STARS Education: The Mother Of All professions

Aim:

"The Mother of All Professions" is an event designed for education students. Our main goal is to change how people think about teaching and the education field. Often, teaching doesn't get the respect it deserves, and we want to show that it's a vital and honourable profession that shapes our future.

First, we want to highlight the positive impact teachers have on their learners and communities. Many people don’t realize how much teachers do to help learners grow and succeed. By sharing real stories of teachers who have made a big difference, we hope to make you see how important and rewarding teaching can be.

Second, we aim to challenge common stereotypes about teaching. Some people think teaching is easy or not as important as other jobs. This event will have talks and presentations to show that teaching is a complex and demanding job that requires a lot of skill and dedication. By changing these misconceptions, we hope more people will understand and appreciate the hard work teachers do.

We also want to push for better recognition and support for teachers. When teachers are supported and valued, they can do their jobs even better, which benefits everyone. Inspiring you, the next generation of educators, is also a key part of this event. By showing that teaching is a fulfilling and impactful career, we hope you will feel excited and motivated to become educators. Teaching offers the chance to make a real difference in the world, and we want to highlight this rewarding aspect of the profession.

Finally, we aim to build a community where education students, teachers, and other stakeholders can come together to improve education. By working together, we can create a better environment for teachers.

In summary, "The Mother of All Professions" event is about changing the way people think about teaching. By highlighting the positive impact of teachers, challenging stereotypes, advocating for better support, inspiring future educators, and fostering a supportive community, we hope to give teaching the respect and recognition it truly deserves.

STARS NAS, EMS, EBIT: Academic Success Event

Aim:

In both the NAS and EBIT faculties, midyear and end-of-year exclusions are the highest among all faculties. One of the key goals of the STARS Mentorship Programme is to reduce this number. The transition to the first year of university is notoriously challenging, with many students underestimating its difficulty. This is often due to the fact that, in high school, they were top performers but encounter a stark contrast in higher education.

In 2023, Catherina Kuetezang launched the Academic Exclusion Awareness event to inform students about the steps they should take if they were at risk of academic exclusion. As a mentor that year, I found the event incredibly valuable. One of my mentees was facing possible exclusion, and I initially had no understanding of how to guide them through the process. This experience inspired me, Kutloano Sikosana, to propose continuing the event in future years.

The coordinator, Ms. Veronica Israel, strongly supported the idea and encouraged collaboration with the EBIT faculty, which was later expanded to include the EMS faculty. Patrick Mbongo suggested renaming the event to Academic Success to shift the focus from a reactive to a more proactive approach. As a result, the 2024 event was scheduled for the first week of the second quarter, a strategic time when most students had completed their first-semester tests and began to realise the value of having a mentor.

The Academic Success event has become a vital initiative, helping students better understand academic expectations and the resources available to them. It promotes a proactive mindset, encouraging students to seek guidance and support before facing severe academic challenges.

STARS EMS: Wellbeing and Feedback Session

Vision:

The vision was to create a supportive environment where mentors and mentees engage in meaningful dialogue that fosters personal growth, resilience, and collaborative learning, ultimately enhancing the mentoring experience.

Mission:

The mission was to facilitate a structured Wellbeing and Feedback session to empower EMS mentors and mentees to share insights, reflect on their experiences, and cultivate a culture of trust and open communication in the programme. The aim was to promote mental well-being, encourage constructive feedback, and strengthen relationships, ensuring that every participant feels valued and supported on their journey as a STARS Mentorship Programme member.

STARS EBIT: Industry talk event with ABSA and Softserve Digital Development

Aim:

The aim of the event was to have potential employers such as ABSA and Softserve Digital Development speak to students about what they can expect from from their companies. This was also a great way to fuel students academic drive and their persue of careers. Students were given the platform to ask questions, which made the event interactive.

STARS Theology: Mentors and Mentees Meet and Greet.

Aim:

The objective of the event was to introduce mentees to their mentors by creating engagement between mentors and mentees. Mentees get to be introduced into the program and be informed of what is expected from them also what they should not expect from their mentors as they can only assist to a certain degree. This event was meant to establish a comfortable and supportive environment for mentees throughout the year, allowing them to express their interests and concerns of the program.