Lincoln University and the University of Canterbury (UC) are bringing the Children’s University to New Zealand.
In partnership with the University of Adelaide they will become the first New Zealand providers of the award-winning educational programme.
The universities are collaborating with local stakeholders and iwi to establish a New Zealand Children’s University which offers learning opportunities outside of the classroom to school students.
Children’s University, which originated in the United Kingdom, was first adopted in Australasia by the University of Adelaide in 2013 and was soon followed by other Australian universities.
The model uses local educational and learning activity providers and emphasises experience as a significant learning tool.
Lincoln University Vice-Chancellor James McWha is a patron of the Children’s University Australia and New Zealand.
“I think we can produce meaningful learning experiences for South Island schoolchildren, ones that will hopefully lead to them taking up tertiary study in the future,” he says.
UC Vice-Chancellor Dr Rod Carr says working alongside Lincoln University to establish Children’s University in New Zealand, and particularly in Canterbury, aligns with UC’s goals, in particular engaging with the community, a pillar of UC’s Graduate Profile.
“The aim of Children’s University is to bring high quality educational experiences to children in partnership with their schools, communities, and universities. All activities are experiential, and purposely outside of school time so that it is ‘other than school’.”
Uniquely, activities align with skill development which supports tertiary level study, says UC Assistant Vice-Chancellor Professor Catherine Moran, who signed the agreement with the University of Adelaide.
“One of the principles underlying Children’s University is that children need to know what exists to know what they can aspire to achieve,” Professor Moran says.
Lincoln University Assistant Vice-Chancellor Professor Grant Edwards looks forward to the universities facilitating educational activities at a range of destinations, including those related to food production and environment.