Education & Skills

Overview

Food & Trees for Africa is an established education and skills development organisation in the areas of environment, food security, and agriculture. Further to this, FTFA:

• Is an AgriSeta Registered training provider fully accredited for Mixed Farming Systems;
• Is endorsed by both the National Department of Basic Education (DBE) and National Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (DAFF);
• Has written — and been influential — in a number of South African policies, including the National Schools Nutrition Programme (NSNP) and the Urban Forestry Policy for Johannesburg until 2040;
• Has multiple streams of education and skills development training for the following audiences:
  • Young learner environmental education and leadership training;
  • Teacher and school curriculum integration workshops;
  • Skilled and unskilled adult farmers and market gardeners;
  • Business and agri-business development;
  • Climate leaders;
• Has short courses covering a wide range of agricultural topics (aquaculture, vermiculture, bee-keeping, etc) and holistic integration (recycling, bio-digesting, etc);
• Facilitates high-quality, sensitive courses relevant to the socio-economic and environmental needs within South Africa.

Our programmes appeal to companies who want to make meaningful and impactful contributions to education and skills training in South Africa, managed in a professional manner.

Environmental Leaders Programme

The Environmental Leaders Programme helps youth leaders at schools understand environmental and social problems in South Africa and the world.

The level-appropriate syllabus focuses on fundamental concepts, critical analysis, problem-solving, and teamwork. Examples of topics include:

• Community recycling and waste management;
• Natural and environmental sciences;
• Climate change understanding and action;
• Ethics and leadership; and
• Presentation skills

The Environmental Leaders Programme runs in an interactive workshop format with 1-12 days of facilitation depending on needs and available budget. It often falls part of an environmental club or a pre-existing school leadership programme.

Garden-Based Learning

Garden-Based Learning (GLB) utilises school food gardens as a teaching tool for curriculum integration and holistic learning.

The interactive GLB workshops incorporate environmental and social ethics and are designed to engage learners in real-world experiences. Strong emphasis is placed on nutrition, science literacy in natural sciences, and navigating the link between nature and our environment and basic human needs.

FTFA has developed two approaches to our Garden-Based Learning programme and workshops:

1. Customised workshops based on selected sections of our Growing Green book and the needs of learners.
2. A structured programme, normally integrated as an extra-curricular activity, which takes place over a year.

Curriculum Integration: One-Day Workshops & Short Courses

Curriculum Integration workshops focus on helping teachers tap into contemporary environmental topics in the classroom. These touch on a wide variety of subjects. Whilst normally linked to natural sciences, it is most beneficial when incorporated across school subjects.

We also seek to supplement teachers’ understanding of nutrition, climate change adaptation, and special- or extra-curricular projects.

Whilst school food gardens are an excellent teaching tool, our Curriculum Integration workshops do not require a garden in the facilitation process.

Youth Ecopreneur Programme

The Youth Ecopreneur Programme focuses on youth who want to be included, or grow within, the agriculture sector.

It is a combination of social cohesion workshops and AgriSeta accredited training with a strong focus on entrepreneurship. It is highly beneficial when part of a programme that includes infrastructure, operations, or leadership.

These theory and practical sessions are targeted at young adults between the age of 18-35.

Adult Basic Education & Training

This basic education and training for adults focuses on farmer and agro-processing beneficiaries.

• Includes formal qualifications, social cohesion workshops, business training, practical sessions, and mentoring and support;
• Entry to formal NQF (Level 1) qualifications require ABET 3 numeracy, literacy, and communication skills;
• Exit Level Outcomes include maths literacy, communications, collection, interpretation and reporting of data, and incorporating sustainable farming systems and practices;
• FTFA’s Business Box includes cash flow management, banking skills, financial administration, records keeping, compliance basics, and business planning;
• Whilst broadly applicable, materials make use of agriculture and agri-business examples.

Whilst ideally coupled within the FEED Africa programme, this basic education and training is stand alone.