2016 has been our best year yet! Read on to learn about our students’ accomplishments and discover the impact our donors have made on our community. Thank you to all who have helped us foster an incredible environment for enthusiastic young leaders in rural South Africa!
Discover Our Impact
Imagine Scholar’s student-driven culture and focus on passion has always led us to do things a little differently. Thanks to an energized student body and a phenomenal family of supporters all around the world, our program reached new heights this year!
We hope that you will join us in 2017 to catalyze our mission to inspire a life-long love of learning.
Student Achievements
Our students have found great success in their personal and academic pursuits this year! Some highlights include:
- 3 students attended the South African National Junior Chess Championships
- 5 students attended the Yale Young Global Scholar’s program in Singapore and the United States
- Our Electric Vehicle team won the Mpumalanga Electric Vehicle competition
- On average, each student in our program read 20 books this year
- 100% of all students passed their matric exams
Alumni Achievements
Imagine Scholar alumni continue to excel in their respective endeavors! Here are some of their impressive achievements:
- 100% university pass rate
- 65% of all graduates are on a full university scholarship
- 90% of all graduates are currently enrolled in post-secondary academic programs
- 100% of graduates remain in close contact with Imagine Scholar
- 100% of graduates have committed to financially supporting a student in our program in the future
Our alumni are currently pursuing exciting educational opportunities in Cuba, Mauritius, Armenia, and South Africa!
- Mandisa is studying at the African Leadership Academy in Johannesburg, South Africa
- Jabulani is studying at the African Leadership University in Mauritius
- Rodger is studying at the United World College Dilijan in Armenia
- Victoria is completing her medical degree in Havana, Cuba
Community Action Projects
Our students are at the helm of community development. This year, they designed and implemented numerous community action projects:
Reading Room
In order to improve child literacy rates and foster a love of reading, the Scholars meet with local primary school students every week to read and act out stories!Trash pick-up
The Scholars ran 2 trash pick-ups in our community this year!Recycling projects
Chawe encouraged other students to collect recyclable material, which he then “upcycled” into artistic sculptures! Andile also spent time with primary school students to turn discarded materials into art.Hospital volunteering
Many of our students volunteered at the local Tonga Hospital this year. Queen, a Graduate Facilitator, dedicated her one day off a week to do so.Big Buddy Days
This year, our students ran 9 Big Buddy Days to inspire younger students in our community to love learning!Chess classes & tournaments
Imagine Scholar’s Chess Team launched weekly chess classes for youths in our community, along with tournaments where they could test their skills!Gardening project
NomT (Grade 12) raised funds in our community to plant an organic garden at a local home for the elderly.Grade 8 programs
The Scholars ran 3 programs to help over 100 Grade 8 students build personal and professional skills.Sewing project
Our Fashion Club has started sewing and selling their own creations, as well as training members of our community to sew!Computer Science Workshop
Simphiwe, an Imagine Scholar graduate, ran a multi-part computer science workshop in his community over his university holiday.Youth resource website
Phila (grade 9) and Zinhle (Grade 10) created a website for local youths to highlight extraordinary opportunities and competitions available to them. The site also provides knowledge about internet cafes, libraries, bursaries and how to apply to university.Volunteering at an orphanage
Over the holiday, 8 Scholars dedicated their time to volunteering at a local orphanage to mentor the youths and help the staff cook, clean, and maintain the building!
“Imagine Scholar gave me the confidence to do something different. After they helped me identify my passion, I was able to envision how I could change my community, even though no one had started a sewing training project before.” – Nomcebo (Class of 2019)