communities through early childhood development. We help by providing these children with programs that are aimed at the physical, cognitive, and social development of children.
Building Hope
This is a student-led service group and approaches service by collaborating with other AISJ service projects. The projects response to our service partner needs by building equipment for example, tables, desk, etc.
Community Needs
- Products to suit service partner needs. Example: bottle holder for Simunye music service activity.
Project Needs
- Building Materials and Equipment.
- Funding to purchase building materials.
Gift of the Givers
Gift of the Givers who are a reputable, long serving organization that not only responds to disaster situations but has more than 20 active programs locally. They partner with the UN, Doctors without Borders and the South Africa Government just to name a few. Some activities and projects are short-term (crisis, disaster, etc) and many are long-term needs (food distribution, pads, education, etc). AISJ supports their efforts with the collection and sorting of clothing/food/water/essentials, fundraising, crisis response, advocacy and awareness campaigns, etc.
Community Needs
- Crisis management and emergency response in addition to maintain 20+ ongoing programs and initiatives
Project Needs
- Clothing, shoes, bedding, baby goods, food supplies, water and water storage containers
- Funding to buy goods that might not be donated.
Afrika Tikkun Tech – HS- AFRIKA TIKKUN
Empowerment Thru Technology-Herschel, Charlotte, Nadra and Mr Mahadevan-Thursday after school Aim – To tackle the main issue for this gender gap seen in the IT field. To get young girls, boys, men and women to work with technology. The aim is to get the members to grasp basic to advanced concepts involved in using computers
Project Needs
Students who can tutor a variety of tech programs
Community Needs
Tutoring in a variety of technology programs to a variety of age groups
Afrika Tikkun Science/Math
Project Needs
Community Needs
Bring the Fire
Project Needs
Community Needs