How it began.
The first classes ran at Magwagwaza Secondary School from 5 to 15 December 2016, and again in early January 2017. Five learners attended.
The approach came from one of the founders. As a Grade 11 learner he spent his own December working through Grade 12 physics and mathematics ahead of time, entered matric already familiar with the material, and finished among the top learners in his year. After he and a fellow graduate completed their undergraduate degrees in 2015, they offered the same preparation to learners in Acornhoek and taught the first group themselves.
That method remains the core of MPASS. What has changed is scale, staffing and funding.
Sibusiso Mdhluli
Co-founder. Read astrophysics at the University of the Western Cape, and was the first tutor the programme had.
Shephard Mpulwane
Co-founder. Computer science graduate of the University of Limpopo, and now responsible for the technology across AIST and AISTcode.
On the name. The summer school operated as the Acornhoek Physics Summer School, or APSS, for most of its first decade. It is now MPASS, the Mathematics, Physics and Astronomy Summer School, and sits within AIST alongside three other programmes. Published coverage, grant records and evaluations from before the change appear under the earlier name.
Growth.
Participation figures for the summer school, drawn from published reporting.
| Year | Learners |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 5 |
| 2017 | 17 |
| 2019 | 22 |
| 2022 | 29 |
| Today | 100+ across two centres |
Structure and governance.
AIST
The registered non-profit organisation. It holds the bank account, delivers MPASS, STEM Girls and the Math Competition, and is responsible for every learner in a classroom. It is governed by a body of seven members, including both founders.
AISTcode
A wholly owned for-profit subsidiary. It builds and maintains AIST's systems, holds the domains, operates the shop and delivers Web Dev Camp. Its trading income is directed back into the programmes.
Using commercial revenue to support charitable delivery is a deliberate structure. It reduces dependence on grant cycles and keeps technical capacity inside the organisation.
Reports and evaluations.
Every grant AIST has received has been reported on in writing. The 2022 final report to the IAU Office of Astronomy for Development covers project activities, audience reached, budget and outcomes.