Infinite Family

INFINITE FAMILY PROVIDES ACCESS TO TOOLS, TECHNOLOGIES AND SKILLS MANY AFRICAN TEENS NEED TO FORGE BETTER LIVES BUT THAT THEIR COMMUNITIES ARE UNABLE TO PROVIDE. WE BUILD COMPUTER LABS (AKA LAUNCHPADS) IN PARTNERSHIP WITH LOCAL SCHOOLS AND NGOS, DELIVER RELIABLE HIGH-SPEED INTERNET CONNECTIVITY, AND CONNECT TEENS, CALLED NET BUDDIES, WITH A GLOBAL NETWORK OF ONLINE MENTORS. INFINITE FAMILY MENTORS HELP THE NET BUDDIES BUILD SKILLS IN FIVE VITAL IMPACT AREAS: EDUCATION, CAREER PREPARATION, TECHNOLOGY LITERACY, COMMUNICATION AND LIFE SKILLS. NET BUDDIES ARE SUPPORTED TO STAY IN SCHOOL, PREPARE FOR TERTIARY EDUCATION AND THE WORKPLACE, AND STRIVE FOR FINANCIAL INDEPENDENCE. SINCE 2009, 85% OF INFINITE FAMILY 12TH GRADE PARTICIPANTS FINISHED HIGH SCHOOL AND PASSED CUMPULSORY EXAMS WITH MARKS QUALIFYING FOR SOUTH AFRICA'S TOP UNIVERSITIES, AS COMPARED TO 57% OF THEIR PEERS. AN ADDITIONAL 13% OF INFINITE FAMILY GRADUATES QUALIFIED TO ADVANCE THEIR STUDIES AT VOCATIONAL COLLEGES. COMBINED, 10

INFINITE FAMILY ESTABLISHED AND RUNS 3 LAUNCHPAD COMPUTER LABS IN ALEXANDRA, SOWETO AND KHAYELITSHA TOWNSHIPS. OUR LAUNCHPADS ARE THE FIRST AND ESSENTIALLY ONLY OPPORTUNITY LOCAL TEENS HAVE TO ACCESS COMPUTERS AND THE INTERNET. WE RESTARTED OUR FULL MENTORSHIP PROGRAM IN 2021, INCLUDING MEASURING OUR STUDENTS' PERFORMANCE VIA THEIR MONTHLY PERFORMANCE REPORTS. HOWEVER, AS A RESULT OF COUNTRY-WIDE COVID-19 MANDATORY PRECAUTIONS, SCHOOL ATTENDENCE WAS RESTRICTED TO A ROTATING SCHEDULE OF NO MORE THAN 50% OF STUDENTS AT ANY TIME, WHICH ALSO RESTRICTED THE NUMBER OF STUDENTS ALLOWED TO WORK IN OUR LAUNCHPADS EACH DAY. FROM JANUARY TO JUNE 2021, 123 STUDENTS LEARNED A RANGE OF NEW EDUCATION, TECHNOLOGY, CAREER PREPARATION, COMMUNICATION AND LIFE SKILLS, AND MANY MORE USED INFINITE FAMILY'S COMPUTERS AND INTERNET ACCESS WEEKLY TO ACCOMPLISH RESEARCH AND HOMEWORK. DURING 2021, WE INSTITUTED A NEW LAUNCHPAD CHECK-IN SYSTEM THAT WILL ALLOW US TO QUANTIFY THE ACTIVITIES OF NON-MENTORED TEENS STARTING IN 2022. MENTORSHIPS AVERAGE 1.75 YEARS WITH MANY LASTING UP TO A DECADE. VOLUNTEER VIDEO MENTORS ARE LOCATED IN 18 COUNTRIES WORLDWIDE.

INFINITE FAMILY ESTABLISHED AND RUNS THREE LAUNCHPAD COMPUTER LABS IN ALEXANDRA, SOWETO AND KHAYELITSHA TOWNSHIPS. OUR LAUNCHPADS ARE THE FIRST AND ESSENTIALLY ONLY OPPORTUNITY LOCAL TEENS HAVE TO ACCESS COMPUTERS AND THE INTERNET. FROM JULY 2021 TO JUNE 2022, 178 STUDENTS BENEFITTED FROM 5,347 ONLINE, FACE-TO-FACE MENTORING SESSIONS AND INFINITE FAMILY'S CURRICULA, RESOURCES, AND ACTIVITIES TO LEARN A RANGE OF NEW EDUCATION, TECHNOLOGY, CAREER PREPARATION, COMMUNICATION AND LIFE SKILLS. MENTORSHIPS AVERAGE 2.5 YEARS WITH MANY LASTING UP TO A DECADE. VOLUNTEER VIDEO MENTORS ARE LOCATED IN 20 COUNTRIES WORLDWIDE.