What is the Leadership Seminar fuss all about…

The Leadership Seminar is a special event on our annual calendar. Leadership and teamwork are skills that are highly sought after in industry. This event is the first phase in preparing and equipping students for their role as future leaders; especially the SRC and Hostel Prim 2017. The seminar is open to anyone who is interested to gain leadership skills but is compulsory for all SRC nominees. Students who are ultimately elected to the SRC and Hostel Prim find it difficult to fulfill their leadership role effectively without the necessary leadership and teamwork background.

To enable you to participate (whether you are a SRC/Hostel Prim nominee or whether you are just a participant) a fee of R570.00 is payable. The fee includes seminar facilitation, outdoor adventure activities, hand-outs and questionnaires, accommodation, all meals during the weekend, as well as a leadership certificate. The fee is very reasonable. Comparatively speaking, the running rate for a similar training workshop for employees is R3500+ (excluding meals and accommodation) per person. 

It is a well-tested program, developed and refined over many years. All participants in the past agreed about the amount of learning and fun experienced during this event. This event will test you in many aspects from communication aspects, conflict management, negotiation skills, assertiveness, teamwork aspects, etc.

Further information for SRC/ Hostel Prim nominees:

Attendance of the seminar does not guarantee that you will automatically be elected for the SRC/Hostel Prim. After careful monitoring during the weekend a shortlist of approximately 16-20 candidates is compiled.  The shortlist will be published on notice boards on Monday 29 August 2016, 12:00. The shortlist students will take part in a campaign from Tuesday 30 August 2016 till Thursday 12 September 2016.  The voting/election takes place on Friday 13 September 2016 after the Big Brag. As a further capacity building event all members of the SRC/HC elected have to attend a strategic planning conference over the weekend of 14-16 October 2016 at Struisbaai. This event is FREE of charge and sponsored by the Academy.

Don’t miss out on this amazing opportunity.

For further information or should you have any questions, please contact Amelia Blom (Marketing Manager & Head of Student Affairs) ameliab@prestigeacademy.co.za

1.    NOMINATIONS FOR STUDENT REPRESENTATIVE COUNCIL (INCLUDING HOSTEL “PRIM”) 2017 ARE OPEN

·         All staff and SRC must nominate prospective candidates to stand for SRC

·         All students can nominate prospective candidates to stand for SRC

Nominations take place: 18 JUL – 5 AUG.

Nomination forms can be collected in the foyer of the Prestige Academy or Centurion Academy buildings.

All SRC / HC Nominees: Conditions and requirements apply:

·         Must participate in the Leadership Seminar as preparation for their leadership role

·         Must complete the Leadership Participant form accompanied with proof of payment by Friday, 12 August 2016

NB. D-date

All nomination forms must be handed in no later than 14:00 on 5 August 2016 with Mia Blom (Marketing Office), or put in the nominations box at reception.

Nomination forms not signed will be rejected.

2.    IF ONLY ATTENDING LEADERSHIP SEMINAR (NOT NOMINATED FOR SRC)

Only complete the Leadership Participant form.

NB. D-date

Must complete the Leadership Participant form accompanied with proof of payment by Friday, 12 August 2016.  

·         Should you have any questions in this regard, please do not hesitate to contact Amelia Blom or Dr. Hugo

Ideal attributes and requirements of a SRC member:

Academic achiever (not at risk of failure) and good class attendance.

Compassionate / Empathy, Approachable, Good time management, Good communication skills (writing, explaining, listening), Voice of peers,

Responsible / Accountable, Honest, Loyal, Good problem-solving skills, Take initiative, Inspiring others, Task Orientated, Determined, Energetic / Passionate,

Courage, Respectful, Selflessness, Honorable, Humble, Pride in work, Reasonable level of maturity, Flexible.

NB:

Fit for the different SRC portfolios, e.g. Social, Marketing, Sport, etc.

Not financially at risk.

Leadership Seminar: 26-28 AUG 2016. Posters, video and more information to follow. 

                       

Marketing lessons to be learned from Pokémon GO.

Interesting lessons to be learned from Pokémon GO.

You can barely set foot outside at the moment without literally bumping into someone (people of all ages, might I add) glued to their phones. They are not watching videos or sending texts, as that was still the case last week.

They are actually catching Pokémon, yes that game we played 20 years ago, that one. Pokémon GO is the hottest app to be released in many months, since Candy Crush, Subway Surfer etc., and has taken over phones by storm. As infuriating as it may be for some employers to see the productivity levels of their employees decline, the benefit for the staff personally is an increase in activity.

Nostalgia

The first Pokémon game was released 20 years ago in 1996. I was 4 years old by that time. Even then, it took over our play time. We would rush home not to miss Pokémon, which would come on, on SABC 2. We would line up on the floor in front of the television and not move for half an hour. This meaning, that those who enjoyed Pokémon back then are the right age to enjoy it now.

Marketer, entrepreneur and author, Gary Vaynercuk says: “I’m a big believer in nostalgic intellectual property. It is one of the most underrated value propositions in business and marketing. Nostalgic IP matters and it’s valuable and massively underpriced. While it’s not nostalgic for me personally, Pokémon just celebrated its 20^th anniversary so you can easily see why it hits that 25 to 35-year old demographic.”

Timing is everything

The game was initially released in the US, Australia and New Zealand. It’s the height of summer in the US and its school holidays in all these countries. That makes it perfect timing for them to be running around catching Pokémon, collect items at Pokéstops and conquer gyms. In South Africa, being in the middle of winter, we are not quite as lucky. Fortunately the weather has not been terrible for much of the country in the past week (the rain downfall only recently started), so Pokémon enthusiast have been able to get outside.

Advertising

How much advertising did you see for the game before its release? Probably not much. That is because Nintendo and Niantic Labs, the app’s creators, likely realized a massive budget is not necessary for an effective marketing campaign for this product, particularly fort his demographic. All that was necessary was a nostalgic connection with people who can relate to Pokémon – something Nintendo has in spades.

Fun 

Sometimes we all just want to have a little bit of fun, especially as the world becomes an increasingly dangerous place to live in for many people. Pokémon GO gives people the opportunity to let loose and have fun with their friends. In a complicated world, we sometimes need a distraction. This can be quite the compelling reason to join the craze.

Community and competition

At level 5 of the game, the players are given a choice of three rival fractions, Mystic, Valor and Instinct. This allows players to support their own team and root for the demise of others in the same way sports fans feel about their teams. This sense of community is incredibly important for people to feel connected to the game and strive to achieve better results.

Finally, the game is extremely easy to get involved in, and somewhat addictive as well. All players really need to do is walk around with their phone in hand, which everyone is doing anyway, and what for vibrations which alert them to the presence of a Pokémon.

We can all learn a lesson from the convenience of the game.

67 ways to help on #MandelaDay

If you are eager to help but you are not sure where to start, here are 67 ideas of how you can spend your 67 minutes this Mandela Day.

1.    Donate blood, especially if you are group O, as the blood bank is dangerously short of blood at this time. If you are over 16 years old, and weight more than 50kg, go to http://www.wpblood.org.za/ to get details of where your closet blood bank is.

2.    Put money in a tin box on your dining room table or in the kitchen to collect small change for the local soup kitchen.

3.    Support Sparrow schools. Sparrow is a non-profit outfit that educates children with learning difficulties to grade 9 and then puts them through a tertiary program to develop skills so that they are employable, like floor laying and hotel schooling. They are situated in Johannesburg, but could always use helping hands, even if you are in Cape Town. http://sparrowschoolsblog.co.za/

4.    Fish out old prams and baby cots and donate them to an infant home in your area.

5.    Buy a bangle and support container libraries. Log into to www.46664.co./bangle to see where these have been placed so far.

6.    Sign up at an old age home to read the newspaper or play an instrument to the elderly once a month for the next year.

7.    When shopping buy extra female hygiene products and drop off packs with a personalised message on each to a women’s shelter for the abused.

8.    Sign up with a Saturday school and commit to a few afternoons a month to improving marks of underprivileged matrics.

9.    Provide back up support for volunteer workers by serving hot tea of generating food packs on a monthly basis.

10. The SPCA welcomes volunteers and is always in need of help with kennel duties and skills in admin, legal and counselling functions. https://capespca.co.za/

11. Offer to drive someone who can’t afford it to have an HIV test and provide emotional support.

12. Sign up with Generation Earth and help your child start up a “Gen Earth” committee at their school. They focus on carrying out green projects and educating their peers on environmental issues. www.generationsearth.co.za

13. Read out loud Nelson Mandela’s life history on www.nelsonmandela.org.za to inspire children and everyone around you.

14. Pick up 67 pieces of litter.

15. Drop off scrapbooking supplies and scraps of fabrics at a retirement home for use in creating crafts for end of year markets.

16. If you are a fish lover, download the Sassi card to check that the fish you order in a restaurant is not endangered. www.wwsassi.co.za

17. Redeem points earned on a shopper’s card for gift vouchers for your domestic worker to take home.

18. Make a point of meeting all your neighbours and set up a whatsapp group so you can report suspicious activity directly to each other.

19. Durbanville Children’s home is a church-based non-governmental welfare organisation. It is one of the oldest children’s homes in South Africa (133 years to be exact). They will welcome any donations of non-perishable food, toiletries and cleaning equipment. http://www.durbanvillekinderhuis.org.za/pages/english/home.php

20.  Set up a community garden in your neighbourhood where residents can share the water and weeding.

21. Ashoka is a volunteer portal for individuals to sign up with their skills set and wait for opportunities to give back. www.ashoka.org/volunteer

22. Take a can of Q20 or a weed-eater to your local park and tidy up or fix rusty joint of the equipment.

23. Pledge to unplug your phone charger from now on.

24. Sponsor a guide dog by paying for the puppy training: www.guidedog.org.za

25. Sign up as an Organ donor. Your body can save up to seven lives and many more with tissues like heart valves. www.odf.org.za

26. Living seed organisation, an organic seed company, is calling for volunteers to help their charities plant the gardens. They say time and expertise are needed as many of the beneficiaries are “soil illiterate”. www.livingseeds.co.za

27. Bake something for the local police station night shift to encourage them in their difficult work.

28. Donate platelets at ww.sanbs.co.za

29. Sign up as a regular donor to the Start’s Seaside fund. The charity gives underprivileged children the opportunity to have a fun-filled holiday at the beach. 011 633 2304

30. Drop off soft toys at the Cape Town central police station. The toys are kept at the victim empowerment centre to hand out to abandoned and abused children when they come for counselling.

31. It is the coldest time of the year, collect blankets and give them to homeless shelters. Contact the Salvation Army – 021 697 1564

32. Sign up for the 97.4 and begin collecting sponsorships for a charity of your choice.

33. Take a pack of seeds to a rural school and help the children plant them.

34. Print a booklet of lessons for your domestic worker’s kids. There are a number of sites that let you reproduce their worksheets for free.

35. Offer to feed a neighbour’s pet or house-sit while they are away.

36. Log into to www.backabuddy.co.za and sign up to follow a cause. Better still, begin a new one and get fund-raising.

37. Drop off a bag of pet food or a blanket at your local SPCA.

38. Talk to your suburban shopping centre about recycling and encourage them to manage their trash.

39. Pledge to have more showers and fewer baths.

40. Qhubeka encourages rural residents to plant food gardens and trees and in return earn a bicycle, which provides a great amount of freedom for the children as they use them to travel the long distances. Check out their work on www.qhubeka.org.za 

41. Get inspired by going to www.giveback.co.za.

42. Invite a needy family for dinner or cook a meal for them.

43. Read for Tape Aids for The Blind – if your voice passes the audition, you get to record a book. www.tapeaids.com

44. Go to your local library and ask them how you can help to keep them going – providing cake when people from the local old age home visit or reading to kids.

45. Plant a tree at home and give a twin plant to someone in an informal settlement. Compare their growth over the years.

46. Clean out your shelves and get a bag of books ready to deliver to a school that needs extra reading books.

47. Pledge to use your next “party” for fund-raising by creating a ‘cause’ onwww.backabuddy.co.za. That way, you’ll encourage your friends to think about charitable socialising.

48. Swap your usual take-out paper cups for a ceramic one to ease the impact on landfills.

49. Buy balls of wool for an old age home or donate a chess set that you don’t use.

50. Switch the TV off in the evening and talk to your children about starting a family charity – something you can all fund-raise toward that is important to all of you. If you register it at www.startsomethingday.co.za, you could win money for the cause.

51. Take a new soccer ball to a local school for the kids.

52. Go to the local hospital and see if you can get on a standby list to help out in the trauma waiting area when they are under pressure.

53. Donate old magazines to a home or a needy nursery school.

54. “Like” the homecoming revolution and show overseas friends that SA is still the best: www.homecomingrevolution.co.za

55. Hold a garage/jumble sale for charity.

56. Get a My School card and register a rural school as the beneficiary:www.myschool.co.za or call 0860 100 445.

57. Instead of spending on a meal at a restaurant, put together a food parcel for someone at work who has fallen on hard times.

58. Start buying food in minimal packaging to save on throw-away items.

59. Do some research into the products you usually buy – find alternatives that are better for our planet.

60. Register with greater good: www.myggsa.co.za and create a “giver” profile.

61. Offer your services to the Highveld Horse Unit. See them on Facebook to see how you can help.

62. Commit to sorting your trash at source to make life easier for the informal recyclers who rummage through the garbage.

63. Sort out your cupboard and give someone your old clothing to sell to boost their income.

64. The Origins Centre at Wits will be holding an exhibition on Nelson Mandela and will be collecting for the Star’s Operation Snowball. Drop off canned food, blankets and clothes. Open from 9am to 5pm.

65. Switch off one geyser for the month, to help ease the pressure on the country’s electricity supplies.

66. Soccer outreach ambassadors in soccer (AIS-SA) welcome soccer enthusiasts to help them engage poorer societies throughout SA using the vehicle of soccer. Contact them on 012 348 0025.

67. Cheese kids, who describe themselves as a “broad-based volunteer program”, are seeking volunteers on Mandela Day. Log on to their website and RSVP to their “Nelson Mandela day revolution” or donate by sms: www.cheesekids.org.za

2 students debate on "What to Study". A must read!

Choosing what to study at university is one of the biggest decisions you’ll make as a young person. So how do you decide what’s right for you? Should you follow your heart and study something you’re really passionate about, regardless of where it might lead you, or should you instead opt for a degree with a more secure career route? Here two students argue both sides of this debate.

According to Aimee Wragg, “Study what you love”.

Ask students what they’d study of guaranteed their dream job and it’s likely that the answer won’t correspond with that they actually choose. This is often because their aspirations have been diminished by those who “know best”.

Most advice on which degree to study is concentrated purely on obtaining a job in the future. We are discouraged by many from pursuing abstract interests because, apparently, the prospects are unrealistic.

But is it really worth taking an unappealing route on the basis that it could possibly increase your chance in securing a job? It’s difficult to enter employment from any angle, so why not try with a subject you enjoy?

The concept of standing by what you love despite the risks in being dismissed by some – namely disapproving parents and teachers – but I believe it to be more sensible than focusing solely on a job.

Having a genuine interest in something can’t be faked and it’s the surest way to succeed. As Steve Jobs famously said, “the only way to do great work is to love what you do”.

In the long term deciding what to study the subject of your choice is generally more beneficial. Simple factors such as a person’s happiness and sense of fulfilment are overlooked in this argument, even though they are largely affected by career choices. These factors aren’t just based on income, either studies have shown that there is little correlation between people’s salaries and their job satisfaction.

The fact is, there are few reasons not to study what you genuinely want to. Achieving in the subject area that appeals to you is always possible and if you don’t do it, other people will. I believe you have to make the right decisions for yourself, because no argument against this will counteract your regrets when you see people of the same age and ability as you excelling in your dream job.

“Be realistic” says Kerry Provenzano

University is all about doing something you love, right? Well, not quite. Choosing to study something you are passionate about might not be as beneficial as you think.

When you study at university essentially you are making and investment: one worth up to, and sometimes over R300 000. That is a lot of money.

You don’t have to know much about investments to know that the purpose of them is to make profit. Your degree is a long term investment in which you are profited with knowledge. However, investing money that will someday need to be paid back means that your profit needs to be financial, not just academic.

So if you are naturally gifted with numbers, but have a real passion for travel, opting to study geography at university might be a mistake. You may find you aren’t quite sure what to do with your degree once you graduate, and find yourself knowing your are capable of the mathematical jobs you see advertised, but have no qualification to prove it.

There is a difference between your interests and your career strengths. If you think you could really crack the world of modern art then great, but if art is just something you enjoy on a weeknight, perhaps reconsider your choice to study fine art.

If you are currently choosing a course at university, or thinking of changing your course, my advice to you is simple; don’t confuse your hobby with your career prospects. Play to your strengths, not your passions. If you are lucky enough to have the two overlap, then great! But bear in mind hat with the right job there will always be time for things you enjoy, regardless of whether you studies for them at university or not.  

Have a look at the career choice Prestige Academy has to offer you. Visit our website - www.prestigeacademy.co.za 

International Joke Day - How it all started.

Do you think you’re funny? The best way to get a feel for a country or merely a person is to try to understand the humor. Laughter is a universally recognized expression of amusement, and joke telling can become a professional gig for those that truly have the humorous touch. 

International Joke Day is the perfect day to let out all of the guffaw producing, or groan inducing jokes you’ve collected over the years, sharing them with friends or any passerby you can get to listen to you.

History of International Joke Day

International Joke Day seems to have officially begun in the United States but whatever the origins of International Joke Day, it is clear that jokes themselves pre-date by hundreds and hundreds of years. The first joke is often attributed to the Greeks, specifically Palamedes, who is also credited with the invention of many other things. An example of ancient Greek joke telling reads thus:

“A barber, a bald man and an absent-minded professor take a journey together. They have to camp overnight, and so decide to take turns watching the luggage. When it’s the barber’s turn, he gets bored, so amuses himself by shaving the head of the professor. When the professor is woken up for his shift, he feels his head, and says “How stupid is that barber? He’s woken up the bald man instead of me.”

Greece also boasts the first comedy club, though its purpose was sharing jokes among friends rather than stand up performances as we have now. Jokes have likely been told since man first looked at himself in a pool of water and passed judgment on his own complexion, so it’s a safe bet that people have been celebrating jokes for a long time.

Celebrating International Joke Day

There are many options for celebrating! You could simply tell some jokes to a co-worker or friend, or a stranger on the street, whoever seems to need the most hilarity in their day. Or invite your friends over for a joke telling party! Take turns telling jokes or reading them out of a joke book or online source.

Another option is to visit a local comedy club and listen to a professional (or wannabe pro) tell jokes for a night of fun! Find out if the club has open mic opportunities and consider sharing some jokes of your own. If going out for a night on the town doesn’t suit your fancy you could pull up some DVD’s of a famous comedian’s standup routine, such as Robin Williams or Jim Carrey or a TV channel may play an hour long standup comedy special featuring well known comedians such as Daniel Tosh.

Need some inspiration? Here is an international joke for you:

China: I was walking down the mall with a friend yesterday when he turned to me and said, “Seeing all those flags on display makes me so proud of my country.”
“But Chan, you’re Chinese,” I replied, “All those flags are British.”
“No they’re not,” he laughed, “just take a look at those labels!”