United Through Sport wished their matriculated participants farewell and welcomed a new generation of students to the programme.
Nelson Mandela Bay, South Africa (23 January 2023) – It was a week of double excitement at United Through Sport, as new beneficiaries of the School of Excellence Programme settled into their respective schools, and ten beneficiaries exited the programme after completing matric.
United Through Sport’s ten beneficiaries who wrote their National Senior Certificate in 2022, collected their results on Friday, January 20, amid great jubilation at Alexander Road High School.
“We are pleased with our School of Excellence’s results and very proud of the hard work and dedication shown by our beneficiaries. United Through Sport’s Class of 2022 collectively achieved six Bachelor’s Passes, and four distinctions,” said United Through Sport Director Nick Mould.
A total of 85 pupils formed part of the School of Excellence Programme in 2022, while 87 learners were beneficiaries in the programme in 2021. The beneficiaries receive academic and other support from partner schools in Nelson Mandela Bay.
This year’s Grade 8 intake into the School of Excellence has seen United Through Sport partner with an assortment of top schools. The schools include Alexander Road High School (15 Grade 8 learners), Hoërskool Cillié (one learner), Pearson High School (two learners), Grey High School (one learner) and Glenwood High School in Durban (one learner). And in a new partnership with Woodridge College & Preparatory School, three Grade 6 learners started at the prestigious school on the outskirts of Gqeberha as scholars and boarders.
Meanwhile at Alexander Road High, Grade 8 beneficiary Taylor Thomas described her first week as “interesting, overwhelming and amazing” while Chloe Kerspay said it was exciting and nerve-wrecking, “but I managed to make some new friends.” Making new friends was also one of the highlights of two other Grade 8 School of Excellence beneficiaries, Simamkelo Mzamo and Inganathi Gxothiwe.
2023 is going to be a special year for three School of Excellence matric girls, who formed part of the very first group of girls who participated in the Girls Unite Programme in primary school when the programme launched in 2018.
“Girls Unite focuses on promoting gender equity, providing a safe space to discuss the issues senior primary school girls face daily and to promote self-confidence and self-esteem. After adapting this very successful programme to accommodate boys and securing funding for it, Boys Unite – which focuses on promoting gender equality and boys becoming advocates for girls – was launched in 2020,” said Mould.
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