Meet our A+ people (in alphabetical order by surname). None of our staff or associates are employed full time; all are part-time freelancers or pro-bono members of the Board.
Dr Giulietta Harrison – Executive Director
and
Member of the Board
Giulietta comes from many years of teaching in diverse early childhood settings, including as Lecturer, H.O.D. and Principal. She was Director of the Centre for Social Development at Rhodes University for 5 years, and President of SARAECE for 7 years. She is presently H.O.D. at SANTS, a private university, in addition to her Directorship of A+. Giulietta has a passion for developing teachers, especially in Emotional Intelligence (EI). Her Masters was on promoting EI in Grade R, and her PhD on understanding how children acquire literacy in Grade 1. She has written a variety of training programmes. She was part of a team that developed the Higher Certificate in ECCE. She has published extensively in books and journals. Currently she is developing a Recognition of Prior Learning programme at SANTS.
Thomas Petersson – Chairman of the Board
Thomas graduated with an MBA from the Stockholm School of Economics (Sweden) in 1989 and has since worked in various insurance companies as a CEO, starting in 1990. Apart from founding the travel insurance company Erika Insurance in 1995, where he was at the helm for 10 years, he has also been the CEO of Euro Accident Insurance for more than 20 years, leading it to a leading position in the healthcare and accident field in Scandinavia in 2023, when he retired. He presently holds a number of board appointments in the insurance and healthcare space and enjoys his time off in the Eastern Cape with family.
Tania Nortje-Petersson – Treasurer and Member of the Board
Tania has formal education in marketing, real estate and health and wellness. She has worked in various marketing positions with companies such as Sasol and Sun International. Subsequently she moved into real estate and owned and managed a real estate company in KwaZulu-Natal before relocating to the Eastern Cape (Riebeek East). Tania did marketing research on financial and insurance products in South Africa for a number of European companies. From 2011 to 2017 she was the CEO of Health Profile Institute SA, offering education on health and wellness and courses for health professionals.
Shayne Eastman – Financial Manager / Bookkeeper
Shayne’s business is MSM Admin Solutions which provides a full bookkeeping service to A+. The business has been in existence since 2016 and provides a full range of financial/bookkeeping services to small businesses. Shayne has more than 40 years’ work experience in the financial field, having worked for companies such as Investec, Deloitte & Touche, and Old Mutual Asset Managers.
Yolande Delport – Programme Leader and Member of the Board
Yolande is a mosaic artist and a creative facilitator who has worked locally and abroad as an ECD teacher, art co-ordinator and principal. She is the founder of Ibhabhathane Community ECD Centre in Riebeek East as well as the Hands-On Mosaic project, including collaborative community work for public pieces. Mosaic pieces done with students can be seen at the Department of Arts, Sports and Culture in Makhanda. Yolande received a Diploma in Education from the Port Elizabeth College of Education in 1993, and a Further Diploma in Art Education in 1994 from the Cape Town College of Education.
Carole Scott – Project Leader, Materials Manager and Member of the Board
Carole is an educator with over three decades of experience. She holds a Master’s degree in Education (MS Ed., Hunter College, New York, NY). She is committed to enhancing ECD in her work as a Facilitator with A+, and as a Lecturer in Early Childhood and Bachelor of Education faculties at the Centre for Creative Education. Carole pioneered the A+ iZinto Materials Centre, an A+ project that promotes collection and curation of discarded and found materials to use as resources for sustainable and creative teaching and learning activities. Her other passions include visual arts, music, hiking, swimming, and all things food.
June O’Neill – Project Facilitator
June specialised in Pre-Primary Studies and has over 30 years’ experience as teacher and principal in a variety of pre-primary contexts in KwaZulu-Natal, Botswana and Gauteng. A study group tour to Reggio Emilia, Italy, provided the catalyst to ponder the purposes of teaching and learning. Subsequent explorations into emergent curriculum, enquiry-based learning, and a B.Ed. Honours through UNISA, ensued. June’s focus shifted to working with adults as she believes that it empowers teachers to create environments for transformation in teaching and learning. Her experience of process art resonates with the arts-enriched approach of A+.
James Harrison – Fundraiser and Editor
James started his career as a teacher of Biology. He moved into research as coordinator of the first Southern African Bird Atlas Project and worked in the Avian Demography Unit at UCT for 21 years, and subsequently as a freelance environmental consultant for about 10 years. He briefly lectured to education students at Rhodes University. James has since worked as a freelance editor and now as Fundraiser and Editor for A+. He holds an MSc in Nature Conservation (Stell.) and an MA in Creative Writing (UCT), as well as a post-graduate diploma in education (UCT).
Arthur Knox – Web Manager
With 10 years of versatile IT and web development experience, Arthur has assisted homeowners, businesses and universities in managing diverse technical challenges, optimizing systems, and driving innovation. He is skilled in problem-solving and adaptation to evolving technologies. Arthur is committed to delivering solutions and supporting organizational growth. He has gained Amazon Web Services certifications and is furthering himself in this field. He is currently the IT manager at Victoria Girls High School.
Linda Biersteker – Member of the Board
A developmental psychologist and adult educator working in the ECD sector. Previously Research Director at the Early Learning Resource Unit. Has extensive research, training, policy and programming experience. Has developed materials in South Africa and internationally, and has published many articles and chapters. Current research interests include quality improvement systems, monitoring and evaluation tools to support effective programming for young children, the role of local and indigenous knowledge in early education, and learning from conversations with young children.
Dr Avitha Sooful – Member of the Board
Avi has held the position of Senior Lecturer in Fine Art at the University of Pretoria since 2015. Previously she served as HOD of Visual Arts and Design at Vaal University of Technology. Her research traces and documents artmaking and the history of apartheid. Avi is Vice President of the SA National Association for the Visual Arts and served as President for six years. She is currently Chair of the international network, Exploring Visual Cultures (EVC) which comprises art educators from Ghana, Kenya, Cameroon, Germany and RSA. This Network provides a bridge between continents. Avi is an Associate Member of UNESCO-UNITWIN Arts Education Research for Cultural Diversity and Sustainable Development.
Augusta Brandt
Augusta was born and raised in Bonnievale, was married in 1990, and has four children. Through missionary work, she started teaching literacy and transitioned to working in early education. She earned NQF 4 and 5 qualifications in ECD from Boland College. In 2010, she joined the SA Congress for ECD where she became Provincial Chairperson in 2014 and National Chairperson in 2017. She joined the committee driving the Jakes Gerwel Technical project in 2016 and became a trustee of the JGE Funding Trust in 2019. Augusta is passionate about changing the trajectory of children’s lives and has worked closely with government departments and NGOs to advance the cause. She was approached in 2021 to serve on the Western Cape Education Council and recently submitted a Recommendation Paper on advancing ECE in Western Cape. Augusta wants to contribute to children believing in their futures and having hope, despite challenging circumstances.
