One Week, Many Conversations, New Possibilities

A Week of Conversations, Choices and Possibilities

Reflecting on Tlotlego Smiles Foundation’s Education and Career Development Week | 3 , 6 & 7 August 2026

Sometimes, one conversation can change the way a young person sees their future.

A learner asks a question they have never asked before.

An educator discovers a new way to guide learners.

A young person meets someone working in a career they never knew existed.

These moments may seem small, but they matter.

Over the past week, Tlotlego Smiles Foundation had the privilege of bringing together educators, learners, schools, higher education institutions, businesses and community organisations as part of a week focused on one important question:

How do we help young people make informed choices about their future?

It started with the educators

The week began on 3 August with a Life Orientation Seminar hosted by North-West University (NWU) in Potchefstroom.

Tlotlego Smiles Foundation was grateful to receive an invitation from NWU and to extend this opportunity to educators within our network.

The educators who attended work with learners from Grades 8 to 11 — the years in which many important questions begin to emerge.

What subjects should I choose? What am I good at? What careers exist? What opportunities are available to me?

The seminar gave educators an opportunity to engage with new ideas, practical resources and approaches that can help them guide learners more effectively.

For us, this was an important reminder that supporting learners also means supporting the people who walk alongside them every day.

Helping Grade 9 learners make informed choices

The focus then shifted to learners.

For Grade 9 learners, the conversations centred on subject choices and preparation for Grade 10.

At this stage, many young people are asked to choose subjects that may influence future study and career opportunities, often without fully understanding where those choices can lead.

The programme encouraged learners to think beyond the immediate decision.

Instead of asking only, “What subjects should I take?”, learners were encouraged to ask:

“What do I enjoy?”

“What are my strengths?”

“What opportunities could these subjects open for me in the future?”

Learners had the opportunity to engage with universities, a TVET college, businesses and professionals, asking questions and learning more about different pathways available after school.

The aim was not to tell learners what they should become.

It was to help them understand that their choices matter - and that they have more possibilities than they may realise.

Helping Grade 11 learners see the path ahead

For Grade 11 learners, the conversation looked a little different.

Many of these learners have already chosen their subjects. Their questions are often about what comes next.

Can I go to university?

What are the requirements?

What is a TVET college?

How do bursaries work?

What careers can I pursue with my subjects?

The programme gave learners an opportunity to engage directly with people and organisations who could help answer some of these questions.

Sometimes opportunities feel distant because young people have never met the people behind them.

A university becomes more real when you can speak to someone who studies there.

A career feels more possible when you meet someone working in that field.

These conversations matter because they help young people begin to see themselves in spaces they may never have imagined before.

More than careers

One of the important parts of the week was recognising that learners are more than their marks.

Young people carry questions, pressures, hopes and uncertainties.

That is why the programme also included conversations about wellbeing and mental health, reminding learners that asking for support is important and that their wellbeing matters too.

Education is not only about academic success.

It is also about confidence, support, resilience and knowing that you do not have to navigate life alone.

A community coming together

One of the most encouraging aspects of the week was seeing different organisations come together around young people.

Universities, colleges, businesses, industry representatives, community organisations, educators and schools all contributed their time, knowledge and experience.

This reminded us that preparing young people for the future is not the responsibility of schools alone.

It requires families, educators, institutions, businesses and communities working together.

When different people and organisations share what they know, learners gain access to ideas, information and opportunities that may otherwise remain out of reach.

Why this matters

At Tlotlego Smiles Foundation, we do not believe that career guidance is a once-off conversation.

It is a journey.

It starts with helping a learner understand their strengths.

It continues through subject choices, questions, exploration and exposure to different opportunities.

And it grows when young people are surrounded by people who believe in their potential.

The past week reminded us that sometimes the most important thing we can give a young person is not an answer.

Sometimes it is an opportunity to ask questions.

Sometimes it is exposure to new possibilities.

Sometimes it is simply knowing that there are people who care about their future.

We are grateful to every educator, learner, school, organisation and supporter who was part of this week.

Thank you for helping create spaces where young people could ask questions, explore possibilities and begin thinking more confidently about the future.

Because every child deserves the opportunity to learn, grow, discover their potential and thrive.

Tlotlego Smiles Foundation
Where every child thrives.