Community Development
Executive Portfolio Holder: Ms Britney Bengtson
Chairperson: Ms Sempre BarnettSecretary: Ms Masoodah Mohamed
Contact: psyssasdcommdev@gmail.com
The Community Development portfolio aims to provide students with volunteer opportunities and opportunities to serve a community in need. The portfolio aims to serve as a platform whereby students are able to engage with the population at a grassroots level. The Community Development portfolio hopes that this will allow students to gain a deeper understanding of the public sector and the challenges associated with it. The portfolio aims to serve communities which are in dire need of aid. In addition to this, the portfolio aims to contribute towards creating mental health advocacy.
Community Development campaigns are carried out across South Africa by various Student Division members who serve within the portfolio. The campaigns are aimed at contributing to the alleviation of pressing issues within the country.
By facilitating community engagement, the Student Division aims to inspire students to one day become professionals that give back to the community and be passionate about service to the poor and vulnerable.
Frequently Asked Questions
Executive Portfolio Holder: Mr Manase Matlala
Chairperson: Ms Josephine Padarath
Vice-chairperson: Ms Dhevamoney (Mogie) Padayachee
Contact: psyssastudentfaq@gmail.com
The FAQ subcommittee strives to provide information within the field of psychology to students and assist them with as much knowledge as possible to navigate this field. Students are often uninformed or misinformed, and the FAQ Committee acts as a support structure to aid students in their journeys and make it easier for them. The FAQ subcommittee is developing an informational booklet that can be used as a psychology student handbook for undergraduate and postgraduate students. The booklet provides a layout of different routes in psychology, accredited institutions where studies may be completed, Master’s categories, and interviews with psychology professionals in order to gain a deeper understanding of the profession. Furthermore, the subcommittee is dedicated to answer individual questions.
We have therefore created a platform for students to direct their questions to our team, and then receive elaborate and correct information pertaining to their queries. We want our members to succeed in their journey within the field of psychology, and our vision is to disseminate as much information as possible in order for students to make informed and calculated decisions in this field. We are here to support, inform and help our members in any way we can!
Media and Marketing
Executive Portfolio Holders: Mr Daniel Bode & Ms Genevieve Burrow
Co-chairperson: Ms Ashrene Rathilal
Contact: psyssasdmarketing@gmail.com
The Media and Marketing Subcommittee centres on reaching students by providing interactive platforms for continuous engagement. The promotion of mental health awareness is a pivotal element of the Student Division. Through the publication of articles, videos and information, the Student Division addresses mental health, ending the stigma, eliminating shame, and furthering the importance of mental health awareness by disseminating information and knowledge.
The Student Division’s Subcommittees promote their initiatives through Media and Marketing, with various campaigns such as Community Development’s donation drives, applications for the National Mentorship Programme, and volunteer opportunities. Driving SD’s subcommittee campaigns through advertising various initiatives invites active engagement and uplifting communities in need.
The Media and Marketing Subcommittee promotes psychology as a science and strives to bridge the gap between academic knowledge and practical knowledge and experience. The Subcommittee aims to achieve this through initiatives such as Ask Us Anything webinars, volunteer opportunities in SD subcommittees, and SD Executives access. We offer networking opportunities through multiple SD subcommittees and engagement on social media and our website. The Subcommittee connects with our audience through social conversations and identifies students’ needs to optimise the benefits of joining the Student Division.
The Media and Marketing team are diverse and dynamic, dedicated to ensuring the Subcommittee remains relevant to psychology students and psychology’s changing landscape, transformation and unity.
Multidisciplinary
Executive Portfolio Holder: Ms Masoodah Mohamed
Chairperson: Ms Denisha September
Contact: psyssasdmultidisciplinary@gmail.com
The Multidisciplinary Subcommittee aims to make the discipline of psychology more accessible and relevant to society. This will be achieved by engaging with professionals from other fields, highlighting the value of psychology as a profession and discipline on its own and concerning other disciplines and professions.
The Multidisciplinary Subcommittee will achieve this by engaging in conversations with professionals from other disciplines and professions, and psychology students, regarding their importance to society. The different ways psychology can be integrated with and implemented into various domains are highlighted, drawing attention to the diversity of psychology and challenging the stereotypical understanding of psychology as a discipline and profession.
The Multidisciplinary Subcommittee will engage with different professions and disciplines in addition to collaborating with various organisations.
National Mentorship Programme
Executive Portfolio Holder: Ms Genevieve Burrow
Chairperson: Ms Genevieve Burrow
Secretary: Ms Jessica Ellington
Contact: psyssasdmentorship@gmail.com
The National Mentorship Programme (MP) is endorsed by PsySSA and accredited by the South African Qualifications Authority (SAQA) with an NQF level-5. Founded in 2016, the voluntary programme is year-long and focuses on educating mentees while encouraging personal, academic and professional growth.
The purpose of the programme is to prepare mentees for postgraduate studies, enhance research skills, improve critical thinking and academic insight, and nurture reflection. Mentees also gain confidence whilst learning to network and foster relationships with mentors, fellow mentees, and the MP Executive.
The multi-provincial programme steadily grows every year, indicating the quality and level of excellence of the programme. Research assignments complement practical activities to provide a well-rounded, holistic learning experience that incorporates topics relevant to psychology, psychology students, and the praxis of psychology.
Through the organic transfer of knowledge between each mentee and mentor, and the outstanding curriculum participants experience a transformative process that extends far beyond the curriculum.
Research into Student Empowerment
Executive Portfolio Holder Chairperson: Ms Maryam Gangat
Contact: psyssastudentrise@gmail.com
The Research into Student Empowerment Subcommittee (RISE) Subcommittee is a community of diverse individuals working together to amplify the voices of students and empower students through self-agency. RISE helps students acquire skills to improve communication, confidence, and motivation and strengthen interpersonal relationships to reach their greatest potential. RISE also helps students navigate and explore psychology while enabling students to grow personally and professionally.
We aim to empower students through self-advocacy, help students feel motivated and confident in their abilities, and become engaged within their communities to bridge the gap between student and professional. RISE hopes to achieve these aims by creating a responsible and empowering space for students to voice and express their needs, opinions and concerns. In addition, RISE works to create the opportunity for students to explore the endless possibilities outside of one’s field of study.
RISE provides students with new possibilities for growth and works holistically to help students overcome the challenges of global youth unemployment. RISE will become a means of aiding students to transition into resilient individuals and provide a platform that allows them to meet their academic, social, and psychological needs. Ultimately as RISE successfully assists students in meeting these needs, students will be positively impacted in areas of mental and physical health, motivation, and achievement.
Societies
Executive Portfolio Holders: Ms Bridgette Mogoje and Ms Britney Bengtson
Contact: psyssasdsocieties@gmail.com
The Student Division aims to interact with and create a network of Psychology Societies from various universities. This not only allows for the transfer of knowledge and sharing of ideas amongst Societies, but it also creates a sense of connectedness and a network of support.
By joining the SD network, the society will also interact and link with other societies within the organisational structure. The society will receive guidance and support from the Student Division. Being a part of the PsySSA SD Societies network exposes psychology students to psychology in practice whilst promoting a culture of understanding and ubuntu.
Transformation
Executive Portfolio Holder: Ms Bridgette Mogoje
Chaiperson: Ms Annika Hugo
Contact: psyssasdtransformation@gmail.com
The PsySSA Student Division’s Transformation Subcommittee aims to broaden psychology students’ perspective of the discipline by exposing them to concepts such as Multiculturalism, Social Justice and Community Psychology interventions in the context of African Psychology.
We will achieve our objectives through hosting webinars, writing academic articles on burning issues in South Africa and linking students to volunteer opportunities that align with our objectives.