The Snapplify Foundation has joined iSchoolAfrica and mountaineer Saray Khumalo in setting up nine digital libraries for disadvantaged schools across South Africa’s nine provinces.
As the official digital partner for the iSchoolAfrica and Saray Khumalo Literacy Labs, the foundation will provide digital books and e-resources for the libraries, selecting content according to each school’s unique needs.
Using a mobile iPad lab provided by iSchoolAfrica, thousands of students will now have access to their own fully functional school e-library. Each digital library uses Snapplify’s award-winning technology and comes with curated content that targets learners’ particular age group, reading level and interests. The Snapplify Foundation has also worked closely with its local publishing partners in order to provide mother-tongue language resources for the schools in the programme.
‘We know from the research that children are able to grasp concepts easier when they encounter it in their first language, and that students find their learning more meaningful when content reflects the world around them. For this reason, the Snapplify Foundation is especially proud to have provided these schools with access to a broad range of local African content,’ said the foundation’s Debra Ogilvie-Roodt.
Just last month, a life-changing cyclothon – hosted by Saray Khumalo, Momentum Multiply, Vumatel and Planet Fitness – broke the Guinness World Record for the most money raised during an eight-hour stationary cycling event. The funds will go towards the iSchoolAfrica library project.
‘iSchoolAfrica focuses on bringing the world’s best technology and classroom practices to under-resourced schools. Our exciting partnership with the Snapplify Foundation therefore makes sense, as we strongly believe that our learners deserve the skills and quality support to reach their potential and succeed,’ said Michelle Lissoos, Director at iSchoolAfrica.
Earlier this year, the foundation joined the iSchoolAfrica #MyFuture programme – a campaign focusing on assisting 10 000 promising but vulnerable Grade 12 students whose futures are in jeopardy as a result of the pandemic. While iSchoolAfrica supplied iPads, the Snapplify Foundation provided e-reading software and a digital library with over 50 000+ free ebooks to the matrics, enabling them to continue learning with easy access to key educational resources.
As the Snapplify Foundation and iSchoolAfrica continue to work together, ten of thousands of students are set to benefit from access to digital content and devices – highlighting the importance of collaborative partnerships to create meaningful, measurable educational interventions.
‘The digital skills that these learners will gain while using our technology is an essential part of preparing these students not just for the 21st-century workplace but even more broadly, for their roles in society as digitally empowered citizens. We’ve been excited to be working with a partner like iSchoolAfrica who, like us, recognises the power of technology to impact the future of our youth dramatically,’ said Ogilvie-Roodt.
