Extension Service
Through an Extension Service, the Centre is reaching out to areas beyond Gauteng, e.g. North West Province and Mpumalanga. Through our own resources and networking with other related organisations workshops for teachers, students, businesses and local communities are offered. Use is made of existing community centres where possible in order to make these programmes accessible to a broader group of people.
The primary aim of the Extension Service is to encourage environmental projects that could easily be defined within the RDP, e.g. recycling, food gardening and artistic work like pottery, as they lead to job creation and improving the immediate environment. The nature of the project must include active participation, community involvement and problem-solving skills development. Through this service, communities learn to resolve day-to-day environmental and community-based problems.
As a non-formal educational institution , operating as a NGO, the Centre has provided a very meaningful service to a broad spectrum of the community, always using innovative and creative approaches to environmental education and awareness programmes. The underlying theme of all the programmes is the wise use of resources, whether they be human, natural or man-made objects.
Training of mentors / tutors / teachers-in-charge / youth club leaders of environmental projects
One of the main responsibilities of the Extension Officer is to ensure that sustainable environmental projects are identified and undertaken by as many community-based organisations as possible.
The role of the mentor / tutor / teacher-in-charge / youth club leader is vital for any such projects' success in terms of:
- Assisting the group to identify an environmental problem that will be manageable for the group to solve (or go part of the way in achieving that goal in the first year);
- the project must be sustainable, incorporate elements of environmental auditing and have obvious on-going benefit for the local area and its inhabitants;
- guiding the group in working out an action plan that follows a logical sequence and setting feasible deadlines;
- helping the group to identify useful resources, contact persons and providing them with relevant skills training where necessary, eg. Use of a tape recorder, how to conduct an interview or a survey, note-taking, etc.
- monitoring the group's progress and problem-solving with them as the need arises;
- making the group aware of all the different methods of displaying and sharing their efforts, especially using the media (both printed and electronic) to enhance the sustainability of the project; and
- maintaining contact with Delta's Extension Officer, who will be able to assist the group, when appropriate.
Our Extension Officer facilitates and presents in-depth workshops enabling the participants to present similar training workshops in their respective areas - a "Train-the-Trainer" approach. The Extension Officer needs to interact with these groups at least twice during the year.
The ripple or multiplier effect of this process is obvious and should have a noticeable effect on the quality and extent of environmental projects in years to come.
Objectives of Youth Upliftment Programme on Environmental Education:
- To expose participants to a variety of experiences that will motivate them to implement sustainable environmental projects in their neighbourhoods, eg. Recycling activities, gardening/peace gardens, park developments, water testing, environmental drama or art competitions, etc. These activities will contribute to the RDP in terms of social upliftment, through, for example, informal job creation and improvement in the local communities' quality of life.
- To encourage promotion of the sustainable use of resources in order to enhance the quality of life. The emphases is on resource utilisation, within the South African context, as the means for conveying the broad environmental message ie. Agriculture, urbanisation, the wise use of resources, environmental health, waste disposal, etc. It has always been the Centre'' policy to make environmental and conservation programmes relevant to the youth and the society, by using our Centre and its resources.
The Training and Development activities would:
1. develop personal skills eg.organisation, management, planning, problem-solving, fund-raising, etc.
2. increase environmental knowledge and information, and
3. encourage networking amongst the groups.
Training workshops will be offered at Delta and/or any other suitable venues, eg. community centres or halls. Evaluation will be ongoing as constant contact will be maintained with Delta staff and feedback will be ensured. Delta's Extension Service staff will co-ordinate and manage this process.
The following points should form the basis of the assignment and/or environmental project identified:
- sustainability
- community participation and involvement
- convey environmental awareness/messages
- definable within RDP
- innovation/creativity displayed
- educational benefit.
This plan of action is subject to alteration and/or discussion to ensure effective results for the projects.
Community Projects: