Our donors and partners

2025
Aligned with our goal of increasing our provincial footprint, the DGMT approved funding to expand our Grade R (Stellar) programme in the Northern Cape in collaboration with the Provincial Education Department, and introduce our pre-Grade R (Little Stars) programme in ECD centres in the North West Province working with Ntataise.

2024 – 2025
The DGMT funded a project in the Western Cape focused on social-emotional learning (SEL) for 6600 Grade R learners in which the global NPO, Think Equal contracted Wordworks to implement the SEL program.

2023 – 2025
The Lesedi Solar Park Trust, administered by DGMT, funds Wordworks’ Grade R (Stellar) teacher professional development project in schools within 50km of the Lesedi Solar PV Project in the Northern Cape.

2022 – 2024
Funding from the DGMT enabled Wordworks to conduct a longitudinal study of our TIME (Together in My Education) Home Learning Programme for Grades R & 1. The study, conducted in the Western Cape, explored the experiences of education department officials, school management, SGB members, & teachers, as well as caregivers; in implementing the TIME programme. Along with learner assessments, the study resulted in key lessons for programme improvement and adjustment beyond the Covid context.

The ELMA Foundation is a long standing donor of Wordworks providing overall organisational support, and further thought and strategic leadership, to ensure Wordworks’ growth, sectoral contribution and sustainability.

The Frank Jackson Foundation has long provided general support to Wordworks but with special focus on our materials development, versioning and distribution, most notably for our TIME programme.

The ABAX Development Trust continues to provide organisational support to Wordworks in 2025 with special focus on the delivery of the TIME programme.

2021 – 2024
Wordworks partners with JET Education Services, acting as the Project Management Office for Gauteng Education Department GDE) Grade R Language & Mathematics Improvement Project (GRLMIP). On this project Wordworks and UCT School of Development Unit (SDU), as the Maths Provider, are supported by a funder group to train & equip Subject Advisors to train Grade R teachers to implement our Stellar Programme and SDU Maths province-wide. During 2025 the work has shifted to the adaptation of the same Stellar programme and Maths to special needs contexts.

2023 – 2025
Wordworks is in partnership with JET Education Services and Red Ink on the Anglo American South Africa (AASA) funded project to equip Grade R teachers to implement Wordworks’ Stellar programme in AASA mining communities in the North West, Northern Cape and the Limpopo provinces.

The Zenex Foundation is one of the donors of the Funder Group supporting the Gauteng Grade R Language & Mathematics Improvement Project that enables Grade R teachers to be capacitated in implementing Wordworks’ Stellar Home Language Programme, and SDU Maths.

THINK EQUAL is a global not-for-profit charity. Our mission is to teach all children that all humans are equal and equally to be valued. We want to eliminate discrimination, disrespect, and violence from the next generation, and bring empathy, wellbeing, loving relationships, pro-social behaviours and attitudes in their place. Think Equal is a registered charity in the UK – 1174610 Think Equal is also a charity registered as a 501c3 in the USA

The Gauteng Education Development Trust (GEDT) is a key donor of the Funder Group supporting the Gauteng Grade R Language & Mathematics Improvement Project that enables Grade R teachers to be capacitated in implementing Wordworks’ Stellar Home Language Programme, and SDU Maths.

2023 – 2024
The Sanlam Foundation funds Wordworks to train ECD practitioners in its Every Word Counts (EWC) (targetting 0-5 years) and Little Stars (pre-Grade R) programmes in the Western Cape & Gauteng.

2025
Effective 2025, Sanlam Foundation funds Wordworks to implement the Grade R Stellar Programme in its focus schools in the Eastern Cape and KZN.

Eastern Cape 2024 – 2025
The Get It Done Foundation supports trainer development to equip ECD practitioners in delivering and implementing the Little Stars programme in Eastern Cape classrooms.

Mpumalanga 2025
Get It Done Foundation, along with the Roger Federer Foundation, is funding the Mpumalanga Province Grade R (MP-R) capacity building programme being rolled out by Wordworks, Penreach, RED INK and Trackosaurus, in collaboration with the Mpumalanga Department of Education. The project is aimed at improving Grade R Education in the province with Wordworks being responsible for capacitating change agents to train teachers on the the home language component of the project.

The Do More Foundation funds the direct training of ECD practitioners to implement the Every Word Counts (EWC) and Little Stars programmes in Worcester in the Western Cape.

As part of its closure strategy (2024) to leave a legacy and continue contributing to the literacy sector, Shine Literacy availed a grant to Wordworks to develop a next generation, dynamic website through which Wordworks will efficiently & effectively manage its partners, training, donors and e-shop.

2023 – 2025
HCI Foundation provides funding support for the development of Wordworks’ Learning Management System covering the Little Stars classroom programme for pre-Grade R practitioners with the purpose of refining the LMS offering and ensuring sufficient participant support to encourage course completion. The improved model will see increased access to this self-study course equipping practitioners in the ECD sector. HCI also provides various organisational capacity building support.

2024 – 2025
HCI Foundation funded an intern position at Wordworks as part of its Mentorship Programme offering opportunities for new graduates to gain work-based experience and assist in filling capacity gaps in non-profit organisations.

The Fynbos Foundation supports Wordworks in the development of the materials resources and implementation of our TIME programme in the Western Cape.

New funding support in 2025 from the WCED & Year Beyond brings into effect work with 750 parents and caregivers of Grade 4 learners from 25 schools in the Western Cape being trained on our Home – School Partnerships programme.

New funding support in 2025 from the WCED & Year Beyond brings into effect work with 750 parents and caregivers of Grade 4 learners from 25 schools in the Western Cape being trained on our Home – School Partnerships programme.

Liberty Community Trust funded the Yizani Sifunde project, implemented by a consortium made up of literacy organisations, Wordworks, Nal’ibali and Book Dash to support literacy skill development in early childhood learners in ECD centres in the Eastern Cape.

The British Academy funded the randomised controlled study of Wordworks’ Little Stars programme in a sample of Western Cape ECDs from Paarl, Wellington & Khayelitsha. The study was conducted by collaborating academic institutions including Sussex University (UK), Lancaster University (UK) and Stellenbosch University, as well as Dr Shelley O’Carroll, a literacy expert.

In 2023, Wordworks was supported by the global organisation, Think Equal, to implement the Think Equal Social – Emotional Learning (SEL) programme to 18 000 Grade R learners in the Western Cape.

Until 2023, the HBLCET funded the roll out of Wordworks’ TIME and Ready Steady programmes in schools in Hout Bay (Cape Town) with the objective of building firmer literacy foundations in early learners.

Up to 2023, Wordworks received funding support from Mainstream Renewable Power to improve the practical implementation of Wordworks’ early learning programmes (Every Word Counts and Little Stars) in Loeriesfontein, Northern Cape.

Roger Federer Foundation, along with Get It Done Foundation, is funding the Mpumalanga Province Grade R (MPR) capacity building programme being rolled out by Wordworks, Penreach, RED INK and Tracksaurus, in collaboration with the Mpumalanga Department of Education. The project is aimed at improving Grade R Education in the province with the collaboration partners capacitating change agents to train teachers on the various components of the project.

Wordworks was funded by Truworths Corporate Social Investment Programme to provide its Every Word Counts and Little Stars offerings to ECD practitioners in the Eastern Cape and Kwa-Zulu Natal.

The Gauteng Department of Education has inspired us with their concrete commitment to their strategic priority of early childhood development over many years. We are proud to partner with them to lay strong foundations in pre-Grade R and Grade R, ensuring that every child has the opportunity to thrive from the start.

Through its Grade R Improvement Programme, supported by a consortium of donors—Gauteng Education Development Trust, USAID, Zenex Foundation, and The Maitri Trust, the GDE has taken unprecedented steps to improve the quality of teaching in all public Grade R classrooms by investing in training, resourcing and support for teachers.

Wordworks has been honoured to be the Literacy Technical partner on this work as from 2020, when Wordworks was commissioned to design teacher’s guides, classroom resources, and training materials for the Gauteng Grade R Improvement Project, building on Wordworks’ Stellar Grade R Home Language Programme resources and training courses. The materials development project offered a unique opportunity to create an affordable, open-source, evidence-based, and CAPS-aligned programme for South African children and teachers—available in the 11 official languages. These high-quality resources have been distributed to all public schools in Gauteng through the GDE Grade R Improvement Program, integrated into the updated Wordworks Stellar Programme and adopted in an expanding number of provinces across South Africa.

As part of the Little Stars project in Gauteng, a selection of priority ECD centres has been identified where practitioners are trained to implement the pre-Grade R home language programme and are equipped to run parent workshops, empowering families to support early learning at home. Showing its commitment to inclusive education, the Department requested Wordworks to adapt the Grade R programmes for learners with special needs; ensuring that teachers in Special Needs schools across the province are trained to deliver these tailored classroom programmes across a range of special needs learning modalities.

See our collaborative projects:
Little Stars in Gauteng
Gauteng Gr R Improvement Programme

Wordworks has been proud to partner with the Western Cape Education Department (WCED) for well over a decade in their work to strengthen early learning across the province.

Our long-standing relationship with WCED began when the Department decided to train all Grade R teachers to use our Stellar Home Language Programme. Stellar has been the official Grade R ELIT curriculum in the Western Cape since 2015. Ongoing training, support and collaboration continues to ensure quality Grade R learning in the province.

Through the Little Stars project, we work with Early Childhood Development (ECD) centres selected by the department to support the implementation of our pre-Grade R home language programme. Practitioners are also trained to run parent workshops, helping families play an active role in their children’s early learning journey.

A number of WCED schools, particularly in the Metro and Cape Winelands District, have dedicated groups of teachers who, over many years, have run Home-School Partnerships workshops for parents. In some schools parents volunteer as tutors to provide support to Grade R and Grade 1 learners. In addition, Wordworks partners with WCED and the YearBeyond office in the province’s Back on Track programme. We train parent education facilitators to deliver workshops that equip parents with practical tools to support learning at home.

Together we are building a solid foundation for literacy in the early years.

See our collaborative projects:
Little Stars in WC
Stellar in WC
Home School Partnerships in WCED Back on Track (BOT) programme

Wordworks is pleased to collaborate with the Mpumalanga Department of Education and a number of respected NGOs to improve the quality of Grade R education across the province.

As part of this initiative, education officials are trained to support Grade R teachers in implementing strong home language and mathematics programmes in the classroom. The initiative also promotes the use of digital tools to enhance early learning and help children build a solid foundation for future success.

See our collaborative project:
Gr R capacity building in Mpumalanga

Wordworks is glad to be working closely with the Northern Cape Education Department to strengthen home language teaching and learning in Grade R classrooms.

In this partnership, selected pilot schools have been identified to implement the Grade R Stellar Home Language programme, with plans to seek future funding to expand across the province. Subject advisors are trained to deliver teacher workshops and support teachers in bringing the programme to life in their classrooms.

Together, we’re investing in early language development to give children the best start to their education.

See our collaborative project:
Stellar in NC

Wordworks is pleased to collaborate with the KwaZulu Natal Department of Education in a project sponsored by the Sanlam Foundation. We work with schools selected by the department to support the implementation of Stellar, our Grade R home language programme. Teachers are also trained to run parent workshops, helping families play an active role in their children’s Grade R experience.

See our collaborative project:
Stellar in EC and KZN

Wordworks is delighted to collaborate with the Eastern Cape Department of Education in a project sponsored by the Sanlam Foundation. We work with schools selected by the department to support the implementation of Stellar, our Grade R home language programme. Teachers are also trained to run parent workshops, helping families play an active role in their children’s Grade R experience.

See our collaborative project:
Stellar in EC and KZN

Wordworks values its collaboration with Book Dash who creates and distributes high-quality storybooks to the sector. Their books have complemented the work of our partners, and strengthened teacher training and parent workshops delivered by Wordworks across many of our projects —helping to build a culture of reading and learning from an early age.

For three years, Book Dash provided strong leadership in the partnership consortium, with Nal’ibali and Wordworks, that drove the Yizani Sifunde project, a collaborative effort to improve early learning outcomes in under-resourced preschools across the Eastern Cape.

Book Dash is a lead partner in the DBE’s Emergent Learning and Literacy Project and approached Wordworks to contribute its resources to this national effort. Together, we continue to make books and learning more accessible for young children and their families.

View the Yizane Sifunde project

We were glad to work with Nal’ibali in the partnership consortium with Book Dash and Wordworks in the Yizane Sifunde project to improve early learning outcomes in under-resourced preschools across the Eastern Cape.

As part of this creative collaboration, Story Sparkers were employed to promote reading and storytelling in local communities. They ran community activations, conducted home visits and also modelled story time activities in classrooms, supporting practitioners who were trained to implement Wordworks’ Little Stars home language programme.

Together, we endeavoured to create rich literacy experiences for young children in ECD centres, homes and communities.

View the Yizane Sifunde project

Wordworks proudly partners with RED INK, working together over years to strengthen early childhood education in South Africa. Through targeted interventions in Mpumalanga and in mining communities across Limpopo, North West, and the Northern Cape, RED INK leads the way in training Grade R teachers in maths, providing ongoing classroom support and resourcing Grade R learning environments.

Their work aligns with Wordworks Stellar Home Language Programme, together creating a comprehensive approach to early literacy and numeracy. Together, we are empowering Gr R teachers, supporting schools, and working alongside education department officials to improve the overall quality of Grade R education.

See our collaborative projects:
Grade R capacity building programme in Mpumalanga Gr R intervention in mining communities

Penreach is a valued partner with Wordworks and RED INK in the Grade R project in Mpumalanga. Penreach has a long history of dedicated work with the Department of Education to build and strengthen the quality of education in Mpumalanga.

In this partnership, Penreach provides skilled change agents to lead teacher training and support,oversees project implementation,and manages financial oversight and project monitoring, ensuring accountability and sustainability.

Together with Wordworks, Penreach plays a critical role in supporting Grade R teachers, schools, and education officials to create lasting improvements in early childhood education.

See our collaborative project:
Grade R capacity building programme in MP

Wordworks is glad to collaborate with Trackosaurus, an innovation partner in the Mpumalanga capacity building project, as they explore the potential of technology to support learning and teaching.

As part of this partnership, Trackosaurus designs and pilots game-based digital assessments and aligns these assessments with classroom implementation.

This cutting-edge approach will offer a fresh, interactive way to monitor learning, helping teachers better understand and support each child’s growth.

See our collaborative project:
Grade R capacity building programme in MP

JET Education Services has played an important role in initiating and managing a number of Grade R interventions where Wordworks is involved: across mining communities in the North West, Limpopo, and the Northern Cape, as well as in Gauteng’s Grade R Improvement Programme.

In these initiatives, JET is responsible for overall project management, including implementation, financial oversight, accountability and monitoring and evaluation to ensure impact and sustainability.

Through this strategic partnership, JET supports the effective delivery of high-quality early learning programmes, helping to strengthen foundational education in under-resourced communities.

See our collaborative projects:
Gr R intervention in mining communities Gr R improvement Programme in Gauteng

Wordworks is delighted to have collaborated with the Foundation for Community Work (FCW), who have integrated our Every Word Counts parent education programme into their handbook for home visitors.

These trained and dedicated home visitors play a vital role in their communities.They meet with parents and caregivers — either one-on-one in their homes or in small groups — to share fun, age-appropriate activities that support early learning, health, and nutrition.

We’re pleased to support FCW’s inspiring work and to help bring resources that make a real difference in the lives of young children and their families.

In an exciting sector collaboration, SmartStart has integrated elements of Wordworks Little Stars and Stellar classroom material into their curriculum for older children, which will be used by ECD centres in their fast-growing franchise network, as from 2026.

This partnership marks a significant step toward scaling high-quality early literacy and language learning across South African ECDs.

The Department of Education (DBE) together with UNICEF have partnered with Book Dash to develop publicly-available materials and training opportunities to support emergent literacy skills in preschool children across the country.

Wordworks is delighted to share that our work and materials are contributing significantly to the Emergent Learning and Literacy Project. We are honoured in our 20th year to have our work included in this national, system-level public drive to boost emergent literacy . It is testament to the quality and evidence-based value of what we have created in two decades of careful, contextual work.

We will share the resources with all our networks, as soon as they become available.