By mobilizing social capital, we help ±220 community-based after-school programs access resources (academic and operational) and training (governance and literacy/numeracy support) to provide academic support for 25 000 learners.

In May 2014, Outliers started training and mobilizing resources to build capacity in 12 after-school programs supporting 655 students. To date, Outliers is a network of 220 after-school programs impacting 25 000 students. These ASPs are located in, or serve students from, high-risk crime areas. Given the state of South Africa’s education system, creating safe spaces where these students can supplement their learning is critical in ensuring that they stay in school and progress to the next grade.

However, with limited access to skilled volunteers and academic resources, many who are passionate and have a vision for these safe spaces, struggle to keep it operating sustainably. They are also often limited to only offering the space one day per week, for a short period of time.

At Outliers, our vision is to see every child access a safe space for learning. Given that this is not the case in poor communities, our mission is to build capacity in after-school programs through training, resourcing and connecting for further opportunities. Though resourcing is necessary to support program operations in these low-resourced programs, training is the key element that equips program coordinators and volunteers. By giving them the skills to navigate their specific contexts and students we help them become sustainable and grow their impact.