Patti Silbert is project manager of the Schools Improvement Initiative (SII) at UCT. The SII is a university-school partnership that operates in a group of six schools in Khayelitsha. The focus of the partnership is school improvement which includes the development of principals and teachers in the partner schools. The SII works in close collaboration with faculties and departments at UCT such as the Health Sciences; Social Development and Library and Information Sciences as well as with organisations such as The Bookery and Nal’ibali. Patti works in the Schools Development Unit and has a doctorate in education.