UKZN’s Teaching and Learning Office Partners with ELET

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In line with Goal 4 of the UKZN Strategic Plan 2023-2032, (high-impact societal and stakeholder community engagement), the UKZN Teaching and Learning Office (UTLO) participates in various community engagement activities.

One of its community engagement strategies is to partner with Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) that support and empower the youth and disadvantaged community members in teaching, learning, and social development. In 2022 UTLO adopted the Environment and Language Education Trust (ELET) as its development partner. 

Established in 1986, ELET has a strong track record of impacting development and transformation through Accredited Skills Training, Environmental, Teacher and Learner Empowerment and Employment Creation Programmes, emphasising marginalised and vulnerable Women and Youth. Their programmes focus on Learner Support, Teacher Development, Early Childhood Development Learnership programmes, Literacy and Environmental Education and Rehabilitation. 

In honouring the partnership, the UTLO staff visited ELET at their Durban offices in May. The visit provided a platform for both UTLO and ELET to explore further means of support for the important work ELET does in the field of education and training, including within the Early Childhood Development (ECD) sector. 

The event began with a captivating presentation by ELET, which provided an overview of their high-impact projects within the ECD sector, focusing on disadvantaged communities. This presentation shed light on their innovative approaches to early childhood education and highlighted their positive impact on these communities. UTLO staff were also introduced to some of the challenges faced by ELET, particularly concerning digital transformation. 

UTLO staff-initiated discussions on the importance of developing strategies and plans to integrate technology into ELET's programmes to improve data management to enhance the overall efficiency of their teaching and learning approaches. 

The engagement aimed to foster a collaborative relationship between UTLO and ELET, to ensure sustainable support for their teaching and learning projects. This also highlighted the potential for collaboration between academic institutions and NGOs to drive positive societal change. 

In supporting its digital transformation agenda, UTLO donated refurbished equipment to the ELET teaching and learning team. By combining resources, knowledge, and expertise, UKZN and ELET are forging a path towards brighter educational futures, especially within disadvantaged communities. 

Words: Mukondeleli Comfort Mulaudzi 

Photograph: Supplied