In July 2021, the education landscape was disrupted by the news that the University of Cape Town & education technology partner Valenture Institute collaborated to launch the UCT Online High School – an innovative, new online high school created to accelerate access to world-class high school education and unleash South Africa’s, and Africa’s full potential. The University of Cape Town is the first university on the African continent to achieve such a feat, and the public response to date has been nothing short of unbelievable – over 10,000 learner applications and the first cohort of 5,000 learners in 2022.
In continuation of this innovation and success, the UCT Online High School endeavored to up the ante and create another first – the first-ever school song created by South Africa’s (and Africa’s) top award-winning artists. The collaboration, dubbed ‘We Own The Future’ — after a learner-wide name vote confirmed this name as the frontrunner — is a one-of-a-kind anthem created to inspire, motivate and bring together Africa’s youth to unleash their potential and encourage a sense of community for an online cohort of learners across South Africa and the globe.
The launch of the ‘We Own The Future’ school song and music video today coincides with 24 January’s International Day of Education, and is a celebration of aspirational talent for those in need of encouragement and motivation through the power of music.
In support of the school anthem release, comes a visual story, a music video that offers a window into the collaboration between the artists and shows the creative process of the school song journey, as well as the iBhodi Trust micro-school learners who add their voices to the chorus of the school song filmed and recorded at UCT’s Sarah Baartman Hall. These creative individuals joined forces to create something unique, something that will resonate with the youth as they go on this new innovative journey of discovery and independence. A school song that not only inspires a new generation of learners, but a song that also inspires the world that we truly do own our future and in doing so, inspire others to make an impact.