Leading voices in advocacy and transformation inspire educators and learners to become agents of change in their communities. The 2025 St Benedict’s Embrace Symposium proved that transformative change in education begins with small, intentional actions. Under the theme “Small ideas, big changes,” the workshop-style event brought together educators, learners, and changemakers to explore how advocacy and innovation can reshape South African schools and communities.

Drawing inspiration from poet Julia Carney’s words that “little drops of water make the mighty ocean,” the symposium demonstrated how modest initiatives can evolve into powerful movements for social justice and educational transformation.Executive Head of St Benedict’s, Andre Oosthuysen says, “The fight for advocacy and social justice demands relentless commitment, and it’s inspiring to witness so many schools stepping up to lead these vital conversations year after year. Through events like our Embrace Symposium, we’re building momentum for lasting change.”

From left Dr Edwards, Kass Naidoo, Geraldine Pillay and David Edwards.

 Advocacy in Action: Learning by Doing

The symposium opened with a practical advocacy workshop led by Dr Lynn Edwards and Linda Greeff, who have collaborated on cancer advocacy since 1987. Their four-part photo advocacy programme equipped delegates with concrete tools for driving change in their own environments. Rather than theoretical discussions, participants engaged in hands-on group work, creating advocacy templates for real community issues that they could immediately implement in their schools.This practical approach reflected the symposium’s core philosophy: meaningful transformation happens when ideas are translated into action. The workshop gave delegates a blueprint for turning passion into purpose, demonstrating how structured advocacy can amplify individual voices into collective change.

 Breakaway Sessions: Deep Diving into Change

Breakaway sessions allowed smaller groups to explore specific areas of transformation. These included multimodality discussions led by St Benedict’s Innovation teams, examination of sports policies in schools with Palesa Hlela, insights into refugee support programmes from Sacred Hearts’ Three2Six initiative – led by the principal of Sacred Heart, Dr Mark Potterton and Justine Kimbala, exploration of building brave thinking classrooms with St Benedict’s Head of Academics Margarita Nichas, and stress management techniques from Head of Wellness at St Benedict’s, Dr Tonia Lennox.

These focused discussions created space for delegates to examine how small innovations in their specific areas of interest could generate broader institutional change. Each session reinforced the symposium’s central message: transformation begins with individual commitment to incremental improvement.

South African cartoonist, ZAPIRO, aka Jonathan Shapiro.

 Political Cartoons as Catalysts for Change

Renowned political cartoonist Zapiro (Jonathan Shapiro) delivered a compelling presentation tracing South Africa’s democratic journey through his cartoons from 1994 to the present. His sharp wit and critical analysis demonstrated how visual advocacy can influence public discourse and political consciousness.

Zapiro’s work exemplifies the symposium’s theme perfectly – individual cartoons may seem small, but their cumulative impact on South African society has been profound. His engaging Q&A session sparked extensive discussion about involving students in political and social advocacy, with delegates exploring how to channel his approach into their educational environments.Speaking about the pressures facing young people today, Zapiro noted: “Being a teenager is hard enough. Add social media, shame, and exclusion, and it becomes even tougher. That’s why platforms like Embrace are critical.”For aspiring cartoonists and advocates, he offered practical advice: “Cartooning is more about your ideas than your drawing. Read widely, write often, and absorb the world. Then express your unique take.”

St Benedict’s Head Boy, Tayte Gregory with students from St David’s Marist Brothers.

 From Vision to Victory: The Gsport Story

Kass Naidoo, South Africa’s first female cricket commentator and founder of Gsport4girls, shared her journey from identifying a problem to creating a national platform celebrating female athletes. Her story perfectly embodied the symposium’s theme – what began as recognition of women’s struggles in sport evolved into South Africa’s premier initiative for promoting female athletic achievement. Naidoo’s advice resonated strongly with delegates: “Everyone has ideas. The challenge is having the courage to start. If you take small, consistent actions, you’ll create incredible impact.”

Her platform emerged from necessity when she noticed that every female athlete she interviewed spoke of struggle rather than success. “No one was telling the positive stories, so I quit my job, built a website, and created a platform for women in sport to thrive,” she explained. To the young changemakers, she offered: “Use your twenties to jump. Use your energy. Have a plan A, B, and C. And always back yourself. Patience and perseverance bring progress.”

From left: Teachers and principals with Co-chair of TDI at St Benedict’s – Geraldine Pillay

 Collaborative Conversations Drive Innovation

The symposium’s roundtable discussions provided crucial networking opportunities, allowing delegates from different schools to share challenges and solutions. These conversations revealed common threads across educational institutions and sparked collaborative approaches to systemic issues.

The roundtable format reinforced that transformation is not a solitary endeavour – it requires community engagement and shared commitment to change. Delegates explored how advocacy initiatives could be adapted across different school contexts, creating a network of change agents committed to educational transformation.

 Building Tomorrow’s Leaders Today

Since its establishment in 2019, the Embrace Symposium has consistently demonstrated the power of bringing together diverse voices committed to educational transformation. The platform continues to prove its relevance by helping learners recognise they are not just future leaders, but leaders in the present moment. The 2025 symposium reinforced this message, showing how small ideas nurtured in supportive environments can become catalysts for significant social change. By providing practical tools, inspiring examples, and collaborative spaces, the event equipped delegates to return to their communities as agents of transformation.

Reflecting on the event, David Edwards, co-chair of St Benedict’s Transformation, Diversity and Inclusion Department, shared his enthusiasm, “The 2025 Embrace Symposium delivered the same powerful impact we’ve experienced over the past three years. Connecting with passionate educators who share our commitment to social justice and transformative change reinforced why this work matters. As a history teacher, hearing Jonathan Shapiro speak was particularly meaningful – his insights have already sparked numerous ideas for classroom activities that will enhance both my teaching and our TDI initiatives. I’m already anticipating next year’s symposium, which will explore the authentic African voice in schools through another exceptional lineup of speakers and breakaway sessions.”

The symposium continues to serve as a vital meeting point for those committed to diversity, inclusion, and social justice in education. As delegates left with concrete plans and renewed energy, they carried forward the symposium’s central truth: meaningful change begins with individual commitment to making a difference, one small idea at a time.

Delegates from various schools featured with Kass Naidoo, South Africa’s first female cricket commentator and founder of Gsport4girls.

 Looking Forward

The St Benedict’s Transformation, Diversity and Inclusion Department, co-chaired by Geraldine Pillay and David Edwards, looks forward to hosting next year’s symposium, continuing to provide a platform where small ideas can grow into big changes that transform South African education and society.