REALEMA TEACHER INTERN PROGRAMME
Nonprofit Organization
GROWING TEACHERS FOR TOMORROW
ABOUT US
We offer comprehensive bursaries to selected talented and hard-working black students, who could not otherwise afford a tertiary degree, to study for a teaching degree, while gaining valuable work experience as full-time teacher interns at top schools. We help our bursary recipients escape the poverty cycle by building sustainable careers in teaching, while also developing the passionate and professional teachers that South Africa so badly needs.
WHAT SETS US APART
OUR INTERNS ARE NOT STRANGERS TO US.
- We source our interns from previously disadvantaged and financially underprivileged communities through schools and programmes that we know well.
WE SUPPORT THEM BEFORE THEY RECEIVE BURSARIES.
- We start supporting our interns during school through our Matric Programme to help them achieve the best final school results that they can, and we start preparing them for life after school.
WE ENSURE THAT THEY ARE SUITED TO TEACHING.
- During matric, our intern candidates need to complete an aptitude test and they job-shadow teachers at a top Johannesburg school for a week.
- The application process includes a character assessment, a letter of motivation and numerous interviews.
OUR COMPREHENSIVE AND LAYERED MENTORING SYSTEM.
- Each intern has two mentors: A Workplace Mentor and a Goodwill Mentor.
- They receive individual additional academic tuition, have full access to a counsellor and have free 24/7 access to Realema’s Management.
- They receive additional life skills workshops and share knowledge in monthly gatherings.
OUR PARTNER SCHOOL SYSTEM.
- Our Partner Schools are top schools who support our vision and give freely of their time and expertise to help our interns succeed. During the four years of their internship, they receive unparrallelled work experience, which ensures a professional approach to teaching once they graduate.
WE OFFER THEM FULL ACCOMMODATION.
- Our interns receive food and lodging at our Partner Schools. This eliminates daily commuting stress and expenses, and reduces some of the pressures they may experience in their home environments.
WE OFFER ACADEMIC SUPPORT
Distance study is challenging when you work full-time. Our interns receive a laptop, individual academic tutoring, lessons in time management, study skills, etc. and administrative support to help set them up for academic success.
OUR STORY
In 2013, Patrick Lees (then Head of St John’s Preparatory School and now Executive Headmaster of Pridwin) and Pieter Steyn (then Head of Masibambane College) decided to offer teacher internships to deserving matric candidates from Masibambane College in Orange Farm (a township south of Johannesburg), to provide them with a tertiary education opportunity and address the dearth of good teachers in South Africa. Pier Myburgh joined them shortly after, to create and implement a sustainable programme plan. Since then, we have grown exponentially, and are honoured to partner with some of the top schools in and around Johannesburg.
WHAT WE DO
Our programme is divided into two parts: the matric year and the four subsequent years of long-distance tertiary studies for a B.Ed degree, while working as teacher interns at top schools.
CANDIDATE ENRICHMENT PROGRAMME
The Candidate Enrichment Programme (CEP) helps our candidates to decide whether teaching is the right career for them, while also introducing them to life skills that help them to reach their goals. The CEP also forms an essential part of our selection process, as we get to know the candidates through our various interactions with them.
TEACHER INTERNSHIP BURSARIES
We offer full bursaries that include accommodation and living expenses, internship salary, IT equipment, university fees, individual academic tutoring, psychological and other professional support. A comprehensive mentoring program includes the appointment of individual workplace and goodwill mentors, enrichment outings and life-skills coaching. In addition, the interns become fully integrated into the teaching faculty and all aspects of the academic, sporting and extra-curricular lives of the Partner Schools where they are placed.
CANDIDATE ENRICHMENT PROGRAMME
We get to know most of our prospective bursary recipients during matric (their last year of school), when we give them life skills lessons such as stress management, study skills, sexual wellbeing and interview skills. They also complete comprehensive aptitude tests and job shadow teachers, so that they can experience what it feels like to be a teacher and make informed choices about their future. Towards the end of their matric year, after an extensive selection process, successful candidates are offered Realema bursaries. Candidates who have already matriculated are also considered for a bursary and join the CEP too.
TEACHER INTERNSHIP BURSARY
Tertiary bursary: We support bursary recipients for the four years that it takes them to complete a BEd degree. The interns become fully integrated into the teaching faculty of our Partner Schools. The bursaries include:
University fees and books
Accommodation and food
Internship salary
Laptop and IT support
Individual academic tutoring
Professional psychological counselling
Comprehensive mentorship that includes two mentors per intern
Life skills workshops such as financial management, workplace etiquette, time management and goal setting
Assistance with medical aid
Assistance in applying for teaching posts after graduation
OUR COST
Total cost to Realema/intern/annum: R98 030
Total cost per intern for the four years to complete a teaching degree: R392 120
We only offer a bursary if we have donations or strong pledges in place to cover the four years that it takes to complete a teaching degree.
Our Partner Schools provide accommodation and food and pay the interns’ stipend. Some partner schools also offer to pay the university fees.
OUR INTERNS
We have offered 56 internship bursaries in 2023. Of our 38 alumni, 37 have received full time teaching posts in South African schools, with one alumnus having taken a locum position. Our graduates join our alumni association, called Realumni.
OUR TEAM
Many teachers and volunteers offer hours of their time and expertise to contribute to Realema's success, and we are grateful to them all.
Founder, Executive Committee and Trustee
Patrick is a passionate educator with nearly 30 years’ experience as a teacher. He served as headmaster of our founding partner school, St John’s Preparatory, for ten years and as the Executive Headmaster of Pridwin Preparatory School for three years. He is currently the headmaster of Kearsney College in KwaZulu-Natal. Patrick has a heartfelt desire to develop teachers in the holistic interest of children. He is excited about transformation and 21st century education and its relevance to the South African context.
CEO, Executive Committee and Trustee
Pier Myburgh started her working life as a journalist at the Financial Mail. She became a stockbroker in 1988, trading derivatives for ten years, during which time she owned her own stockbroking business. She has completed a Master’s Degree in Creative Writing and published several short stories in South Africa and the USA. After heading up corporate sustainability at Liberty and Absa Capital, she joined Patrick Lees in 2013, to help him design, launch and implement Realema’s strategy.
Johannesburg Manager
Sello holds a Bachelor of Business Administration degree. Himself having been a beneficiary of a non-profit, he feels a strong sense of devotion to the community. He has a decade of experience in the NPO space, where he has held roles in fundraising, relationship and teacher internship management, with a focus on working with students, schools, universities and government departments. Sello started his professional career at Daimler Chrysler SA (Mercedes-Benz SA) as a graduate trainee, from where he went on to manage the Dealer Compliance team, as well as Fleet Pricing, Sales and Key Accounts.
Trustee
Nombuso Ramokgopa qualified as a professional nurse from Chris Hani-Baragwanath Nursing College in 1996 and has worked in both the public and private healthcare sectors in various capacities. She is involved in the care space for the elderly and in youth and women upliftment projects. Nombuso holds a Master’s Degree in Bioethics from Wits University, is a member of the IoDSA and serves on boards of several non-profit organisations.
Trustee
Graeme is an Independent Business Advisor and Non-Executive Director serving on several boards and governance committees. His previous executive roles include being the Head of Corporate Banking and the Private Bank at Standard Bank, as well as a Senior Industrial Advisor at Financial Investment Group Brait. He has been a Trustee of the St John’s College Foundation since 2009 and served as Chairman from January 2016 to May 2018. He was a member of the St John’s College Council from 2010 until February 2019 and has served as a Trustee on the Natures Valley Trust since 2009.
Trustee
Daniel Pretorius is a partner at Bowmans, practising in the public law and regulatory areas, with a special focus on education. Daniel has served on the governing bodies of St John’s College, Holy Family College, St Martin de Porres School, and St Augustine College of South Africa. From 2013 until 2018, he took a sabbatical from law to teach History and Latin at St John’s College. During that time, he served on many of the school’s committees, including the transformation & diversity committee.
OUR PARTNERS
Where the tremendous effort of our interns, donors, partner schools, mentors and friends intersect, you will find Realema. As much as Realema influences others, so others influence Realema. Together, we are making a difference to South African education and communities.
WITHOUT OUR WONDERFUL PARTNERS, REALEMA WOULD NOT BE POSSIBLE.
PARTNER SCHOOLS
We partner with top schools in and around Johannesburg, who freely share their expertise and teaching resources with our interns. Our interns receive a stipend, and food and lodging at the schools, which greatly reduces the stress and expense that goes with commuting and living away from home.
DONORS
Realema means to grow, plow or farm. Just like the African Rock Rose, our interns are beautiful, grateful and hardy. We rely on donations to do our work, and behind every gift that we receive, is an individual or group of people who understands the importance of transforming teaching in South Africa, to secure a future for our children and grandchildren.
MENTORS AND FRIENDS
We pride ourselves on the depth and quality of support that we offer our interns – from matric until they graduate with a Bachelor of Education degree. Our mentoring programmes rely heavily on volunteers; we are most grateful to our many wonderful mentors and friends, who help us grow the teachers of tomorrow.
HELP US GROW TEACHERS
MAKE A DONATION
Your donation will help us to discover and grow the best teaching potential from our communities.
Contact pier@realema.org if you wish to receive a B-BBEE verification and a S18A tax certificate.
You can make a direct deposit to the following bank account:
Realema Teacher Intern Programme
Standard Bank
Rosebank
282471456
Ref: Your name and email so that we can acknowledge your generosity (you may elect to remain anonymous).
Click here to sign up to MySchool and swipe your card to effortlessly support Realema. You will receive your card in the post, and it is also available on a mobile app for MySchool.
Contact us today and start getting involved.
