From running programmes in special needs schools to reaching out to patients in hospitals, CPUT students have made their mark on local communities.

These initiatives will be showcased on Thursday at the Service Learning Mini conference and Project Exhibition, which will take place at the Bellville Campus.

Manager of the Service Learning Unit, Jacqueline Scheepers says this year all six faculties implemented new projects, which ran alongside existing ones.

“There has been an increase in projects with more academic staff opting for a creative way of changing the curriculum,” says Scheepers.

Through these projects, students are given an opportunity to make a positive impact on a community and experience learning outside of the classroom setting.

“These projects give students an opportunity to experience real-world challenges in the communities,” says Scheepers.

The event will not only celebrate the success of the projects but also recognise government departments and non-profit organisations that have collaborated on the various projects.

Lecturers, community representatives and members of industry will also have the opportunity to exchange ideas and debate various issues around Service Learning.

Outstanding projects and partnerships will also be honoured during a gala award ceremony.

By Candes Keating

Written by CPUT News
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With the third term in full swing, CPUT students are gearing up to participate in a number of new Service Learning Projects that will be rolled out during the next few weeks.

From running programmes in special needs schools to reaching out to patients in hospitals, CPUT students will be making their mark on local communities.

Manager of the Service Learning Unit, Jacqueline Scheepers says this semester all six faculties will implement new projects that will run alongside existing ones.

“There has been an increase in projects with more academic staff opting for a creative way of changing the curriculum,” says Scheepers.

Through these projects, students are given an opportunity to make a positive impact on a community and experience learning outside of the classroom setting.

“These projects give students an opportunity to experience real world challenges in the communities,” says Scheepers.

The projects have received buy-in from a number of government departments and non-profit organisations, who will collaborate with the unit, students and lecturers.

The projects are credit-bearing and in October students will have the opportunity to showcase their community activities at the Service Learning Conference that will be held at the CPUT Bellville campus.

By Candes Keating

Written by CPUT News
Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

The Service-Learning (SL) and Civic Engagement (CE) Units, Centre for Community Engagement and WIL participated in the SAB Ottery Wellness Day recently.

The Young Transformers and Question Marks Student Leadership Academy groups engaged with SAB Ottery staff members on various issues, including providing guidance in terms of careers and study skills. This project forms part of their outreach activities aligned to the Academy deliverables.

“Building effective partnerships is crucial for our University’s growth and broadens our social responsibility footprint aligned to our vision 2030 strategy. Wellness of the body, mind and soul should receive a new appreciation and understanding” said project lead, David Haarhoff.

Jacqueline Scheepers, Manager: Service-Learning and Civic Engagement Unit, added that engagement with society is aligned to CPUT’s Vision 2030 and the enhancing of the University’s quintuple partnerships. "The projects provide authentic and experiential learning experiences for students in interdisciplinary contexts,” said Scheepers.

Written by Aphiwe Boyce

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In an effort to promote sciences, technology, engineering, mathematics and innovation, the STEM Club offered students a platform to exhibit their best research projects to the CPUT community.

This year's category winners are Mzameli Mashiyi, who is developing an African language speech recognition AI (Technology) and Nomava Mgidi, who is addressing unemployment through fashion design (Social Science).

This was part of the annual STEM Expo Competition at SARETEC as part of the National Science Week, where students were given opportunities to upscale their research projects via the Technology Transfer Office (TTO) for possible commercialisation. During this year's Expo Competition, the STEM Club worked closely with the Community Engagement (CE) and Work Integrated Learning (WIL) units. The neighbouring high school learners were also invited to be part of the programme and to view the exhibitions. CE and WIL also conducted a workshop with the learners.

The guest speakers included Jacqueline Scheepers: Manager: Service-Learning and Civic Engagement Unit, Dr Xena Cupido: Fundani CHED director, Dr Mark Jacobs: Maths lecturer, Dr Gillian Arendse: Nuclear Physicist for iThemba Labs), and Ntokozo Mashaba: last year's winner. Dr Frikkie George, who is also CPUT STEM Support Lead, said the lively and animated talk of Dr Arendse “gapped the interest of the attendees”.

George, who also coordinated the event, said they witnessed fewer exhibitors this year but “the quality of the projects was impressive”.

However, the STEM Expo Competition was well attended. “We explore the possibility of accessing funding for the winners to up-scale their projects for commercialisation. This event showcases the CPUT STEM Club's members' research projects, and it may contribute to their academic performance.”

George, who is also the acting Head of Department: Fundani STARS Unit, continued: “This STEM Expo competition will advance the STEM awareness at CPUT and showcase students' research projects in the different departments.”

Written by Aphiwe Boyce

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