Global honour for innovative SA education projects

Green Shoots’ Integrated Maths Programme is one of four programmes selected for the HundrED Global Collection 2027. Photo: Green Shoots website

• Four South African programmes have been selected for the HundrED’s 2027 Global Collection, recognising 100 education innovations worldwide.
• The programmes are Six Bricks, YearBeyond, the Integrated Maths Programme and Columba Leadership.
• The selection recognises programmes that are making a difference in education and have the potential to reach more learners. They were chosen from 846 submissions and recognises initiatives with demonstrated impact and potential to expand.

Four South African programmes tackling education challenges ranging from early learning gaps to youth unemployment have been selected for the HundrED’s 2027 Global Collection.

The programmes are Six Bricks, YearBeyond, the Integrated Maths Programme and the Columba Leadership programme.

The 2027 collection was announced in Madrid on 12 November at an event held alongside the Global Education Forum.

HundrED is a Finland-based organisation that has selected 100 education innovations it considers impactful and scalable.

The 2027 collection was chosen from 846 submissions from over 100 countries. The selected innovations come from 45 countries and collectively reach more than 152 million learners in 212 countries and territories.

This year’s theme is human flourishing. According to HundrED, the selected innovations demonstrate ways of supporting young people’s learning, wellbeing and ability to build fulfilling lives in a rapidly changing world.

To qualify, an innovation must have been in use for at least a year and reach at least 1,000 children. Being selected brings recognition and visibility, but no funding.

In the collection report, HundrED Foundation chair Lasse Leponiemi said the organisation had asked its global community what human flourishing looked like. The responses showed that academic achievement matters, but so do “the relationships, opportunities, and environments that allow young people to thrive”.

He said the 100 innovations offered practical examples of what education could look like in different communities.

Six Bricks

“We are incredibly proud to have our work recognised on a global stage,” Care for Education said in a statement on Friday.

“This is a celebration of the power of play, the dedication of educators and facilitators, and the belief that play can create meaningful opportunities for children to learn, grow and thrive,” it added.

The Gauteng-based organisation developed Six Bricks, a programme that gives every child six Duplo bricks to keep on their desk. This makes the bricks a constant learning tool rather than a shared or occasional resource.

Care for Education says many children in underserved communities start school without foundational skills such as motor coordination, early problem-solving and language. Six Bricks was initially developed for South African children, but the approach has since been adopted internationally.

YearBeyond

YearBeyond started in the Western Cape as a project of the YeBo Institute. It places young people as literacy tutors and learning facilitators in schools and communities and helps them move into work, further study or entrepreneurship. Its programmes give learners in low- and no-fee public schools support in literacy, numeracy, life skills and psychosocial care. It also supports preschool children and their caregivers with literacy and physical development.

“We want to see an education system where every child receives the support they need to build strong foundational skills, especially in literacy by the age of 10, and where this support extends beyond the classroom into homes and communities,” said YeBo Institute CEO Jacqueline Boulle.

The model also gives young people experience and skills while they contribute to education in their communities.

Congratulating the team on Friday, Western Cape MEC for Cultural Affairs and Sport Ricardo Mackenzie said in a statement that YearBeyond was “equipping young people with the skills, confidence and experience to build better futures, while making a meaningful difference in the communities they serve”.

Integrated Maths Programme

Green Shoots’ Integrated Maths Programme, based in Cape Town, has three parts: online maths practice linked to the curriculum, support for teachers, and data on how learners are doing. Learners complete weekly online activities and receive immediate feedback.

The programme is designed to use little data and work on shared devices. Teachers use the data to spot misconceptions and group learners, and districts can use it to track trends and target support.

Green Shoots says the programme improves outcomes, with the strongest gains in under-resourced schools. Its website says it reaches more than 440,000 learners, 8,400 teachers, 900 schools and 300 officials.

Values-based Leadership in Secondary Schools

Columba Leadership, founded in 2009, runs a values-based leadership programme for young people and adults in schools. It says it operates in schools across eight provinces and aims to nurture responsible, socially conscious young people who can lead from where they are, rather than produce leaders in the conventional sense.

CEO Tracy Hackland said the programme has seen overwhelmed teachers reconnect with their purpose, principals recognise their schools’ potential for youth development, and learners inspire their peers.

Western Cape MEC for Cultural Affairs and Sport Ricardo Mackenzie congratulates YearBeyond participants after the programme was selected for HundrED’s Global Collection. Photo: Western Cape Department of Cultural Affairs and Sport

This story is produced by The Education Desk, a non-profit newsroom dedicated to addressing schooling challenges in South Africa.

© 2026 GroundUp. This article is published under the GroundUp Republication Licence Version 1.0. Email [email protected] to request permission to republish.

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