The Level Six EduMove Project, an initiative between the Durban University of Technology’s (DUT’s) Community Engagement Office (CEO), under the DVC Research Innovation and Engagement, in collaboration with the Umkhumbane Schools Project (USP) and Level Six EduMove held a closing workshop, last week. The collaboration sought to bridge the gap between township high schools and tertiary institutions. This year’s project introduced students from the Architecture, Mechanical, and Civil Engineering and Geomatics Departments to mentor and teach high school learners architectural design skills.

Community Engagement Practitioner, Phumzile Xulu, explained that this project allows the university to engage with local communities to create sustainable and impactful relationships with the learners. It also allows the learners to engage with like-minded tertiary students who serve as mentors and who assisted with guiding the learners with industry knowledge, career guidance, as well as advice as they head into tertiary.

“For the project, learners were selected from the schools within the Umkhumbane area, the learners that were supported were those studying Engineering and Graphic Design subjects in Grades 10 and 11. The learners were then mentored by the DUT students coming from different engineering areas of study contributing from their area of specialization when engaging with the learners, which ensured that there was knowledge transfer,” explained Xulu.

The closing of the event had numerous interactive sessions that allowed the mentors to reflect and evaluate the impact the project had on the learners, on their experiences, while also looking at areas that needed to be improved. It also provided the opportunity for the project team to assess how much the mentors had learned during the project.

DUT Architectural Design student, Nonkululeko Kunene and one of the student mentors said she thought the project had done considerably well considering that it was only introduced this year and that learners who had participated in the programme were richer from it.

“Through this programme we planted seeds of inspiration to the learners, making various engineering career fields relatable to them. I think we met them at their level, in their space, making it easier for them to engage with us. We transferred knowledge and skills to the learners. Through this programme, we have helped learners possibly identify their career interests, so that they can make better, informed career decisions. Which ensures that there are fewer drop-out rates when learners reach university,” Kunene said.

Group Session with Tracy Khuzwayo

For many of the DUT students, this was both a learning curve and an opportunity to engage with industry professionals. It also gave them additional skills for the real world, such as time management, project management, entrepreneurship, public speaking skills, risk planning, and mentorship.

Tracy Khuzwayo, Project Manager at USP, commended the DUT students for a job well done. Stating that despite all the hurdles brought about by the changes in the academic year, lockdowns, and COVID-19 restrictions, the team was able to ensure that the project activities were carried out efficiently.

“I realized that as individuals, we each have something unique to offer, our different set of abilities, characteristics and knowledge make us work well together and made the mentorship programme work beautifully. We also learnt that there are always ways in which we can contribute and give back to the community. Even within this programme, we found that there were other ways in which we could contribute to this particular community, whether in our personal capacity, in other programmes, and even within this program going forward,” said Khuzwayo.

The workshop was concluded with a ceremony, where the students were recognized for their commitment and hard work in fulfilling the project’s objective as well as that of the university, which is to impact the lives, build and sustain meaningful mutually beneficial partnerships and engagements with the society it serves, in alignment with the DUT ENVISION2030.

Khumbuzile Mbuqe