Venue: Wits Learning Management System-Ulwazi

Frequency: The Programme takes place during the March/April and September/October school breaks, annually.

Duration: Learners participate in synchronous sessions during both school breaks.

Participation

• N.B. If you would like to be involved, but your school is not a Targeting Talent feeder school please contact Linah Sesheba at linah.sesheba@wits.ac.za 
• or Dr Zena Richards at zena.richards@wits.ac.za for more information.

The following are provided to participants:

• Devices and Data

Activities

During the MSSC sessions, the learners take part in a number of psycho-social educational activities. The purpose behind these activities is in line with the TTP’s aim to impact the learners’ lives from a psychological and social perspective, in addition to the academic supplementation offered by the session. In this way, the learners are impacted in a holistic manner.

Activities hosted in 2022 include (but are not limited to) the following:

• Alumni Career Talk
• Life of a teenager
• Entrepreneurial Workshops
• Bursary presentations
• University entrance workshops
• Career guidance workshops
• Motivational talks

Learners indicated that the session offered them productive instructional strategies that support motivation, competence, and self-directed learning. Learners expressed that the session provided them with well-designed collaborative learning opportunities that encouraged them to question, explain, and elaborate their thoughts and co-construct solutions.

The learners also shared that the session assisted them in improving their marks or develop strategies on how to improve their marks in the coming months. Learners further highlighted advantages of the sessions which included exposure to new content and additional learning materials such as lecturer notes.

Please see supporting quotes below:

• It provided clarity and additional notes on some topics e.g. Newtons Laws of Motion.
• I learnt new and easy methods to solving mathematics and science problems.
• I was able to understand topic that I did not understand in class, I was able to see beyond the questions, and I was able to improve my understanding of certain topic.
• It helped me to understand some concepts that I did not understand at school and mentally prepared me for the second term.
• I got to revise on topics I didn't fully understand from last term, and I fixed my mistakes. It also introduced me to new topics that I will be familiar with in the new term at school.

The learners were asked to elaborate on how they would apply their knowledge to their other school subjects. They shared that they will approach their studies with positive mindset. In the above section learners mentioned that TTP lecturer’s teaching styles support self-regulation and strategic learning hence they indicated that they will give themselves time to revise and practice their schoolwork in order to consistently improve their knowledge in all subject areas. Motivation and improved self-efficacy were mentioned by learners expressing confidence that their marks would improve. Learners responded that they would share their knowledge with others, allowing the TTP to have a wider impact within the school.

See supporting quotes below:

• I will apply the new tricks I learnt to my own and use them to solve the problems that I may face in my school's subjects
• I will approach my subject with a positive mindset and use all the tips that I’ve obtained from these sessions to study.
• I will be able to have different methods to tackle other subjects I will also assist others with the knowledge I have gained.

Psychological Impact

The learners shared that the session provided them with the necessary strategies to improve their self-esteem and self-confidence.

See supporting quotes below.

• I would say this sessions made me feel better about myself and boosted my confidence. It has also brought me happiness
• It boosted my confidence & helped me manage my time. It helped by motivating me to work harder.
• It gave me a different scenery, away from my chaotic life. It gave me a sense of peace.
• The sessions have helped me getter a better grasp on my mental health

Social impact

Lastly, learners reflected on the social impact the session had on them. Learners expressed that the sessions provided them with supportive conditions that fostered strong relations. This includes creating relations with learner from different provinces and learning from their experiences. Majority of the learners shared that the session assisted them in improving their communication skills, - especially using an online medium. Learners also expressed that the session provided them with a unique opportunity to socialize with others.

See supporting quotes below:

• It helped me communicate better with people because now I see that I should allow others to express themselves and not interrupt because I just might learn something.
• My social skills have improved and I'm able to interact with people from different places. And I am able to understand people better now as I'm exposed to many different people from different backgrounds.
• I met a lot of people made some friends. I learnt how to socialise with different people of different languages I also learnt the basics of some languages
• I was able to socialize with different people, and also different lectures/mentors from different cultures, provinces and religions.
• I met new people in a short period of time, which is something I'm not used to. I got to communicate a lot with many people which took me out of my comfort zone.
• I was able to interact with different people with different views and opinions.