The Learning Trust

In Makhanda, after-school organisations, practitioners and communities came together to celebrate the power of ASPs to help learners thrive beyond the classroom. Thank you to everyone keeping the lights on! #LightsOn2026 #SwitchedOn

Bara Taxi Rank was nothing short of amazing! 🏀💡 We teamed up with Soweto Basketball Academy to get the community involved, with our mascot right in the middle of the action! 🔥 Share a photo of your #LightsOn2026 activation in the comments! 💡 #AfterSchoolSA #SwitchedOn

💡It's officially #LightsOnAfterSchool Day! After-school programmes extend learning beyond the classroom, helping young people build skills, confidence and discover new interests. Today, we recognise the sector and the people creating opportunities to learn, play and grow.

💡 1 DAY TO GO! Are you #SwitchedOn? Tomorrow, we shine a light on ASPs helping young people learn, play and grow. 📸 Upload your activation photos and videos to our Google Drive (buff.ly/COnEywA) in a folder named after your organisation. #LightsOn2026

𝟮 𝗗𝗔𝗬𝗦 𝗧𝗢 𝗚𝗢!💡 Growth goes beyond marks and grades. After School Programmes help young people build confidence, develop skills & discover their strengths. Join us this Thursday to celebrate the programmes and people helping learners learn, play and grow.

#𝗦𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗰𝗵𝗲𝗱𝗢𝗻 𝗮𝘁 𝗚𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁 𝗖𝗼𝗺𝗺𝗶𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗨𝗻𝗶𝘁𝗲𝗱 (𝗚𝗖𝗨)! 💡 Our #LightsOn mascot joined learners for soccer, tug-of-war and dancing, celebrating the power of after-school programmes through play, participation and connection. Watch the highlights!

“The things that I like most about Sakhimfundo is that I improve my grades mostly in maths and English.” At Sakhimfundo Youth Programme, learners are improving their Maths and English grades in an environment where learning is fun and growth is encouraged.

The Learning Trust’s Executive Director, Charlene Petersen-Voss, highlighted an important equity issue: every child should have access to opportunities to learn and grow, regardless of where they live or their family’s economic circumstances. #LightsOn2026 #AfterSchoolSA

𝗦𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗰𝗵𝗲𝗱𝗢𝗻 𝗮𝘁 𝗜𝗸𝗮𝗺𝘃𝗮 𝗟𝗮𝗯𝗮𝗻𝘁𝘄𝗮𝗻𝗮! Our #LightsOn mascot joined Grade 5 learners at Ikamva Labantwana for a lesson on telling time. It was an opportunity to see learning in action as learners engaged with the lesson and built their understanding of time.

[LIVE ON CAPETALK] The Learning Trust’s Executive Director, Charlene Petersen-Voss, will be live on CapeTalk today in conversation with Clarence Ford about Lights On After School and the value of After School Programmes (ASPs). Listen live: buff.ly/uGm0P8N

“She believed in me before I fully believed in myself.” For Michelle, that person was her teacher, Ms Buys. Her belief helped shape her journey into education & after-school. This #WorldTeachersDay, we celebrate those who help young people thrive beyond the classroom. #LightsOnSA

Looking for a practical literacy resource for your next after-school session? 📚Our Treasure Box features WordWorks early literacy learning activities for Grades R–2, giving facilitators a resource they can explore to support literacy development.buff.ly/9Q0QIuk

Reading beyond the classroom starts with access to stories.📚 FunDza’s Mobi Reading Community gives young people access to stories, poems, drama, blogs and more, making it a practical resource for reading for pleasure and creative writing after school. buff.ly/3twcYt2

Learning does not stop when the school bell rings. After 3PM, learners can build skills, explore interests, work through challenges and grow in confidence. That’s what being Switched On looks like. 💡 Make Thursday a #SwitchedOnThursday. Share a moment from your ASP.

Switched On!💡 We visited Phakamani Young Minds Academy and Othandweni After School and the learners taught our #LightsOn mascot icebreakers, dance moves and what being #SwitchedOn really looks like. Vote for your fav name: buff.ly/VN6rGtz #LightsOnAfterSchool

Thank you for joining our 2026 #LightsOnWebinar today! We hope you’re feeling inspired and ready to get #SwitchedOn! Tell us about your #LightsOn plans & we could bring the mascot to you! bit.ly/LightsOnActivations20… #AfterSchoolSA #LightsOn2026 #BeyondTheClassroom

Get ready to shine a light on the important work happening across the after-school sector. Join us tomorrow, 10 September, from 10:00–12:00 for the Lights On After School Webinar, taking place online.buff.ly/icnY2MW See you there! #LightsOnAfterSchool #AfterSchoolSA

Happy International Literacy Day! 📚 Only around 30% of Grades 1–3 learners are reading at grade level. We need to act. After School Programmes can give struggling learners the time, targeted support and space to practise and strengthen their literacy foundations.