BACKGROUND: The research deals with the effect of the Student Rag Community Service's (SRCS) Pick–A–Leader programme on adolescents in a disadvantaged community. The SRCS has been in existence for 30 years and the Student Representative Council of the North–West University: Potchefstroom Campus, has authorised them to promote voluntary ativities for charity in Potchefstroom and its surrounding areas. The SJGD annually presents various programmes to communities in Potchefstroom; however, these programmes have not thus far been formally evaluated. One of these projects is the Pick–A–Leader (PAL) programme which focuses on leadership– and skills development for adolescents in a disadvantaged community. This study concentrates on the evaluation of the PAL–programme. AIM: The primary aim of this study was to determine the effect of the PAL–programme on the adolescents in a disadvantaged community. METHOD: The nature of the investigation was exploratory and descriptive. Mixed methodology was applied in this study. A quasi–experimental design was used in the form of a comparative pre– and post–test design. Focus groups and a number of measuring instruments were used to gather data. Participants in the experimental groups consisted of 45 grade 11 learners from 3 schools in a disadvantaged community of Potchefstroom. Members of the comparative groups also numbered 45 and were grade 11 learners from the same 3 schools as those in the experimental groups. RESULT: It was concluded that the SRCS PAL–programme had an effect on the adolescents. / Thesis (M.A. (MW))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2011.

BACKGROUND: The research deals with the effect of the Student Rag Community Service's (SRCS) Pick–A–Leader programme on adolescents in a disadvantaged community. The SRCS has been in existence for 30 years and the Student Representative Council of the North–West University: Potchefstroom Campus, has authorised them to promote voluntary ativities for charity in Potchefstroom and its surrounding areas. The SJGD annually presents various programmes to communities in Potchefstroom; however, these programmes have not thus far been formally evaluated. One of these projects is the Pick–A–Leader (PAL) programme which focuses on leadership– and skills development for adolescents in a disadvantaged community. This study concentrates on the evaluation of the PAL–programme. AIM: The primary aim of this study was to determine the effect of the PAL–programme on the adolescents in a disadvantaged community. METHOD: The nature of the investigation was exploratory and descriptive. Mixed methodology was applied in this study. A quasi–experimental design was used in the form of a comparative pre– and post–test design. Focus groups and a number of measuring instruments were used to gather data. Participants in the experimental groups consisted of 45 grade 11 learners from 3 schools in a disadvantaged community of Potchefstroom. Members of the comparative groups also numbered 45 and were grade 11 learners from the same 3 schools as those in the experimental groups. RESULT: It was concluded that the SRCS PAL–programme had an effect on the adolescents. / Thesis (M.A. (MW))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2011.

The Student RAG Community Service (SRCS), a unique non-governmental organisation (NGO) of the Potchefstroom Campus of the North-West University, aims to support and to enable other NGOs to function independently. For this reason, the communication between the SRCS and these NGOs is viewed from the sub discipline of development communication, with the participative approach currently being perceived as the normative approach to communication for development. Communication between the SRCS and representatives of the NGOs should therefore conform to the principles of the participative approach to development communication to contribute to empowerment and development. The principles of the participative approach that was identified as relevant to this study are participation, dialogue, cultural sensitivity, to enable the community to be self-reliant and community development. This study is qualitative in nature and the research methods used to gather information about the nature of communication between the SRCS and the representatives of the projects are qualitative content analysis, partially structured interviews and observer–participant reporting. Although this study has focused only on early child development projects, the nature of these projects and their communication varied to a large extent. The overall conclusion of this study is that there are gaps in the participative communication between the SRCS and the representatives of all the researched projects. The type of communication between the SRCS and early childhood development projects did not conform to the principles of cultural sensitivity, community development and the enablement of the community to be self-reliant. These gaps are attributed in part to the present documentation of the SRCS (2010 annual report, portfolio descriptions, transfer reports and minutes of 2010’s and 2011’s meetings) as well as the fact that this NGO’s training guidelines do not emphasise the importance of participatory principles, and do not offer sufficient training in the implementation of these principles to its various members. Although the results indicate that the communication between the SRCS and the representatives of the projects presently does not conform to the principles of participative communication, the organisation is committed to addressing these gaps in future. / Thesis (MA (Communication Studies))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2013.

The Student RAG Community Service (SRCS), a unique non-governmental organisation (NGO) of the Potchefstroom Campus of the North-West University, aims to support and to enable other NGOs to function independently. For this reason, the communication between the SRCS and these NGOs is viewed from the sub discipline of development communication, with the participative approach currently being perceived as the normative approach to communication for development. Communication between the SRCS and representatives of the NGOs should therefore conform to the principles of the participative approach to development communication to contribute to empowerment and development. The principles of the participative approach that was identified as relevant to this study are participation, dialogue, cultural sensitivity, to enable the community to be self-reliant and community development. This study is qualitative in nature and the research methods used to gather information about the nature of communication between the SRCS and the representatives of the projects are qualitative content analysis, partially structured interviews and observer–participant reporting. Although this study has focused only on early child development projects, the nature of these projects and their communication varied to a large extent. The overall conclusion of this study is that there are gaps in the participative communication between the SRCS and the representatives of all the researched projects. The type of communication between the SRCS and early childhood development projects did not conform to the principles of cultural sensitivity, community development and the enablement of the community to be self-reliant. These gaps are attributed in part to the present documentation of the SRCS (2010 annual report, portfolio descriptions, transfer reports and minutes of 2010’s and 2011’s meetings) as well as the fact that this NGO’s training guidelines do not emphasise the importance of participatory principles, and do not offer sufficient training in the implementation of these principles to its various members. Although the results indicate that the communication between the SRCS and the representatives of the projects presently does not conform to the principles of participative communication, the organisation is committed to addressing these gaps in future. / Thesis (MA (Communication Studies))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2013.

The North-West University (NWU) is an example of an organization that has a social responsibity towards the community and the environment within which it finds itself (Van Schalkwyk, 2013). One of the social responsibility programmes of the NWU-Pukke is known as the Students’ Rag Community Service (SRCS). The SRCS is a registered NPO (non-profit organization) which is run by the students of the NWU Potchefstroom Campus and which has been in existence since 1992 in its present form. In this study it is argued that the SRCS developmental projects could be offered in a more effective and sustainable manner by implementing the basic principles of the participatory approach, viz. Participation, dialogue, empowerment and cultural identity in order to support the local communities in their developmental processes. For the present study the focus was solely on one of the SRCS projects, the Pick a leader-leadership development project. This project has the aim of providing in the developmental needs of ten to fifteen Grade 11 learners in three schools in the North West Province (Potchefstrom and the surrounding communities in Ikageng). Thus project participants (learners) are instructed in basic skills about starting their own businesses (entrepreneurship); how to develop their leadership skills and to apply these skills, and how to be able to use basic life skills in their everyday lives. Various theoreticians have explained how NPO’s without participatory communication are seldom successful in terms of developmental initiatives. The learners can only develop if the relevant roleplayers of the project take ownership of the project by also being able to communicate in a participatory manner about their specific needs with both the NPO and the project volunteers. The NWU-Pukke volunteers, who manage this particular project, therefore have the responsibility to communicate in a participatory manner with the relevant learners, their teachers and then also the different principals to make the project succeed and to contribute to the realization of the developmental needs of the learners. The general research aim of the study had been to determine the nature of the communication among interest groups in the Pick a leader-leadership development programme of the SRCS. Qualitiative research methods, viz. Semi-structured interviews, focus group interviews and participant observation, were used in this study for purposes of making making a thorough investigation into the nature of the communication among those involved in the Pick a leader leadership development programme. The purpose of this was to determine perspectives about the project held by the persons involved (but especially those of the learners) and to interpret these in line with the normative theoretical principles of the participatory approach to developmental communication. It was ultimately found that the communication in the Pick a leader-leadership development programme was mostly one-way. / MA (Communication Studies), North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2014

The North-West University (NWU) is an example of an organization that has a social responsibity towards the community and the environment within which it finds itself (Van Schalkwyk, 2013). One of the social responsibility programmes of the NWU-Pukke is known as the Students’ Rag Community Service (SRCS). The SRCS is a registered NPO (non-profit organization) which is run by the students of the NWU Potchefstroom Campus and which has been in existence since 1992 in its present form. In this study it is argued that the SRCS developmental projects could be offered in a more effective and sustainable manner by implementing the basic principles of the participatory approach, viz. Participation, dialogue, empowerment and cultural identity in order to support the local communities in their developmental processes. For the present study the focus was solely on one of the SRCS projects, the Pick a leader-leadership development project. This project has the aim of providing in the developmental needs of ten to fifteen Grade 11 learners in three schools in the North West Province (Potchefstrom and the surrounding communities in Ikageng). Thus project participants (learners) are instructed in basic skills about starting their own businesses (entrepreneurship); how to develop their leadership skills and to apply these skills, and how to be able to use basic life skills in their everyday lives. Various theoreticians have explained how NPO’s without participatory communication are seldom successful in terms of developmental initiatives. The learners can only develop if the relevant roleplayers of the project take ownership of the project by also being able to communicate in a participatory manner about their specific needs with both the NPO and the project volunteers. The NWU-Pukke volunteers, who manage this particular project, therefore have the responsibility to communicate in a participatory manner with the relevant learners, their teachers and then also the different principals to make the project succeed and to contribute to the realization of the developmental needs of the learners. The general research aim of the study had been to determine the nature of the communication among interest groups in the Pick a leader-leadership development programme of the SRCS. Qualitiative research methods, viz. Semi-structured interviews, focus group interviews and participant observation, were used in this study for purposes of making making a thorough investigation into the nature of the communication among those involved in the Pick a leader leadership development programme. The purpose of this was to determine perspectives about the project held by the persons involved (but especially those of the learners) and to interpret these in line with the normative theoretical principles of the participatory approach to developmental communication. It was ultimately found that the communication in the Pick a leader-leadership development programme was mostly one-way. / MA (Communication Studies), North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2014