SEED’s Story | Seed Educational Trust

2000-2006

Initial facilitation course led to the formation of the Church and Community Facilitation programme (CFN) with Stellenbosch University’s Faculty of Theology
Evolve to training “facilitative leaders” with expanded leadership and mentoring programmes

2006-2008

SEED Education Trust is registered in 2007
Launch of the School Leadership Programme (SLP), focusing on 42 schools across the Metropole East Education District in the Western Cape
Broader focus includes Early Childhood Development, employment and housing projects

2008-2011

Financial challenges due to the global financial crisis, prompting Seed Trust to streamline operations and focus only on developing leaders
Refined organizational mission: ‘to develop skills, confidence and hope in leaders in the social sector so that they can lead effectively’

2011-2016

Stellenbosch University Business School Executive Development (USB-ED) programme accreditation, followed by multiyear partnerships with Nedbank and Old Mutual
SEED expands nationwide running more than 30 leadership development programmes in more than 50 schools and with District officials from 7 districts from 4 different provinces

2018-2019

Start of an ongoing collaboration with the Eastern Cape Department of Education
Launch of the yearlong Coaching and Mentoring Pilot Programme for Circuit Managers (CMs), equipping them to lead school principals differently
Exceptional completion and pass rates follow, as SEED solidifies its model to support district-level educational leaders (over 100 CMs reached)
Growing organizational focus on research and advocacy, monitoring and evaluation processes

2020-2021

Adaptation during the pandemic included online learning, despite connectivity challenges of working with rural areas
Old Mutual funds a new intake of Circuit Managers (30), while SEED maintains its programme success rates

2022-2024

Contracted by Old Mutual to provide leadership development programmes as a five-year project to improve literacy and numeracy in 100 schools across the Eastern Cape and Limpopo
While the Old Mutual funded project does not continue as intended, encouraged by the programme’s success and its scalability, The SEED Trustees strategize around a shift of focus

2024 onwards

Collaboration with provincial education departments and Districts to support them in delivering their legislated mandates
Multiple collaboration partners
Social enterprise arm with the Curro’s Leadership Development Programme
Driving the systemic shift to strengthen the educational system’s capacity to develop its own leaders