Would you like to develop young leaders while gaining valuable

experience in the world of work?

Apply to become a tutor in the DUT School Engagement Project

(This is a Durban-based project)

Deadline for applications: Monday, 4 December 2023

1. Rationale for the Project: Aligning with DUT ENVISION 2030

The DUT School Engagement Project, which was launched in 2018, is a collaborative project involving 7
partner schools, DUT students and staff members from various DUT departments, as well as external
partners.

Young people are the future, and they need to know that they are worth investing in. Through participating
in holistic education opportunities, the gifts of our youth are unlocked, for their benefit and for the benefit
of society. With increasing unemployment and joblessness, it is vital that our young people access and
develop their confidence, vision and creativity. These life skills are invaluable in both formal employment
and entrepreneurial endeavours.

Every society needs ethical leaders to function effectively. Currently we have a deficit of ethical leaders in
all sectors of society, in South Africa and globally; through values-based education interventions, our young
people can step forward as ethical, skilled, visionary leaders in the future.

The Durban University of Technology embraces, as one of its key strategic objectives, the tenet of being an
engaged University. With this, comes a commitment to be socially responsible and responsive to local,
regional and national needs. The DUT School Engagement Project is an example of engagement in action
and fully embodies this all-important but often neglected responsibility. It allows for DUT students and
staff to be engaged in a worthwhile community initiative which enhances the education of school learners
and university students.

2. Project Overview

The DUT School Engagement Project is a holistic education intervention that offers support where it is
needed most. School learners and DUT students develop “success skills” through participating in the
different aspects of the project. These success skills - emotional intelligence, accountability, time
management – provide the impetus needed for project participants to successfully complete their academic
qualifications and make a meaningful contribution in the world of work.

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In response to South Africa’s need for ethical, skilled young leaders, this project is values-driven: the
values of Ubuntu, integrity, reliability, commitment and punctuality are the bedrock of the project and are
put into practice by all project participants.

The DUT School Engagement Project offers a model for other tertiary institutions to emulate in their
implementation of community engagement. The inter-disciplinary DUT team and its external project
partners harness collaborative synergy as they all work together for the same vision and values.

The project is informed by Otto Scharmer’s Theory of Change, Theory U1, in which he posits that
conscious, values-based leadership can give rise to strategic social change.

Using his experience working with some of the world's most successful leaders and innovators, Otto
Scharmer shows in Theory U: Leading from the Future as it Emerges, how groups and organizations can
develop conscious leadership in order to implement holistic and sustainable solutions to socio-economic
challenges.

It is on this premise that the project seeks to impact young people in a holistic and multi-dimensional
manner through the seven project pillars:

• Tuition in the gateway subjects

• Peace clubs
• Social entrepreneurship clubs
• Talent show
• Sports tournament
• Career guidance
• Health and wellbeing

The seven pillars of the project are points of leverage that support one another to create inclusive and
invigorated educational environments where skilled, ethical leaders can emerge.

3. Project Impact

Project partners have consistently indicated the significant contribution that the project is making to
academic progress as well as the development of entrepreneurial and values-based leadership skills.

Recent feedback from one of our project partners:

At our school, we are extremely grateful to the DUT School Engagement Programme as it effectively and
consistently fills in the educational gaps outlined above. In particular:

1. The DUT programme provides free tuition to learners in the gateway subjects in grades 10, 11 and 12.
This provides much needed extra tuition and revision for the learners in an effective manner that is
coordinated by our school teachers. This effectively means that the DUT tutors and our schoolteachers
are working together to provide the best academic support for our learners (who otherwise would not
be able to afford this). We are also happy to report that our learner achievement in these subjects has
improved steadily and our bachelor passes are improving (specific statistics can be made available).
2. The DUT programme provides in-depth and personal exposure to tertiary programmes. This close
association allows learners greater access to information about their chosen career fields.
3. The DUT programme strengthens our aim of holistic education. While academics are important, social
and entrepreneurial skills are also important. The peace club embraces divergent learner interests and

1
“Theory U” is a change management method described in the book, Theory U: Leading from the Future as it
Emerges by Scharmer, C. Otto (2009).

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 explores mechanisms of peaceful co-existence. The social entrepreneurial club is more specific in its aim
of financial education and independence. In the previous year, this club raised funds and established a
peace garden on our school premises.
4. Opportunities to showcase learner talents are always welcomed at schools. Public schools like ours are
hard pressed to organize such events. The DUT programme successfully hosted a sports tournament and
a talent show. The keen interest and participation by our learners indicated that the learners thoroughly
enjoyed these events. Of note, is that our school also won several prizes at these events.
What makes the DUT programme a good fit for our schools is that their educational philosophy is value-
based. They go beyond technical academic skills and extend their activities to enhance the holistic
development of the learner. In broad terms, they assist in empowering the youth with value –based
development – something our future will need. Examples of these are punctuality (of the DUT team) and the
learners, commitment , dedication and passion for improvement , reliability and consistency (classes during
exam period etc.) and integrity (mutual respect).

The DUT school engagement programme has proved to be a valuable and essential partner to us as a public
school. It is an excellent example of public-private partnership where the funds are effectively used to
empower a generation of young adults. It is making a significant contribution to education in particular, and
to the development of this country in general.

4. Tutoring Position

Responsibilities of the position

• Tutor twice a week in a designated school.
• Demonstrate the project values (Ubuntu, integrity, punctuality, reliability and commitment) in
everything you do. Be an ambassador of the project values and a role model to the youth.
• Plan effectively for every tutorial with your subject head. Research your subject. Make your tutorials
exciting by using a variety of teaching methodologies, and fully engage the learners.
• Ensure that registers and timesheets are kept up to date and filed.
• Participate in the social media of the project, building community in the process.
• Attend all required meetings and workshops punctually.
• Email required assignments and documents punctually.
• Report challenges to the project manager and participate in their resolution.
• Submit a typed project report on the last day of every month.
• Participate in project reviews.

Application Form for Tutoring Position: DUT School Engagement Project

First name and surname:

Gender:
Do you have a physical disability?
Age:
Address:
Cell phone:
E‐Mail:
Citizenship:
Are you a Full-time or Part-time student?
Programme of Study:
Year of study (i.e. 2nd year, Masters, etc):
Student number:
Staff number:
ID number/ passport number:
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 1. Are you currently a DUT student?

2. Will you be a DUT Student in 2024?

3. Which DUT campus will you be studying at in 2024? (The DUT School Engagement Project is
Durban-based)

4. What leadership experience have you had?

5. What tutoring experience have you had?

6. What skills and qualities do you bring that would be useful in the role of Tutor?

7. Understanding the vision of this project – to develop ethical young leaders who attain good
academic results and contribute as active citizens - how would you contribute to realising this
vision?

8. If you were appointed, how would you live the project values and be a role model to the youth?

9. What are your available times, every week, to participate in this project in 2024?

10. Please attach your CV, Grade 12 results, and latest academic results to this application.

* All applications must be emailed to berenice@lipsa.co.za by 4 December 2023.