BACKGROUND AND EXPERTISE

The Educational Support Services Trust was founded as a non-profit organisation in 1986. Its key involvement is in school-based education and civic education. Its programmes offer optimum educational growth opportunities to all learners, especially those from previously disadvantaged backgrounds.

Since 1986 ESST has served millions of learners across the continent of Africa. All its educational work is based on a methodology of shared learning and shared meaning-making — reaching, informing and educating people in their respective first languages.

All ESST's learning material is characterised by its end-user friendliness, its accessibility, its ability to stimulate, and its ability to draw even those who cannot read into a spontaneous process of discussion. The content is of a highly interactive nature and impacts on the mind in a multi-sensory manner.

ESST is the largest non-commercial producer of educational material and programmes in Africa. It conducts continuous in-depth research into the social, linguistic, cognitive and academic principles underlying its methodology of shared learning and takes note of the most recent local and international research findings in its field.

METHODOLOGY AND RESEARCH

Example of pages from Let Us Overcome Poverty

• All ESST's material is based on a methodology of shared learning and shared meaning-making. This methodology has been researched over many years and is the outcome of a belief that the most effective learning takes place informally and in a stimulating learning environment.
• Our material is designed in such a way that it appeals to the end-user, evoking spontaneous interest and excitement.
• Through personified text the end-user identifies subconsciously with the characters on each page, participating in the action and experiencing what they experience.
• The interplay between text, visual portrayal and context impacts on the learner in a multi-sensory manner, creating a vibrant interaction between what is on the page and what goes on in the mind of the learner.

• ESST conducts ongoing research into the most effective ways in which learning takes place and is enhanced. Our methodology manifests itself in the way our material is developed and is at the cutting edge of international research.

Address: 9 Kommissaris Street, Welgemoed, Bellville, 7530, REPUBLIC OF SOUTH AFRICA

Postal: P O Box 6460, Welgemoed, Bellville, 7538, REPUBLIC OF SOUTH AFRICA

E-mail: studio2@esst.org.za

Website: http://www.esst.org.za

Telephone No: (021) 913-7710

Fax No: (021) 913-7727