More About the Academy

Learners

The Oprah Winfrey Leadership Academy for Girls - South Africa offers girls in grades 7 through 12 an opportunity to develop their full intellectual, social and leadership potential. To be eligible to attend, girls must be South African, academically talented, able to demonstrate leadership qualities and come from a disadvantaged family or community.

The Oprah Winfrey Leadership Academy for Girls - South Africa admits learners of any race, color, national and ethnic origin to all the rights, privileges, programmes and activities generally accorded or made available to learners at the Academy. It does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national and ethnic origin in administration of its educational policies, admissions policies, scholarship and loan programs and athletic and other school administered programs.

Curriculum

The Academy follows a rigorous, dynamic and innovative curriculum designed to develop critical, questioning minds in preparation for university study. The curriculum is based on South Africa’s national standards, and offers classes such as:

—  Mathematics, natural science and technology
—  Arts and culture
—  Social, economic and management sciences
—  Life orientation and leadership
—  Languages

To bring the curriculum to life, the brightest educators have been selected to teach at the Academy. With a student-teacher ratio of approximately 20 to 1, tremendous opportunities exist for collaboration and one-on-one learning. Teachers are committed to using innovative teaching techniques and to maximizing use of the abundant resources and state-of-the-art technology that form part of the Academy’s educational environment.

Culture

The theme of leadership and leadership development is integrated throughout the Academy in both its academic and social activities. This emphasis on leadership is rooted in the South African principle of ubuntu/botho which encompasses the ideals of humanity, compassion and service to others. The spirit of ubuntu/botho is incorporated throughout the Academy and is central to the way in which learners think, speak and interact with others.

Throughout their years at the Academy, learners come to embody the spirit of ubuntu/botho and are able to harness their critical thinking and leadership skills to serve and to inspire those around them. Their self-confidence is balanced by compassion and empathy and their assertiveness by a sense of responsibility to others.

Most importantly, the experience of attending the Academy will produce graduates who are able to navigate a variety of social and cultural contexts throughout the world, but who remain committed to the development of South Africa and the African continent.

Facilities

Spanning 21 hectares (52 acres), the Academy’s 28-building campus offers a safe, nurturing and beautiful educational and residential environment for learners. All buildings are designed with learners in mind and built with natural material, to maintain the architectural integrity of the surrounding community.

Learners live in modern dormitory facilities along the Street of Living. Down the Street of Learning are 21 state-of-the-art classrooms and six labs, including art, science, computer and design technology. All classrooms have an outdoor study area, as well as SMART Board™ technology.

To support learning beyond the classroom, the Academy offers a computer lab, a 10,000-volume library, a more than 600-seat theatre and a multifunctional stage, music practice rooms, an outdoor amphitheatre, sports fields, a gymnasium and a wellness centre.

Extra-curricular Activities

Learning is continuously encouraged in the Academy's boarding school environment. Teachers, staff and outside instructors lead the girls in a variety of extra-curricular activities, allowing learners to excel in their own unique ways.

Girls can participate in sports such as netball, tennis and track and field, while yoga, dance, choir and musical groups provide other outlets for the girls to express their creative and physical energy.