STEPi – (Squaring The Education Pyramid Institute)

Summary

Over the years Dreamcatcher South Africa NPC has worked in partnership on a number of outcomes based projects with the Utopia Foundation. May 2022 heralded in another exciting collaboration initiative. Dreamcatcher South Africa NPC and the Utopia Foundation view children and youth of today critical to the sustainable futures of tomorrow. We are therefore elated to share our appointment to administer and manage the STEPi project across South Africa and beyond into Southern Africa on behalf of the Utopia Foundation. Reaching out and innovating new pathways, and specifically reaching out deep into rural areas, our aim is to work closely with educators, schools, training institutions and communities to ensure that children are prepared, willing and happy when they reach adulthood – whilst tutors and parents are equipped with STEPi resources to support the emotional and cognitive development of children and youth.

STEPi publishes children’s books that encourage empathy, self-awareness and inclusivity, and focuses on the emotional development of children. We want to make sure every child has choices when they reach maturity, so they are equipped with the tools needed to become adults that prosper and thrive.

Dreamcatcher South Africa NPC are elated to manage the STEPi project in Southern Africa. We work with an array of communities to help better literacy skills and change lives by creating meaning. This includes distributing the wonderful STEPi books to schools and other relevant organisations, and offering ongoing support teachers to address literacy. The wonderful Elmordine is the STEPi Engagement coordinator for the area, you can read more about her experiences and those of other coordinators in South Africa and Uganda on the STEPi website.

Each book has specific themes that deal with a child’s real, everyday life so that they can relate to the characters and see themselves in each story. There are now over a dozen story and activity books developed under the programme addressing English, Mathematics, Geography and Emotional Wellness.

Impact

In the second half of the 2022 Dreamcatcher engaged with over 100 schools, libraries, clinics and other organisations distributing almost 5,000 books reaching over 30,000 children. Work so far has focused on communities in the Western Cape including Darling, Riversdale, George, Mossel Bay, Centurion, Kayamandi plus Stilbaai and Melkhoutfontein where we are based. Feedback and impact as we deploy the STEPi project is both heart warming and rewarding. In 2023 we will be extending the programme to additional communities and offering follow up support.

Join us in ensuring that our work helps build local communities and enable children in these under-resourced communities to improve their literacy skills.

For more information please get in contact:  innovation@dreamcatchersouthafrica.com