Star Leadership Academy (SLA) held its inaugural graduation ceremony for the Class of 2019 at the Academy’s newly built campus in Shawasha Hills, Harare.
The event saw 78 students graduate from the Academy – Zimbabwe’s premier leadership programme for developing future leaders who will take personal and community-wide action to address issues facing the continent of Africa.
Congratulating the first cohort of students, Co-Founder and SLA Patron Tsitsi Masiyiwa said; “As philanthropists, driven by our love for our nation, it became clear to us that in order to make the Zimbabwe we want to see a reality, we needed to develop a pipeline of leaders today who will be in positions of influence tomorrow. “So it is with great pride that we release our first cohort of STAR Leaders into the world knowing that they will be the torchbearers for a new generation of leadership that will transform Zimbabwe.”
Star Leadership Academy opened in Zimbabwe in February 2019, with two campuses, SLA: City Campus in Harare and SLA: Farm Campus in Marondera. The one-year leadership programme saw students receive lectures from thought-leaders such as Harvard University Professor Emmanuel Akyeampong, engage the Parliament of Zimbabwe, World Bank and UNDP, travel to heritage sites across Zimbabwe and visit Rwanda on a learning excursion. The programme invested in training young agri-preneurs as agriculture is recognised as a key driver of the economy.
At the Farm Campus students learnt about crop farming, animal husbandry, agribusiness and social entrepreneurship, combining both theory and practical learning. “Our curriculum is based on six pillars; Servant Leadership, Community and Entrepreneurship, Intellectual Development, Physical Development, Know Your Land and Christian Faith. These form our core values and influence the design of our activities,” said the Co-Founder and Director of Academies, Tanya Masiyiwa. “Throughout the year, we created an unconventional learning environment for our students, encouraging them to think creatively and challenge their perceptions about the world. All our activities are designed to help these young leaders grow and develop important skills for the future.”
Following their graduation from the Academy, the 39 high school students will go on to complete their A Level or IB studies at both local and renowned international secondary schools. The 39 post-graduate students who were based at the Farm Campus, started various agri-businesses and will continue working on these post graduation.
Recruitment for the next cohort of students is done, with the school year expected to commence in February 2020. Academic excellence is part of the core of SLA recruitment with the first cohort of high school students averaging 9 As at O Level.
