MySchool announces first Dream2Teach scholarship recipients

Launched last year, MySchool MyVillage MyPlanet’s Dream2Teach Scholarship Fund, has now awarded its first scholarships to Ronel Tsoute from Luckhoff in the Free State and Timone Daniel from Vredendal in the Western Cape.  Thanks to the fund’s MySchool supporters swiping their cards when they shop at participating retailers, these two aspirant teachers will begin a journey in high quality tertiary education that will make their dreams of teaching come true.

The Dream2Teach Scholarship Fund has partnered with Make A Difference Leadership Foundation to comprehensively support Timone and Ronel throughout the four intensive years of study ahead of them. “We congratulate these first Dream2Teach scholars and welcome them into our Scholarship Programme,” says Francois Pienaar, Make A Difference Leadership Foundation Founding Chairman, “We are impressed with their potential to not only qualify as the outstanding teachers South Africa is in need of, but to become future leaders in their communities and our country.”

The Dream2Teach Scholarship Fund was initiated to enable consumers to help address the teacher shortage crisis in South Africa.  Approximately 15 000 new teachers qualify every year, but the country needs 22 000 in order to compensate for retiring teachers and the increasing number of school-going children.  An important untapped resource is the large pool of Matriculants who achieve well at school but have no opportunity to study further because tertiary education costs are beyond their families’ means.  Amongst them, are young people such as Ronel and Timone, who have felt the calling to become teachers.  “I want to be the  kind of teacher who always inspires my learners,” says Ronel, “I want to make sure my learners make it in life and I want to help however I can – even on a personal level. I aim to be a successful teacher who can help my class achieve a 100% pass rate!”

This year, Timone will begin her studies to become a Senior Phase Grade 11 to 12 English Literacy educator, while Ronel will continue to focus on becoming a Foundation Phase teacher. For both of the inaugural Dream2Teach scholars, the significant support of Make A Difference Leadership Foundation, which includes leadership development, holistic wellness and academic support, as well as mentorship and a fellows programme, is something to greatly look forward to in 2018.  “I am so excited about what MySchool Dream2Teach and Make A Difference Leadership Foundation have in store for us,” says Timone, “This scholarship is going to do so much more for me than just pay my tuition fees.”

“What’s important to note,” says Helene Brand, Marketing and CSI Manager for MySchool, “is that the impact of one dedicated teacher affects generation after generation of children.  By fulfilling their dreams, Ronel and Timone have the potential to impact positively on many thousands of learners.  The Dream2Teach Scholarship Fund empowers South Africans who care about education to make a real difference in improving education by supporting future teachers.”

Since its launch, the Dream2Teach Scholarship Fund has gained more than 1 400 supporters who nominated the fund as their beneficiary, and then swipe their cards in store to raise funds, at no cost to them.  Currently, the fund needs 1600 supporters to swipe each month to enable one year of scholarship.

Consumers who want to make a difference to the state of education can sign up for a free MySchool MyVillage MyPlanet card online at www.myschool.co.za and select the Dream2Teach Scholarship Fund as your beneficiary.  If you already have a card, you can choose Dream2Teach as an additional beneficiary.   Swipe your card every time you shop at a range of participating retailers including Woolworths, Bidvest Waltons, Engen Foodstops, Flight Centres and one of South Africa’s biggest online stores www.loot.co.za .  The retailer will contribute a percentage of what you have spent, on your behalf, and it won’t cost you a cent.