Ariellah Rosenberg, ORT SA CEO welcomes guests to an end-of-year event:

“Welcome to ORT SA, members of the department of education, dear trustees of STET (Support Teacher Empowerment Trust), dear teachers and schools representatives, dear learners. We are happy to share with you this special occasion.

Today we are celebrating the achievement of completion of this STET funded Maths and Coding programme. With 81 teachers, impacting almost 4000 learners and the commitment of 15 student teachers dedicated to become part of the teaching profession.

To be a part of the ORT SA programmes, it requires dedication: the extra hours you have dedicated to learning, coaching and support in the classroom and the aptitude of a growth mindset as well as being open to constructive criticism.

We thank you for the opportunity to have taught you. When one teaches, two learn. ORT SA’s mission is not only to impart professional techniques, knowledge and skills in coding or math but I believe, to prepare you to continue learning and empowering yourselves, and then paying it forward by mentoring or coaching another fellow teacher or learner. That is our mission which we hope we have accomplished.

ORT turns 140 next year. ORT is an organisation, an institution and an idea. It is the idea that people must be autonomous in order to live a dignified life and that in order to achieve that autonomy one needs education, above all. Therefore, although ORT in each country and in each era adopts different forms, its spirit is the same – providing a quality education that allows people to access a dignified and independent life.

As the great Isaac Asimov said: “education is not something that one can finish.” We must prepare to live in a society in which learning will occur throughout life, in all places and at all times. We never know what changing technology and continuous learning will take, but we know that we will all have to learn and keep learning continuously.

Jorge Grunberg, the rector of ORT Uruguay University, said that the threat in this new world is not free trade or immigrants or robots. The threat in this new world is ignorance. Ignorance is the great barrier to cross into the 21st century.

An ignorant nation cannot be free. To neglect our education is to neglect our freedom and our prosperity. An ignorant nation is dominated by charlatans and demagogues. It is not our assets that will project us into the future, but what we do to cultivate the intelligence and potential of our youth.

I would like to thank Ricci and the STET trustees for believing in our mission and Moabi from DOE District supporting this incredible project. To our dedicated and passionate STEM team working tirelessly to ensure we achieve excellence in all that we do. And to all of you here today. Find your own path, but know that ORT will always be your home.”