Digital Impact @ Skippers
Progress, Strategy & Roadmap
Initial outreach and conversations
- 15 secondary schools identified in Diani (with ~7 private schools not the priority focus)
- Early engagement is positive; schools are generally open to participation
- Initial meetings held with a nearby high-gap public school
- Initial careers session delivered; early feedback confirms demand and the need for clear learning pathways
- Skippers will fund the initial pilot (to validate model and measure impact)
Strategic direction
We’re building a simple, scalable pathway that helps students move from limited digital access to real post-school opportunities.
We are starting by supporting public secondary schools in Diani focusing on Grades 10–12,. the final years of secondary school.
As the programme matures, we aim to extend support beyond school into a clear transition pathway for school leavers. Over time, this should evolve into a shared self-learning college: a central resource that serves multiple schools and provides structured guidance for learners as they plan their next steps.
A “three-stage” strategic ladder
- School foundations: build digital confidence and learning access for Grades 10–12
- School leaver pathways: support progression into further education, training, or employment
- Shared self-learning college: a central capability serving multiple supported schools
Why this strategy
- Focuses resources where the gap is widest and will have the highest impact
- Prioritises transition outcomes, not just access
- Designed for scale, so impact can grow beyond a single pilot
Roadmap
| Phase | Focus | What success looks like |
|---|---|---|
| Phase 1: Pilot proof | One public school, Grades 10–12 | Model validated; engagement and reliability demonstrated |
| Phase 2: Small cluster | 3–5 public schools | Repeatable approach across different contexts |
| Phase 3: Scale | Priority public schools (town-wide) | Defined standard offer; predictable rollout |
| Phase 4: School leaver pathways | Supported school leavers | Measurable transition outcomes begin to emerge |
| Phase 5: Self-learning college | Central capability | Shared resource with measurable progression and a sustainability plan |
Project maturity levels
| Maturity level | What it means (strategic) |
|---|---|
| 1 — Ad-hoc | Informal activity; inconsistent delivery |
| 2 — Defined | Clear scope and approach; basic tracking |
| 3 — Operating | Reliable delivery; issues handled without firefighting |
| 4 — Scalable | Repeatable across schools with predictable inputs |
| 5 — Institutional | Durable model with partnerships, blended funding, and cohort outcomes |
School readiness assessments
- Leadership buy-in
- School readiness (time/space willingness)
- Delivery reliability
- Learner demand (Grades 10–12)
What we’ve learnt so far
We have complete initial meetings with the secondary school located nearest to Skippers which as it happens is a ‘high-gap’ school.
- Very limited resources
- High student to teacher ratios
- Publicly funded school vs. private
At the first school as well as initial meetings with the head and deputy head we have run an initial careers talk afternoon.
The aim was to get a feel for engagement levels and overall enthusiasm for tech careers and support in general.
Careers afternoon
We ran a careers talk afternoon. In general it was very well received. What was extremely clear was while there was an appetite for future interaction the next steps needed to include a clear map to IT/technology learning paths.
What that means is equipment and a wider programme to ensure continuous success.
Summary
- There is are very mixed perspectives amongst teachers regarding the value of IT and computer based education;
- Amongst parents there are generally negative views regarding computers and technology education;
- Schools are on average poorly equipped to provide any standard of IT education with the exception of some higher cost private schools;
- Management within schools understand the importance of technology education but are not sufficiently resourced to execute and deliver across the board;
What happens next
- We are recruiting a volunteer to lead the pilot and help shape the next phase
- The pilot is founder-funded to move quickly and learn fast
- We will publish periodic updates and expand based on readiness and measured outcomes