The Robben Island Museum is shaping Africa’s future leaders with its annual Spring School programme, a week-long residency program for high school students from various African countries.
This annual programme, set to start later this month, is a flagship project of the museum. It aims to foster discussions on South Africa’s history, the struggle for freedom, and Africa’s contributions to democracy.
What is Spring School?
The museum implemented Spring School in 1998 to nurture the development of a new generation of heritage activists. The project is housed in the Public Heritage Education Department and is generally known as Isivivane Solwazi, a Nguni term that signifies a place of memories, of incidents or occurrences that happened to different people at different times.
This year’s theme is “Youth-Driven Innovation: Pioneering Sustainable Development in Africa, Celebrating 30 Years of South African Democracy,” which focuses on leveraging youth innovation for sustainable growth. In line with Vision 2030, the Robben Island Museum is dedicated to creating a sustainable framework through its innovative programmes, ensuring ongoing growth and development.
Robben Island Museum shared in a press release: “To align youth-driven innovation with Vision 2030, we must focus on long-term sustainability and resilience. It is very important that learners understand this vision2030 for their own narrative.”
Goals and Vision
The programme has the following objectives:
- Provide lifelong learning opportunities for participants in human rights and responsibility issues, to create a culture of civic responsibility within our country and beyond.
- Facilitate exploration of our past through the heritage of Robben Island Museum.
- The use of the Robben Island World Heritage site to debate /discuss and create innovative opportunities.
- To create links with their own reality, and to develop possible solutions to address their present situations. Their aim is that discussions and reflections will impact the future and, in so doing, nurture the creation of new knowledge systems.
- Create an ongoing awareness of heritage conservation by supporting and developing future leaders in various spheres of life.
- Provide youth with a creative, exciting fun, and challenging environment for social and personal growth.
Who Can Join
The program is designed for ambitious students in grades 10 and 11, ages 16 to 19, including the children of former political prisoners. It brings together young minds from South Africa, Namibia, Swaziland, Lesotho, Zimbabwe, and Botswana.
What to Expect
Learning Areas
The program encompasses a diverse range of learning areas designed for holistic development. It includes entrepreneurship, skills, and digital spaces, focusing on practical and digital competencies. Participants will engage in intergenerational dialogue to promote understanding across generations, while also exploring unity in diversity and leadership empowerment. The curriculum emphasises promoting patriotism and understanding both tangible and intangible heritage. It also aims to strengthen social cohesion and foster a Human Rights culture, ensuring a well-rounded educational experience.
Activities
The program features a diverse range of activities designed to engage and educate participants. These include a Prison Experience that takes them on a day in the life of a political prisoner, Umrabulo (a word used to inspire political discussion and debate on Robben Island), intergenerational dialogue/debates, a knowledge hunt, environmental education, and a Heritage workshop.
Pioneering Sustainable Development
The team at Robben Island Museum believes that “aligning youth-driven innovation with Vision 2030 is essential for pioneering sustainable development.”
The museum explained: “By focusing on policy support, education, funding, and community engagement, we can ensure that the contributions of young South Africans are sustained and amplified. Together, we can create a prosperous and sustainable future for all.
Robben Island Museum Public Heritage education department with its stakeholders are committed to making this program a success.
For more information, visit www.robben-island.org.za/
