The University of Cape Town positions community engagement and social responsiveness as central to our Vision 2030. In 2024 UCT’s public programmes and units partnered with non-governmental organisations (NGOs/NPOs) and civil-society groups to deliver environmental education, outreach and practical learning opportunities for school learners, volunteers and members of the wider Cape Town community. The items below cite dated, verifiable UCT sources showing NGO collaboration on environmental education (summer-school showcases and volunteering, student society outreach, Knowledge Co-op partnerships and community-facing Future Water / sustainability displays).
1. UCT Summer School: “Summer School welcomes local NPOs, NGOs to annual showcase” (17 January 2024)
UCT’s flagship public education programme (Summer School) created a special exhibition space in January 2024 to showcase local NPOs and NGOs so participants could connect with local NPOs and NGOs, get a sense of their work in communities in and around Cape Town and learn from them.
As part of its centenary celebrations, the University of Cape Town’s (UCT) Summer School has created a special exhibition space in honour of several non-profit organisations (NPO) and non-governmental organisations (NGO) to showcase their work and indelible contribution to the people of the Mother City.
What this means is that Summer School participants will for the first time in the programme’s history have the opportunity to connect with local NPOs and NGOs, get a sense of their work in communities in and around Cape Town, ask pressing questions, and, where possible, make their own contributions via donations or volunteer programmes. The initiative reinforces the university’s commitment to transformation and social responsiveness.
2. South Africa / Flanders Climate Adaptation Research and Training Partnership
The South Africa / Flanders Climate Adaptation Research and Training Partnership (SAF-ADAPT) was funded by the Government of Flanders, and is a 4.5-year collaborative project between three South African universities (University of Cape Town, University of Fort Hare, and University of Venda); KLIMOS, a consortium of Belgian universities and research groups; and the South African Adaptation Network. It aimed to fill critical adaptation research gaps and enhance the capacity of South African universities and individuals, especially early career researchers, to generate and communicate research evidence for impact and build the capacity of those tasked with climate adaptation to deliver on their mandates.
One of the project’s desired outcomes is increasing awareness and knowledge of civil society, private sector, multilateral organisations and local communities (including NGOs) about how to respond to climate change impacts, and to engage in transdisciplinary climate change research.
The annual Summer School took place for the third time in 2024. The summer school aspires to adopt an Afrocentric pedagogy which promotes transformative social learning that is inter-disciplinary and context-sensitive. The specific topics covered vary year-on-year, though always include a balance of:
- The latest developments in climate change science, policy and practice
- The theory and practice of undertaking research on complex problems, across disciplines and in
- Collaboration with non-academic stakeholders (including NGOs)
- Research impact beyond journal publications
- Career progression in academia and beyond (incl. presentation skills, supervising students, grant proposal writing, tenure tracks)
3. UCT / Greenpop partnership and volunteering (27 January 2024)
- UCT public communications in January 2024 promoted opportunities to “get your hands dirty and get involved with Greenpop,” a well-known NGO focused on tree-planting, urban greening and environmental education for schools and communities - demonstrating UCT supporting NGO-led environmental education and volunteer activities in the city. Typically, volunteers are tasked with educating children about the importance of conserving and preserving the environment.
4. UCT Green Campus Initiative (GCI) - Outreach and education portfolios (site pages, 2024)
The student-run Green Campus Initiative has formal portfolios for “Outreach” and “Education” that aim to bring environmental sustainability concepts into the wider Cape Town community and integrate environmental topics into curricula. The GCI pages list community outreach activities and external partnerships.
This portfolio aims to bring environmental sustainability concepts, ideas and projects to the wider community, outside of UCT. UCT students are often passionate volunteers and this portfolio aims to provide the platform for eco-warriors to do their bit in the wider Cape Town area.