WOW has the key! From September 27 to Oktober 6 at Woordfees 2024, we celebrate 21 years of unlocking potential.
The WOW Festival program includes the national final of the biggest spelling festival in the country, a debating festival, paint and poetry workshop and exhibition, langarm, a concert with Join Bands not Gangs and a whole lot more.
Words Open Worlds (WOW) is an empowerment initiative of Stellenbosch University
(SU) and for the past 21 years we have broadened the horizons of learners, educators and entire school communities. The heart of our creative programmes focusses on education, art, culture and the enriching value of words.
We have grown up and we are ready for the next 21 years. We
are particularly proud that we can now hand over the keys to our good friends and partners so that they can unlock their own potential. The initiative taken this year by Bastiaanse Secondary in Beaufort West and Kylemore’s P.C. Petersen Primary School are two of many examples. Bastiaanse Secondary organized their own open day at SU with the help of WOW and a WOW teacher. And P.C. Petersen’s budding young artists and their teachers put on an exhibition full of imagination, ingenuity and astonishing talent at their school. The learners created the paintings and poems at WOW’s Paint and Poetry Workshop.
“You have to be able to assist children at an early stage so that they can work out what it is they really want to be one day. We are very grateful to WOW for their support with events like this. There is no better job than being a teacher. The teacher is the ultimate! You build people for their future,” he told young learners who attended the Open Day,” said Mr. Ricky Dennis Prince who accompanied the Bastiaanse group.
Join us as we celebrate turning 21. It is going to be a party where we play, learn, join in the fun of a festival, and dance the night away on the WOW dance floor. You do not want to miss any of it!
WOW FESTIVAL 2024: PROGRAM
All sessions are in Afrikaans and FREE unless otherwise indicated.
SANLAM WOW SPELLING FESTIVAL
The Sanlam WOW Spelling Festival is a free multilanguage project that bring together around 2 000 learners, their teachers and parents from across the country. The spelling festival gives young learners the chance to find out about Stellenbosch University and the opportunities the institution offers for continued education. WOW helps prospective SU students find the information they need to make good choices and apply to the university and provides bursaries for students accepted into tertiary study.
Learners at any language level in three of our official languages – Afrikaans (gr. 1-10), English (gr. 5-9) and isiXhosa (gr. 6-8) – are invited to participate.
- Afrikaans: grades 1 to 10
- English: grades 5 to 9
- isiXhosa: grades 6 to 8
Fiona van Kerwel, Manager for WOW, remarked that a core objective is to empower and encourage young people to learn and to award excellence when it is achieved.
“If we do not ensure that our children have a good foundational arsenal of extensive vocabulary, excellent comprehension and the ability to use words fittingly and creatively then, we are doing them an injustice,” says Fiona van Kerwel.
“The Spelling Festival is a multi-lingual platform where learners interact with words in a fun and educational way, thereby ensuring that they have a better understanding of language and ultimately are able to communicate better on all levels: whether they are listening, speaking or writing. When we encourage learners to have fun with words, we help them to overcome communication deficits in understandable, creative, and even critical ways. Apart from that, by having the learner stand up to spell out the word or sound it out, we build their self-confidence and help them to have the boldness to express themselves in a language they are comfortable with. And at the same time, it assists teachers because there are online tests they can use to keep learners engaged and practice the words with them. And we work with words that come from the curriculum of the respective grades.”
Guidelines Meeting
Educators who serve as officials at the Sanlam WOW Spelling Festival meet to get things sorted for the big spelling festival and familiarise themselves with all arrangements for the national spelling festival.
- 27 SEPT 15:00 | 180 min | Lückhoff High School Hall | Free
National Final
Learners from across South Africa compete against each other to be crowned the champion speller for 2024. This event is a highlight on the national school calendar.
- 28 SEPT 08:00 | Program at button below | Free
Prize-giving
The Sanlam WOW Spelling Festival winners for 2024 are awarded for their hard work. Spelling champions are recognised and receive prestigious prizes. Schools also receive trophies, and each first-place winner gets an extra special gift. Afterwards, the teams and their supporters are welcome to celebrate with us at the Langarm Snack Dance at the Vrouevereniging Hall.
- 28 SEPT 14:30 | 60 min | Standard Bank Endler | Free
WOW WRITERS’ FESTIVAL
The WOW reading circles involve learners throughout the year from 25 high and primary schools as well as grade R’s. Among other things, they judge children’s and young adult books for the ATKV Woordveertjie Awards, meet their favourite authors and learn about the finer points of story writing from experienced authors.
Made possible by NB
Writers’ Discussion: Gr. 4-5
Troula Goosen always dreamed of writing when she was a little girl. Finally, after years as an interior decorator in Riversdal, she completed a writing course and has been producing short stories and novellas for educational publishers ever since. In 2016, she received an ATKV Woordveertjie Award for Spooksoene, her first full-length young adult story. Her series of youth novels Raaiselster, Raaiselsee and Raaiselklip are highly popular, and she now offers workshops on creative writing based on these books.
- 2 OKT 11:00 | 120 min | SU Library Auditorium | Free
Writers’ Discussion: Gr. 8-9
Young adult author Jana du Plessis Müller shares her twenty years of experience as a writer with high school learners. She has a master’s degree in creative writing and in addition to her work as a journalist, copywriter and digital marketer, she enjoys telling stories. Her 2024 novel, Borrelgom, deals with a young girl who must grow up quickly so that life doesn’t chew her up like bubblegum.
- 3 OCT 11:00 | 120 min | SU Library Auditorium | Free
SPECIALLY FOR SENIORS
For our aspiring WOW writers
Writers’ Workshop
Prospective WOW authors work with established writers in writing creative works. The aim is to publish these aspiring writers’ works in a volume.
In partnership with PEN Afrikaans
- 4 OCT 13:30 | 150 min | Stellenbosch Library, Plein Street | Free
WOW Day for Grade 11 Learners
The future beckons. Well-known role models and alumni of invited schools talk to prospective students about how to realise their dreams at Stellenbosch University (SU). Afterwards, Afrikaans specialists from the WCED give tips on how to quickly and successfully complete an NSC paper. After a session on tertiary study at SU by the University’s Centre for Student Recruitment, learners meet famous actors, and are encouraged to ask questions. Special guests chat with everyone before the music starts. Afterwards, everyone joins WOW’s 21st party at the Jan Marais Nature Reserve.
- 5 OCT 08:00 | 360 min | Krotoa Building, Ryneveld Street | Free by invitation
WOW-debatfees
Debaters from different schools come to hone their debating skills. Topics connect to this year’s Woordfees theme “Play”. These learners will undoubtedly have fun playing with words at this festival.
- 5 OCT 08:00 | 360 min | Arts and Social Sciences Building | R500 per group
WOW School Media Course
Do you have a nose for news? In this full-day programme of workshops 200 learners and their educators from WOW schools will learn about the world of print and digital media in a fun way. Different aspects of journalism will be discussed, with practical advice on how to tackle a school newspaper. There are fantastic prizes linked to the project. Come and see what all the excitement around school newspapers is about. Read more about this project here.
- 5 OCT 08:00 | 360 min | GG Cillié Building, Room 1028 | Free
WOW-toneelslypskool
To the stage! Aspiring actors from WOW schools can live their creative dreams through our popular workshops. Learners will be helped to choose texts for the 2025 Proscenium drama competition and prepare for the poetry, prose and monologues required by the competition. Skills such as role-playing for radio, TV and dubbing will also be discussed. Educators are welcome at the workshop. Participants will attend a production at the Woordfees, after which they will take part in a discussion about what they have seen.
- 5 OCT 08:00 | 360 min | Stellenbosch Library, Plein Street | R50 per participant
SPECIALLY FOR JUNIORS
WOW-redenaars
Big talent in small packages! The WOW Debate Festival helps primary school students sharpen their reasoning skills in preparation for competing in debates at high school. Grade 6 and 7 learners from surrounding schools will deliver speeches that reflect on this year’s Woordfees theme “Play”.
- 3 OCT 14:30 | 150 min | Idas Valley Primary | R50 per participant
Paint and Poetry Workshop
Are you a poet, a painter or just plain talented? Come and develop your skills, eye for art and poetic talents at these popular workshops that awaken creativity and a love of reading in learners in the foundation and intermediate phases. Educators are shown new, fun ways to teach creative writing, visual literacy, sketching, and painting that includes finger painting. Participants write short poems and present them creatively on A3 paper. The end product is a colourful poster showcasing all the learners’ poems. Each artwork is eligible for WOW’s annual Paint and Poetry contest, and the winning posters are awarded prizes. Some schools will come and exhibit their works of art.
- 5 OCT 09:00 | 300 min | St. Idas Primary | Free
WOW Maths Festival
At WOW we don’t only spell, we also count. For the first time at the WOW Festival learners from surrounding schools can have fun with mathematics. Under the able guidance of mathematicians Dr. ErnaLampen and Amanda le Roux, learners engage with numbers, calculations and figures. These schools will take part in the WOW Telfees which ends with a gala event in December.
- 5 OCT 10:00 | 180 min | Vrouevereniging Hall | By invitation
SPECIALLY FOR TEACHERS
WOW Meets School Principals
As part of WOW’s 50-school student project, school principals are invited to talk about issues important in secondary and higher education. Conversation leaders facilitate interesting discussions and WOW’s support for prospective and current students is highlighted. Each principal receives a gift package. We discuss the value of words in opening learners’ worlds.
- 1 OCT 14:30 | 150 min | Van der Sterr Building, Room 1041 | Free
Workshop for School Choirs
Warm up your vocal cords. This workshop touches on topics such as the necessity for school choirs, the requirements for conducting a school choir, and the finer art of choral stage performance. Possibilities for annual programmes and choral performances are identified and details about participation in choral festivals are provided.
- 2 OCT 14:30 | 150 min | St. Idas Primary | Free
Reading Is Fun In The Intermediate Phase For WOW Reading Circles
We believe that every child has the capacity to enjoy reading. The WOW project guides educators on how to engage learners with enjoyable stories and reading activities. In this interactive session between the presenters, educators and WOW reading circles, valuable tips for reading and writing techniques are shared. NB Publishers and WOW provide the reading circles with clever ideas on book displays at schools. Fiona van Kerwel, the WOW manager, talks about how comprehension can be made fun through reading.
In partnership with NB
- 2 OCT 14:30 | 150 min | SU Library Auditorium | Free
Reading Is Fun In The Senior Phase For WOW Reading Circles
Get creative with reading. Educators are invited to WOW’s presentation on the role of a reading circle co-ordinator at a school. Valuable tips are given on how to creatively and strategically approach literacy levels in our schools. Useful guidelines and notes on reading co-ordination and the enjoyment of reading are shared. Everything is done based on the CAPS documents (CAPS). Fiona van Kerwel, the WOW project manager, talks about how comprehension can be made fun through reading.
- 3 OCT 14:30 | 150 min | SU Library Auditorium | Free
Why Should Children Read?
Why is reading such a challenge for so many children? Come and attend the reading workshop in which we talk about easy, creative ways to improve children’s reading comprehension and how to develop their love for reading.
All kindergarten and primary school educators, parents and interested parties are invited to attend this event.
Presented by Vriende van Afrikaans
- 3 OCT 14:30 | 150 min | Idas Valley Primary, Media Room | Free
WOW Day For Teachers
Approximately 200 educators and final year education students take part in a day-long program that provides valuable tips for language structures and conventions, based on the CAPS under the able guidance of WCED experts. Conversations about well-being and the responsible use of AI in classrooms are also on the agenda. Junaid Anthony talks about hosting a literary book festival at a school. After this special event, an invited artist provides entertainment before everyone enjoys a tasty light meal.
- 5 OCT 08:00 | 360 min | Goldfields | Free
SPECIALLY FOR WOW STUDENTS
Maties talk about…
Come and be heard! All the burning issues affecting students are discussed here. Members of the WOW student association talk to fellow students and other invitees about things that matter. Admission includes free snacks and something to drink.
- 3 OCT 19:00 | 90 min | SU Museum Annex | R50
SPECIALLY FOR WOORDFEES FESTIVAL GOERS
WOW Birthday Festival Langarm Snack Dance
In aid of community development. Young and young at heart hit the Woordfees dance floor. After all the reading, note-taking and laughing, it’s time for this popular festival event. The Elginairs’ band will make sure that no one sits still for too long.
- 28 SEPT 19:30 | 270 min | By invitation
Visit woordfees.co.za for the Toyota Stellenbosch Woordfees program.