Citizen Leader Lab proudly builds on the legacy of our founding organisation and its flagship programme designed to strengthen school leadership

In July 2018, Partners for Possibility was announced as one of six winners of the World Innovation Summit for Education (WISE) Awards for its innovative solution to education challenges. Each year, the WISE Awards recognise and promote six projects that address global educational challenges.

In November 2023, Partners for Possibility was announced as one of the 100 top education innovations globally for 2024 by HundrED.org, a Finnish-based organisation whose mission is to highlight top innovations in education.


thedotgood. ranked Citizen Leader Lab as #77 (in the world’s top 200 SGOs) in 2023

Dr Louise van Rhyn was shortlisted in the Inspiration category of the prestigious annual EduWeek Awards held in October 2017.

PfP was recognised by Unashamedly Ethical in the Western Cape for its tireless work in supporting and improving the South African basic education sector (June 2016).

Women In Entrepreneurship, Infrastructure and Sustainable Energy Development (WEISED) presented Louise van Rhyn, co-founder of PfP, with its Leading Woman of Africa Special Recognition Honorary Award for her tenacity and contribution to the advancement of women and Africa’s socio-economic growth (November 2017).

In 2016, the Innovation Partnership Network recognised PfP, with an IPN Global Best Award, as one of the most innovative education projects on the African continent.

Brand South Africa, together with Owami Women, acknowledged PfP for its commitment and contribution towards positive social change in South Africa (September 2017).

The PfP programme was announced as joint winner of the Partnering for Change Award at the Beyond Painting Classroom Conference in September 2017.

Dr Louise van Rhyn, PfP’s co-founder, was named as a finalist in the Fast Growth Women-Owned SMME category at the Standard Bank Top Women Awards in August 2017

The Appreciative Inquiry Practitioner featured PfP in August 2016 as an innovative leadership development programme (September 2016).

Toastmasters International honoured Dr Louise van Rhyn with its Toastmasters Communication and Leadership Award, which celebrates her leadership in co-founding and extending the PfP programme throughout South Africa (July 2016).

At the 2015 International Partnership Network (IPN) global conference in Belgium, PfP was singled out for its work in developing leaders in the education sector and, at the same time, addressing some of the most complex challenges faced by this sector. PfP received an IPN Global Best Award at this conference (August 2015).

In 2014, Symphonia for South Africa was the recipient of the coveted Reconciliation Award bestowed by The Institute for Justice and Reconciliation in recognition of the powerful impact of the PfP programme in promoting education and, ultimately, reconciliation in South Africa.

PfP was selected for the 2014 World Design Capital as a project that shows innovative thinking and design in tackling complex challenges faced in education in South Africa (October 2014).

The PfP programme was the recipient of the 2013 Business Partner-Emerald Award by the Gauteng Department of Education (GDE) for the significant positive impact it has had on 50 schools in Gauteng.

In 2012 Louise van Rhyn received the Ogunte Women’s Social Leadership Award in recognition of her achievement in developing an innovative and bold solution to a pressing social issue.

An article about PfP entitled 'Cross-sectional collaboration transforms education in South Africa' was published in the (September) 2016 issue of the Annual Review of Social Partnerships - an international annual publication about cross-sectoral social interaction.

At the 2015 International Partnership Network (IPN) global conference in Belgium, PfP was singled out for its work in developing leaders in education and addressing some of the complex challenges faced by this sector. PfP received the IPN Global Best Award (August 2015).

In November 2017 Dr Louise van Rhyn, the c0-founder of PfP, was shortlisted for the Ideas into Practice Award at the Thinkers50 Global Awards for management and leadership thinkers.

In the 2016 Eduweek Awards PfP was chosen as a finalist for NGO of the Year (June 2016).