MOSSEL BAY NEWS - Imagine a partnership, developing leaders who radiate positive energy, sending ripples of hope and change throughout South Africa, changing the country's trajectory.
This is the idea that captivated those who attended an information session in Mossel Bay, hosted by Education and leadership NGO, Symphonia for South Africa.
During the session on Tuesday, 5 March, the discussion focused on how business leadership in the area can contribute meaningfully to education in South Africa through Symphonia's Partners for Possibility (PfP) programme.
The programme launched in 2010 and is an internationally recognised, award-winning leadership development initiative. In a nutshell, it partners with business leaders with principals from under-resourced schools in a year-long collaborative and practical leadership journey, and offers business leaders a hands-on experience within an educational environment that is fraught with complex challenges.
Expanding footprint
"Since its inception in 2010, PfP has grown exponentially, with its reach extending to major metropolitan cities and even remote areas in all nine of South Africa's provinces," regional manager for the Western Cape and facilitator at the information session, Selwyn Page, said.
Page reiterated that this is a partnership and not a mentorship programme, seeking to expand its footprint in the Western Cape. The PfP initiative has grown in stature and the work done has been endorsed by some of the country's most influential leaders including Professor Thuli Madonsela.
"We believe that by launching a group of new business-education partnerships in the greater Mossel Bay for the first time, principals from schools in this area would derive great benefit that will ultimately ripple out to the learners. Of course, the business leaders who join the programme stand to reap many benefits too."
Cutting edge theories
The PfP programme, in line with the ideals of Conscious Capitalism, focuses on a purpose beyond pure profits.
It is designed to develop leaders who engage, inspire and energise and who collaborate effectively for the benefit of their organisations and communities.
Based on the increasingly popular 70:20:10 model, the programme recognises that optimal adult learning occurs in the context of real work and real challenges.
PfP is a Field Immersion Experience for Leadership Developoment (FIELD) process. This was conceptualised by the Harvard Business School to bridge the gap between knowing and doing.
Participants will undergo a one-year transformational leadership development process, which constitutes a carefully designed, structured and facilitated journey of learning, as an enabler for longer-term sustainable change.
In numbers
The key impact metrics of PfP are as follows: more than a 1 000 principals and business leaders have partnered; more than 23 550 teachers benefited; more than 366 800 families and 753 600 learners were impacted.
"We plan to launch 280 partnerships in 2019 with the goal being 2000 partnerships by 2022. We believe this cross-sectorial partnership to be unique to South Africa," said Page.
The programme is set to launch in Mossel Bay in June. Schools and businesses interested in participating can contact Dorcas Dube (dorcas@symphonia.net or 076 766 2326) for more information and referrals.
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