Nortel Katlehong

22 October 2001

Katlehong Resource Centre

The response by the community to the installation of this Centre has been overwhelming. Some of the activities that are taking place at this Centre are listed below:

1. Thinkquest

• At least 20 students participated in the Thinkquest project. The main aim for this year was to enroll learners and encourage participation so as to motivate engagement by various learners. The goal is to reach critical mass for next years extensive- community wide involvement and participation. We are looking forward to increased numbers and quality submissions of websites.
• 10 websites were created and entered for competition and these can be viewed on the TQ website. The project has also unleashed the creative potential of community volunteers and interns who were placed at the Centre, and contributed directly to capacity building within the community.

2. Computer Clubs

• The first computer club is in training on hardware and software. The Project Intern is facilitating the sessions.

The main aim of the computer clubs is to provide an opportunity for learners who already know about software, to develop other skills. The process is aimed at helping them determine their career paths in the IT field. The centre has30 youth from surrounding schools involved in the project after school hours.

3. Community Training

• The Centre will continue with conducting various community training, and are currently investigating the various accreditation processes. This programme would include City and Guilds, Prometric, Master Skill and other online accreditation options.

4. Distance Education support programme

• This programme is still being pursued with the assistance of volunteers. Unisa, Technikon SA and Damelin have been approached for partnerships. The main aim of the programme is to provide e-mail and Internet access to distance education students in the Katlehong and surrounding areas.

5. Business Planning Process

• The Centre employed the services of a consultant through the Department of Social Services to assist them with their Business planning process. The Board of the KRC, have been involved in this process, and are committed to assisting the Management Team to deal with day-to-day management issues, and the long-term sustainability of the Centre.