Many young people in and around the inner city go through their school years without the educational support they need outside the classroom. With challenges at home and in their learning environments, their futures often depend on the resources they and their schools simply don’t have.
The Windybrow Arts Centre’s community‑driven after‑school support programmes are designed to shift that reality through arts education, literacy promotion and homework support.
The Literacy and Homework Support Programme offers a structured after-school learning space that encourages reading and writing for meaning, literacy development and language support. Again, the programme sharpens participants’ research skills and information literacy, as well as spelling, comprehension and vocabulary.
Victoria Ncube joined the Literacy and Homework Support programme two years ago. At the time, she was not in school. However, she demonstrated a strong desire not to be left behind, leading to The Windybrow placing her in a school.
“Attending Windybrow feels like an adventure. I love the idea of having something to do in the afternoons. It helps uplift my mood and keeps me focused, instead of thinking about other things. At the library, we read and write a lot. I started reading and writing more…I was able to learn difficult words, punctuation, verbs, and how to use them correctly,” she shares.
Victoria’s mother, Sibonginkosi Ncube, expressed deep appreciation for how her daughter’s life transformed since joining The Windybrow Arts Centre community. “I watched her transition from being a sad and lonely child to becoming happier after joining the programme. She also stopped worrying so much about not being in school because she was learning a lot here.”
For a comprehensive development, participants also get Marimba music lessons, conducted on Wednesdays and aimed at encouraging creativity, rhythm, concentration and teamwork, while giving children a much needed break from books.
Research proves that music supports memory, language development and emotional expression.
Additionally, the Centre offers art therapy sessions in collaboration with UJ Art Therapy Honours students, assisting learners with safe emotional expressions, improved focus and confidence, reduced stress and anxiety.
The Centre’s Children’s Reading Room houses a unique collection of age-appropriate reading materials in all South African languages, providing children and youth with access to reading materials in their mother tongue with themes they can relate to.
Extra tutorial support is also offered for Grade 8 – 12 learners in all subjects, and learners are allowed to walk in for homework guidance.
Other support programmes include the Schools Outreach on Tuesdays at I.H. Harris Primary School and Centurion College, the Annual Spelling Bee for schools around Windybrow and the Johannesburg Inner City and matric exams rewrite
preparations.