Safe Schools | Healthy Minds

In observation of Mental Health Awareness Month in South Africa, Upside is proud to announce our upcoming mini-convention: "Safe Schools, Healthy Minds."

We are bringing together two experts to bridge the gap between systemic educational reform and clinical psychological support:

??? Prof. Jonathan Jansen (Distinguished Professor of Education, Stellenbosch University) will unpack the macro-perspective: how structural changes, robust school leadership, and intentional institutional policies build spaces free from institutional failure and chaos.

??? Lindi Van Niekerk (Clinical Psychologist) will focus on the micro-level: delivering practical, evidence-based toolkits for early trauma identification, emotional resilience in the classroom, and critical strategies to combat educator burnout.

Following their keynote addresses, we will host an interactive, moderated Panel Discussion & Audience Q&A

to unpack how local communities, school governing bodies and educators can collaboratively drive long-term change.