Schools 4 Schools South Africa Team Blog

Introducing the GOLD Track 4 Peer Educators!

Sanibonani everyone! Over three days last week, the S4S team attended training for GOLD Track 4 Peer Educators (also known as T4s or Lead Peer Educators.) It was a fantastic opportunity for us to get to know some inspirational young people and a chance for us to work with them on the content they will be producing for their IO’s and for you guys back in Australia!

What is a Track 4 you ask?

A Track 4 is a young person who has been through the GOLD Peer Education Program at high school. This means they have completed Track 1 Peer Education in Year 10, Track 2 Peer Education in Year 11 and Track 3 Peer Education in Year 12. Since they have enjoyed being part of the program so much at school, these young people have applied to become a GOLD Track 4 after finishing high school. Out of many applicants, only six lucky people were selected to become T4s for the schools that S4S works with.

So what does being a Track 4 actually involve?

The T4s undertake a structured one-year course, training them to become GOLD co-facilitators for their IO and equipping them with skills and knowledge to continue to make a difference in their community. As part of this one-year program, T4s undertake an elective called ‘Advocacy and Programme Visibility’ and this is where Schools 4 Schools comes in.

How does Schools 4 Schools fit in with Track 4s?

The T4s ‘Advocacy and Programme Visibility’ elective is designed to transform T4s into ‘special advocacy and media agents.’ What does this mean? Basically the T4s will learn to be the voices for GOLD, their community and their IO, so that they can raise awareness of issues, promote the work they are doing, advocate for themselves and their community and share their stories with the world. Through S4S, the T4s are able to reach out and share their stories half way across the world and have an impact on young people throughout Australia!

Track 4s and YOU!

To be more specific, the T4s have a number or outputs they produce over the course of their year-long program, some of which are directly used for S4S. T4s interview and photograph Peer Educators for the S4S Peer Educator of the Month profile. They take photos of schools and gather information for S4S School Profiles & Updates. And they also assist Peer Educators in Letter Writing Clubs, to respond to letters from you guys in Australia! So basically this content you receive is what the T4s have created for you!

The six inspiring Track 4s we are working with this year are:

From left to right: Mthokozisi Mvalelwa, Brian Nabilika, Sphelele Zuma, Manqoba Kuzwayo, Princess Ngcobo & Thandeka Mngomezulu

GOLD Track 4 Peer Educators

Stay tuned to the S4S blog, Facebook page and YouTube channel to hear all about our training days with the T4s, as well as photos and a special video message from the T4s to YOU!