The Learning Trust

07/09/2026

𝗜𝘁'𝘀 𝗢𝗡! 💡

𝗪𝗼𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗵𝗼𝘄 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗰𝗮𝗻 𝗴𝗲𝘁 𝗶𝗻𝘃𝗼𝗹𝘃𝗲𝗱 𝗶𝗻 𝗟𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁𝘀 𝗢𝗻 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟲 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝘆 𝘀𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗰𝗵𝗲𝗱 𝗼𝗻?
Join us for the Lights On webinar to learn more about this year’s Lights On After School campaign, the activities planned and how you can get involved and support the campaign.

The webinar will be an opportunity to connect, learn and discover ways to help keep the lights on for young people across South Africa.

📅 Date: 10 September 2026
🕙 Time: 10:00 - 12:00
💻 Online
🔗Register here: https://buff.ly/7nNdqoj

Get switched on. Get involved. Let’s make Lights On 2026 count!

04/09/2026

𝗙𝗜𝗡𝗔𝗟 𝗖𝗔𝗟𝗟: 𝗡𝗔𝗠𝗘 𝗢𝗨𝗥 #𝗟𝗜𝗚𝗛𝗧𝗦𝗢𝗡 𝗠𝗔𝗦𝗖𝗢𝗧!

The clock is ticking! There’s still time to help us give our mascot a name — and your ASP and one of your after-school leaners could walk away with cool prizes!

We’re looking for a name that captures the spirit of After School Programmes (ASPs) and what it means to be Switched On! Ready to Learn. Ready to Play. Ready to Grow.

𝗛𝗼𝘄 𝘁𝗼 𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗿:
- Come up with a creative name for our mascot.
- Submit your entry via the competition form.
- Get your ASP ready to cheer for your name!

Don’t miss your chance to name the Lights On mascot and put your ASP in the running for cool prizes!

Enter now: https://bit.ly/LightsOnMascotCompetition

03/09/2026

Turn Thursday into a !

Every Thursday until Lights On Day on 22 October, show us what it means to be Switched On.

Share a moment from your After School Programme. Show us how learners Learn. Play. Grow. Celebrate a practitioner, mentor, coach or facilitator.

Tag The Learning Trust and YearBeyond.

02/09/2026

𝗪𝗘𝗕𝗦𝗜𝗧𝗘 𝗨𝗣𝗗𝗔𝗧𝗘: 𝗪𝗘’𝗥𝗘 𝗕𝗔𝗖𝗞 𝗢𝗡𝗟𝗜𝗡𝗘

We’re pleased to let you know that The Learning Trust website is back online!

You can now visit our website to learn more about our work, access resources, follow our latest campaigns and stay connected to what’s happening across the After School sector.

Visit us online:
www.thelearningtrust.org

01/09/2026

Our website is currently experiencing a technical issue and is temporarily unavailable.

We are working to resolve the issue and restore access as soon as possible.

In the meantime, if you need to get in touch with The Learning Trust or require information about our work, please contact us directly via our social media channels or email [email protected]

We apologise for the inconvenience and appreciate your patience. We’ll let you know once the website is back online.

01/09/2026

𝗪𝗵𝘆 𝗱𝗼 𝘄𝗲 𝗰𝗲𝗹𝗲𝗯𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗟𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁𝘀 𝗢𝗻 𝗔𝗳𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗦𝗰𝗵𝗼𝗼𝗹? 💡

Because what happens after the school bell rings matters.

Lights On After School celebrates the vital role that After School Programmes (ASPs) play in creating opportunities for learners and young people to learn, play and grow 𝙗𝙚𝙮𝙤𝙣𝙙 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙘𝙡𝙖𝙨𝙨𝙧𝙤𝙤𝙢.

Across communities, ASPs provide spaces where learners can get support with their schoolwork, discover new interests, develop skills, build confidence, form meaningful relationships and simply have a safe place to belong.

It’s also a chance to recognise the facilitators, mentors, coaches, volunteers, organisations, schools and communities who keep these opportunities #𝗦𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗰𝗵𝗲𝗱𝗢𝗡 𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘆 𝗱𝗮𝘆.

This year, we’re making the message visible. Is your profile switched ON? 💡

Join the Lights On After School 2026 movement by updating your profile photo with the frame and show your support for after-school programmes.

Change your profile photo. Tag us. Encourage your network to do the same.

Let’s make South Africa’s support for ASPs impossible to miss.

#𝗦𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗰𝗵𝗲𝗱 𝗢𝗡! 💡 𝗥𝗲𝗮𝗱𝘆 𝘁𝗼 𝗟𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗻. 𝗥𝗲𝗮𝗱𝘆 𝘁𝗼 𝗣𝗹𝗮𝘆. 𝗥𝗲𝗮𝗱𝘆 𝘁𝗼 𝗚𝗿𝗼𝘄.

Explore campaign resources here:
https://www.thelearningtrust.org/lights-on-after-school/

31/08/2026

We recently hosted our first Community of Practice (CoP) in Limpopo, bringing together 11 After School Programmes(ASPs) from across the province. Made possible through our mapping of ASPs in Limpopo, the session created space for ASP to connect, share experiences and explore what quality means in practice.

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗮𝗹𝘀𝗼 𝘀𝘂𝗿𝗳𝗮𝗰𝗲𝗱 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗽𝗹𝗶𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗮𝘀 𝗮𝗻 𝗶𝗺𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁𝗮𝗻𝘁 𝗮𝗿𝗲𝗮 𝗼𝗳 𝗻𝗲𝗲𝗱.

Together, we unpacked some of the key requirements ASPs need to navigate, including registration with the Department of Social Development, SARS tax exemption and PBO status and NPO/NPC registration.

Check out this learning brief to learn more about compliance - https://buff.ly/s2EtcdS

For organisations, understanding these requirements is not simply about meeting regulatory obligations— it is about strengthening the systems, practices and governance that help programmes operate sustainably and safeguard the children and communities they serve.

The first CoP has laid the foundation for an ongoing peer-learning space in Limpopo, one where organisations can learn from one another, build collective knowledge and take practical steps towards strengthening their programmes.

We look forward to continuing this journey with Limpopo’s ASP space and building a stronger culture of shared learning and collaboration.

27/08/2026

𝗪𝗵𝗲𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘀𝗰𝗵𝗼𝗼𝗹 𝗯𝗲𝗹𝗹 𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴𝘀, 𝗼𝗽𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁𝘂𝗻𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗯𝗲𝗴𝗶𝗻𝘀.

Lights On After School South Africa is back for its 7th year under the theme:𝙎𝙬𝙞𝙩𝙘𝙝𝙚𝙙 𝙊𝙣! 𝙍𝙚𝙖𝙙𝙮 𝙩𝙤 𝙇𝙚𝙖𝙧𝙣. 𝙍𝙚𝙖𝙙𝙮 𝙩𝙤 𝙋𝙡𝙖𝙮. 𝙍𝙚𝙖𝙙𝙮 𝙩𝙤 𝙂𝙧𝙤𝙬.

This year, we’re celebrating the role of After School Programmes (ASPs) in creating opportunities for children and young people to learn, play and grow .

From community activations to youth-led opportunities, the 2026 campaign will bring the value of the after-school sector to life across South Africa. Get ready to shine a light on the power of after-school on 22 October 2026!

Read the full announcement and find out what’s planned for Lights On 2026: https://www.thelearningtrust.org/when-the-school-bell-rings-opportunity-begins-lights-on-after-school-south-africa-returns-for-its-7th-year/

The 2026 Lights On After School campaign, returns to South Africa for its seventh year under the theme Switched On! Ready to Learn. Ready to Play. Ready to Grow. The campaign is led by The Learning Trust and YearBeyond, with support from partners across the country, celebrates the people and organis...

26/08/2026

💡𝗛𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗵𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗱? 𝗟𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁𝘀 𝗢𝗻 𝗔𝗳𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗦𝗰𝗵𝗼𝗼𝗹 𝗶𝘀 𝗯𝗮𝗰𝗸!

And this year, we're welcoming a new member to the Lights On family—our very own mascot!

But there’s just one problem: our mascot needs a name!

We want you to help us choose a name that captures the spirit of after-school—learning, playing, growing, creativity, fun and opportunity.

Got a cool name in mind? Enter now and tell us what you think our mascot should be called and why. You could stand a chance to win an exciting Lights On hamper packed with goodies!

Let’s give our mascot a name that brings the spirit of to life: https://bit.ly/LightsOnMascotCompetition

Enter now and let’s hear your ideas!

21/08/2026

💡Help us name our Mascot!

Entries for the Mascot naming competition are officially open! We're inviting learners, practitioners and After School Programmes (ASPs) to get creative and help us choose a name that represents ASPs in South Africa.

Think bold. Think joyful. Think Switched On! 👊🏼

Competition Opens 21 August

Click the link to access the competition form:
https://bit.ly/LightsOnMascotCompetition