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New Children's ÐÓ°ÉÖ±²¥ at the Uni of Adelaide

Monday, 25 November 2013

A new drive to set children as young as five on the path to higher education is being launched today at the ÐÓ°ÉÖ±²¥ of Adelaide with the first graduation of students from .

The ÐÓ°ÉÖ±²¥ of Adelaide is introducing to ÐÓ°ÉÖ±²¥ for the first time the award-winning international Children's ÐÓ°ÉÖ±²¥ model which originated in the UK in the early 1990s.

The aim of Children's ÐÓ°ÉÖ±²¥ is to promote a love of lifelong learning to children through community engagement, with a particular focus on children from rural and remote locations, Indigenous communities and disadvantaged backgrounds.

"The ÐÓ°ÉÖ±²¥ of Adelaide was founded on the principle that our future leaders should be shaped by education, not birth or wealth," says ÐÓ°ÉÖ±²¥ of Adelaide .

"That vision continues today, with our belief that a high quality university education should be open to all who have ability, and not be restricted by where you come from, the family or community you are born into, or your social or financial situation.

"There is substantial evidence that early intervention increases children's engagement with learning and education. Through Children's ÐÓ°ÉÖ±²¥ ÐÓ°ÉÖ±²¥ we aim to promote a love of learning that we hope will lead to a lifetime of learning."

Children's ÐÓ°ÉÖ±²¥ offers fun learning opportunities for five to 14 year olds outside of normal school activities in collaboration with school and community clubs, museums, galleries and other activity providers, involving parents and the wider community.

Children are issued with a 'Passport to Learning', which records their individual learning activities. They are rewarded for their participation with certificates at graduation ceremonies at 'grown-up' universities such as the ÐÓ°ÉÖ±²¥ of Adelaide.

"There are many programs which try to address the issues of disadvantaged children engaging with their communities," says , Director of the ÐÓ°ÉÖ±²¥ of Adelaide's Office for Future Students and Director of the new Children's ÐÓ°ÉÖ±²¥ ÐÓ°ÉÖ±²¥.

"Most of these programs are developed by adults who have great intentions but don't think like children. The beauty of Children's ÐÓ°ÉÖ±²¥ is that children lead the way. It's fun, it's based on their interests, and they get to choose what they do."

The first graduations, for 22 children from Mark Oliphant College, take place today. Activities to date have included bread, chutney and marmalade making, getting 'hands on' with bugs at the South ÐÓ°ÉÖ±²¥n Museum, Glee Club, French Club, interactive science lectures, creating art at the Art Gallery of South ÐÓ°ÉÖ±²¥, weaving and a range of sporting activities. From 2014, a greater variety of learning activities will be introduced.

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