Scholars from five different schools in Langa will now have access to a mobile classroom programme run by the VUSA Rugby and Learning Academy. The Atlas Digibus was donated to the VUSA Rugby and Learning Academy on Wednesday, October 13, by the Atlas Foundation, which funded the bus and equipment.
The 42-seater Scania bus has been rebuilt as a mobile classroom which includes 40 laptops, two teaching stations and an online tracking system that provides academic support to more than 1 000 children. Brendan Fogarty, Founder and Director of the VUSA Academy says the Atlas Digibus will offer children access to excellent academic support, utilising the expertise and materials of the leading school, like Bishops Diocesan College.
The project, due to launch in 2022, is VUSA Academy’s latest initiative to make a difference in the lives of children at Mokone, Siyabulela, Moshesh, Thembani and Zimasa Primary schools and supporting their development with an online literacy programme. The Bishops community has also supported VUSA since its inception 20 years ago, and earlier this year, raised more than R270 000 through a 24-hour cyclethon for the organisation to mark Youth Day.
Bishops Principal and Chairman of the VUSA Academy, Antony Reeler added that this is a wonderful addition to their existing programme which allows them to extend their impact which is much-needed in the Langa community, especially after the past 20 months of COVID-19 lockdown.
“We are very grateful to all those who made this project happen, especially to the Atlas Foundation,” Reeler said.
The project will employ up to five new staff members including a qualified teacher with funding from VUSA. supported by Coronation Fund Managers. Wendy Bergsteedt, Head of Marketing at Coronation Fund Managers further mentioned that the Atlas Digibus is such a creative solution to bring the best technology and resources directly and safely to primary school learners in Langa.
“With education being at the heart of how we at Coronation work to uplift our communities, supporting this mobile classroom is an innovative way for us to give the learners the boost they need in reaching their full potential. These children are our next generation of leaders and we can’t wait to see how they progress. We are because of them,” Bergsteedt said.
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