LitWorks Institute Junior
A free two-year programme where Grade 8 and 9 learners learn to code, design websites and build real projects for local businesses — after school, at their own school.
How it works
Real skills, close to home
Small classes at partner schools, run by LitWorks facilitators, alongside what learners already cover in the school curriculum.
Curriculum
Two years, step by step
Designed to complement the Gauteng Grade 7–9 Coding and Robotics framework, with a practical twist: every concept connects to how real businesses run online.
Year 1 · Grade 8
Foundations
- Digital literacy: using computers, the internet and office tools with confidence
- Thinking in rules and settings: how real websites are configured
- First steps in coding, from blocks to typed code
- Robotics basics, where kits are available
- What AI is, and how AI assistants and agents work
Year 2 · Grade 9
Applied skills
- Building simple website setups from start to finish
- Adding content and branding for a business
- Testing: finding and fixing problems before anyone else does
- Talking to a client: listening, asking questions, explaining changes
- How online business networks help small businesses grow
Term by term
Term 1
Grade 8
Logic gates, truth tables, true/false logic and IF statements
Grade 9
Event-driven programming: controlling objects with the keyboard, game design basics
Term 2
Grade 8
Working with text and lists, first graphics, repeating steps with loops
Grade 9
Continuing game projects; planning and designing a website
Term 3
Grade 8
Staying safe online (phishing, spoofing), HTML and styling, spreadsheet formatting
Grade 9
How streaming works; website layout and navigation; cleaning up spreadsheet data
Term 4
Grade 8
Biometrics and layered security; more work with text and lists
Grade 9
Big data and using AI to understand data; finishing game projects
Learning by doing
Projects for real businesses
Learners don’t just study code — they practise the work: setting up and changing websites for the kind of businesses they walk past every day.
Grade 8 project
Launch a page for a local business
Learners set up a landing page for a fictional Joburg CBD business — a barber shop, a spaza, a tailor — choosing the layout, colours, opening hours and contact details.
Grade 9 project
Handle a real client request
"Please change our hours and add a booking button." Learners work through a client change request, plan the changes, make them and explain what they did.
After two years
What learners leave with
Certificate of completion
A LitWorks certificate recording the skills each learner has built. We are working towards nationally accredited certification.
A portfolio of real work
Websites and projects learners can show teachers, parents and future employers.
A path to work experience
From Grade 10, learners who complete the programme may be invited to apply for supervised, part-time opportunities, with a parent or guardian’s consent and never at the expense of schoolwork.
Priority after matric
Graduates receive priority consideration for LitWorks Pro, our full-time professional programme.
The pathway
Grade 8–9
LitWorks Junior
Free two-year programme: foundations, then applied skills.
Grade 10–12
Junior agent
By invitation: supervised, part-time opportunities on real client websites.
After matric
LitWorks Pro
Priority consideration for full-time professional training in digital services.
For schools
A partner, not extra work
Many schools want to offer coding and robotics but don’t have the teachers or equipment yet. We fill that gap alongside the curriculum you already teach.
What we bring
- Free classes for Grade 8 and 9 learners, 2–4 hours a week
- Content designed to complement the Gauteng Coding and Robotics framework
- Facilitators who run every session — no extra teacher workload
- Optional training for your own teachers
- Attendance and progress reports for the school
What we ask of you
- One classroom for 2–4 hours a week
- Help recruiting interested Grade 8 and 9 learners
- One liaison teacher as our point of contact
We start with an 8-week pilot for 15–20 learners and share attendance and results with the school.
Get involved
Help us open the first classes
We are preparing our first pilot class with partner schools in Johannesburg CBD. Leave your details and we will be in touch.
Questions
Frequently asked questions
Is it really free?
Yes. There are no fees for learners, parents or schools. We are building the programme with sponsors and partners so that it stays free.
Does my child need to know how to code?
No. Year 1 starts from the basics. Curiosity and regular attendance matter far more than experience.
Does my child need a laptop?
No. Classes happen at the partner school, and we are working with sponsors so that devices are available for learners to use in class.
Will it interfere with schoolwork?
Sessions run after school or on Saturdays, and the content is designed to support what learners cover in the school curriculum.
When does it start?
We are preparing our first pilot class with partner schools. Register interest and we will contact you when places open.
Start early. Build for real.
Already finished school? Explore the rest of LitWorks Institute — portfolios, courses and mentorship for students and graduates.