Forging partnerships between underprivileged and privileged schools, laying the foundation for future respect and minimising the development of uncoscious bias.
-33.91669617917, 18.6560594
OUTPUT
Christel House mobilises 350 children, 200 parents and 50 teachers from 5 schools to build social capital by discovering the worlds of the others.
OUTCOME
Through discovering the world of others, over 90% of learners said, they feel more confident and their relationship building skills improved in multicultural settings - key elements in building social capital.
HIGHLIGHT
In the SIMUNYE school exchange, ten children from each of the five schools visited each other's schools. By sharing lessons, lunch and play-time, they shared each other's environments, a life-altering experience.
I also learned how they are more the same as me instead of different.
Our Commitment
The Julius Baer Foundation and Christel House are joining forces to:
- forge solid partnerships with other schools, establishing meaningful regular exchanges between South African youth who attend privileged and underprivileged schools.
- allow participants to develop enduring, more equal relationships.
- develop diverse social, academic, and professional networks that can lead to more diverse workplaces, healthier communities, and a stronger economy.
- allow the students to develop skills, habits, and networks that they need to build a secure and healthy future.
Christel House South Africa is a non-profit school with a single mission: to break the cycle of poverty for Cape Town’s most vulnerable children through education that is:
- free
- character based
- career focused
- aimed to poverty mitigation
Its holistic approach to educating students from 20 of the city’s most marginalised communities includes:
- no-fee scholarships
- transport to and from school
- health care
- meals
- psychosocial counselling
- family assistance, and
- career advising
With a limit of 60 students per grade and 30 students per class, the school ensures a high-quality learning environment.
- 987 students are enrolled annually
- 3795 additional people, including students’ parents and other community members, benefit indirectly each year.
Christel House’s impact can be seen in the academic achievement of its students:
- 93% of matriculants go on to tertiary education or employment;
- 99% of matriculants graduate from Grade 12; and there has been a
- 400% improvement in educational achievement benchmarking results in Maths and English for students in Grades 3, 6, and 9, compared with schools that students would otherwise have attended.
English is the language of instruction at Christel House. Although most students are non-English speakers when they arrive, they achieve fluency through immersion and extra support. Teaching time in Languages and Maths exceeds Western Cape Education Department guidelines by 30%.
The Julius Baer Foundation supports Christel House in establishing exchange programmes with schools serving communities of privilege — one such example being a recent ‘Derby Day’:
- Children from four different schools in Cape Town — Rondebosch Boys' Preparatory School, Mzamomtsha Primary School, Die Duine Primary School, and Christel House — gathered for a pilot Derby Day.
- Its success demonstrated the need for future events that allow children to build friendships across the wealth devide.
- In a workshop facilitated by the Julius Baer Foundation, the four schools developed a mutual roadmap for collaboration.
From a dividing youth...
In unequal societies, children grow up within the separating social perception of "their world" and the "other world" to which they have no access and also lacking adequate education opportunities.
...to an empowering social network.
With personal connections between the two worlds and equal education opportunities, South Africa's young can build social networks that reduce disparities and can lead to more diverse workplaces, healthier communities and a stronger economy.
Become a Changemaker
Make an impact that lasts a lifetime — discover opportunities at Christel House to donate, volunteer, work, and learn.