Press release: R150,000 Boost for Teacher IT Training Following ISPA’s iWeek

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The Internet Service Providers’ Association (ISPA) has revealed that almost R150 000 was raised for teacher IT training at the recent Super Teacher Gala Dinner, hosted by ISPA and the CoZa Cares Foundation, which closed this year’s iWeek Internet industry conference.

“The ongoing generosity of Internet industry stakeholders means that over 50 additional educators will be trained to use and impart IT skills during their teaching at some of South Africa’s most resource-strapped schools. So far, 3 105 teachers have participated in ISPA’s Train the Teacher project over the past twelve years,” said Fiona Wallace, chair of the Association’s Teacher Training Working Group.

The ISPA Super Teacher Gala Dinner saw Mokhudu Cynthia Machaba of Ngwanamago Primary in Limpopo being presented with the 2013 ISPA Super Teacher of the Year award.
Ms Machaba received her award from the previous year’s winner, Sadike Welhemina Kekana of Toronto Primary School in Limpopo.

Jan Vermeulen, senior journalist and web developer at MyBroadband, received a lucky draw prize of a Samsung Galaxy Tablet 2 during the evening. Mr Vermeulen scooped the device hailed as running a “fuller version of Android” by tech pundits following a lucky draw held after Ms Machaba received her award.

The ISPA Teachers Training program began in 2001 and sees ISPA facilitating several weeks of computer and Internet literacy skills training for school teachers in rural schools.
Hundreds of teachers benefit from this program and gain critical skills that they pass on to their students and their communities.

The following companies have sponsored the ISPA Teachers Training program 2013 for 2014; CozaCares, Avuxeni, SMS Web, Internet Solutions, Breadbin, ZA Central Registry, DNS, Liquid telecom, JIREH Technologies, Switch Telecom, TAU, Flame, TENET and Hetzner.

CoZa Cares Foundation, previously the CSI arm of UniForum/ZACR, will integrate the ISPA training into its all-encompassing ICT Capacity Building programme in under-resourced South African schools.

Further Information

For further information, please contact the ISPA secretariat on the Contact ISPA page.