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Education, whether formal or informal learning, is the key driver of the social change we would all like to see in South Africa. Its value cannot be underestimated.
The South African College of Applied Psychology (SACAP) is acknowledging this. They have announced that Education for Social Change will be the dynamic theme of the 2019 Festival of Learning which will be held in Cape Town on 23rd and 24th of May and in Johannesburg on 30th and 31st of May 2019.
What’s this Festival all About?
A celebration of adult education. The 8th annual Festival of Learning offers an intimate space for festival-goers and presenters to engage in authentic conversations and meaningful dialogues. This will be structured as one-hour interactive sessions and 15 minute short, sharp talks. This year hosts an inspiring programme, bringing together a spectrum of researchers, academics and experts; thought leaders, practitioners and authors to showcase a broad range of leading-edge ideas, stories, and initiatives; models, projects and programmes that are empowering individuals, families, schools, organisations and communities, to ignite social change.
For the first time, selected presentations at the Festival of Learning will be accredited with Continuing Professional Development (CPD) points. This is an exciting addition to the festival.
Managing Director of SACAP, Zerina Royeppen, says that this year’s theme aims to inspire all individuals and ignite social change,
“This year, we are taking a broad and inclusive view of education for social change. Social changestarts with education that empowers the individual; and the change agents facilitating that learning are not just teachers and lecturers, but also coaches and mentors, counsellors and psychologists. The 2019 presentations will include raising awareness and consciousness; learning that impacts on individual behavioural change, strengthens families and inspires community action; as well as the accounts of ground-breaking educational initiatives in formal settings.”
Individual Impact
The critical role that leadership plays in making social change happen will be explored from various perspectives ranging from personal development to gender issues; and also, from school to organisational environments. The power of story, and how our narratives, from the personal to our historical cultural meta-narratives either support or block change will also be a highlight on the programme. Mindfulness, conversational intelligence and latest sciences such as epigenetics and psychoneuroimmunology all feature on the 2019 Festival of Learning programme as avenues that can lead to valuable transformations from the individual to societal levels.
Zerina hints that this year’s festival is not to be missed,
“In essence, the two-day Festival is in itself, an Education for Social Change event. It’s not just the theme, it’s also the impact. For students and professionals; those in the formal education sector; those working for organisational change or in the coaching and adult learning spaces, there’s a substantial offering of insights, information, and inspirations that they won’t find in any other one place, at any one time.”
All the Details
Last year, the Festival of Learning successfully introduced The Human Library to festival-goers, and in 2019 a new selection of ‘human books’ will be presented in Cape Town and Johannesburg. This innovative concept involves volunteers who face real-life prejudice, stereotyping and stigma; or who have endured life-changing experiences that are hard to talk about. They courageously reveal their stories in a safe and interactive library space. As the ‘readers’ of their challenging narratives, the audience is encouraged to pose difficult questions and commentary so that authentic dialogues are unlocked about ‘the titles’, which may include racial, religious, gender or sexual discrimination; as well as the impacts of mental and physical health issues.
The 2019 Festival of Learning hosted by SACAP:
Cape Town, 23-24 May
Venue: SACAP Campus, Claremont
Times: 23 May from 17h30 to 20h30 and 24 May from 09h00 to 17h00
Human Library: 24 May from 11h00 to 15h00
Johannesburg, 30-31 May
Venue: SACAP Campus, Rosebank
Times: 30 May from 17h30 to 20h30 and 31 May from 09h00 to 17h00
Human Library: 30 May from 11h00 to 15h00
Tickets for the 2019 Festival of Learning are available through Webtickets. Tickets are R250 for the full-day programme and R200 for the short-talk evening programme. There is a special offer for students at R80 per ticket.
You could win Tickets! Interested?
Who wouldn’t want to get in on this action? This is a really cool opportunity to connect with some of the most esteemed thought leaders, academics and experts in the business. Also, you can score CPD points!
SACAP and EduOne are giving away:
- one set of two tickets for you and your partner in Cape Town (24 May). This is to the value of R500.
- one set of two tickets for you and your partner in Johannesburg (31 May). This is to the value of R500.
All you need to do is follow these three simple steps:
- Like our Facebook page OR follow us on Instagram
- Tag a friend/partner who you would like to take with you to the event on Facebook OR Instagram
- Register on FundiConnect PLUS
It’s as easy as 1,2,3. We will announce the winners on Monday, 20 May 2019.
FundiConnect 2Cents
We cannot wait to attend this year’s Festival of Learning. If you are keen to explore ways in which education can ignite social changes and be inspired, this festival is the place to be. We look forward to seeing you there 🙂 For more information about the festival or SACAP, take a look at their website.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]
