Education

Cookhouse Wind Farm’s education development programmes include funding of:

EARLY CHILDHOOD DEVELOPMENT (ECD)

Cookhouse Wind Farm’s Flagship ECD Programme was launched in 2016, following a comprehensive Baseline Study. This holistic programme is being phased in, with the aim to capacitate ECD Centre practitioners and principals with the required skills and qualifications to ensure stimulation of children within the classroom. It also seeks to ensure that proper management structures and financial management systems are introduced in order for ECD Centres to become sustainable.

To-date Cookhouse Wind Farm has invested across 26 ECD centres and is seeing the massive impact the programme is making on various levels, from capacity building all the way through to young learners who are now entering the formal schooling system, well prepared and confident, across communities of Somerset East, Cookhouse, Bedford and Adelaide.

This programme positively impacts the provision of quality childcare and access for children aged 0 – 6 years, incorporating programmes that are designed to improve the overall functionality and resources of ECD centres.

This flagship project has impacted:

• 2 200 children have directly benefited
• 126 practitioners and principals
• 700 parents across the 4 beneficiary towns
• 28 ECD Centres in 4 beneficiary towns

Direct funding from Cookhouse Wind Farm is used for practitioner training, building and renovation costs, furniture and appliances, educational equipment, nutrition and the purchase of vital resources.

ECD PRACTITIONER AND PRINCIPALS

The programme capacitates ECD Centre practitioners and principals with the required skills and qualifications to ensure stimulation of children within the classroom. It also seeks to ensure that proper management structures and financial management systems are introduced in order for ECD Centres to become sustainable.

By upskilling Practitioners through the provision of accredited training programmes and interventions and ongoing mentoring and coaching, both children and practitioners are supported.

PARENTAL PARTICIPATION AND INVOLVEMENT

Realising that teaching goes beyond the classroom and that parents are their children’s first teachers, a school readiness programme was launched in 2018, incorporating parents from the flagship programme’s ECD Centres. It received resounding support from parents who were further supported by one-on-one mentoring that incorporated home visits.

BUILDING ECD CENTRES

Cookhouse Wind Farm launched its ECD Infrastructure Needs Support Programme in 2019, which followed a detailed Infrastructure Needs Assessment of 28 Centres in the four beneficiary towns.

The first beneficiary of this infrastructure programme was Mini Marvels ECD Centre and Mzamomhle ECD Centre in 2019, which included the building and renovation to increase capacity, reduced overcrowding and improve conditions for the children.

PRIMARY AND SECONDARY SCHOOL RESOURCES

Cookhouse Wind Farm has supported the educational needs of the local primary and high schools in Adelaide, Bedford, Cookhouse and Somerset East, by providing funding of educator salaries and the establishment of computer labs and equipment.

Cookhouse Wind Farm has previously provided funding to Adelaide Primêre (Adelaide) and Templeton High School (Bedford).

SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAMME

The Cookhouse Wind Farm Scholarship Programme was launched in 2015 and aims to provide tertiary education funding for youth. The focus is to contribute towards human resource development in fields considered critical for the South African economy.

In addition to scholarship funding, the holistic approach has expanded the programme to support the beneficiaries beyond the academics. There are different programmes for the various academic years, dealing with fundamental skills needed for success in studies and life. The programme for final year, Honours and post-graduate students provides support for work readiness, including emotional intelligence and thinking agility.

The Scholarship Programme covers various fields of study at various universities, and it provides tertiary education funding for deserving young students from the local communities.

WIND TURBINE TECHNICIAN PROGRAMME

Cookhouse Wind Farm’s Wind Turbine Technician Training programme addresses one of the most notable skills shortages in the area, the technical skills needed on the wind farm. The tuition fees, working at heights training and trade tests of three local mechatronics students was paid for by Cookhouse Wind Farm, and on-site training at the wind farm provided.