Children's University Adelaide offers seven-to-14 age group chance to graduate with wide learning experiences
Children's University Adelaide graduates with their certificates at the ceremony in Adelaide's University's Bonython Hall.
Image courtesy Children's University Australia, Adelaide University
Children's University Adelaide offered educational experiences in the 21st Century for children aged seven to 14 and volunteering opportunities for aged 15 to 18.
Managed by Adelaide University, the children’s university promoted “free range learning”, encouraging children to try new activities, discover new passions, visit new places and have fun. It offered learning experiences out of school hours, with each activity recorded in a passport to learning that will add towards their graduation at a special ceremony.
Taking up a concept started in the United Kingdom, Adelaide University launched Children’s University Australia is 2013.It was piloted with one school, 45 participants and nine learning destinations. It went on to spread nationally with the head office at Adelaide University.
Schools could coordinate their own children’s university activities through clubs run by staff or volunteers in between normal school hours. Children could attend learning destination outside of the school where they receive a stamp in their passport. Staff from Children’s University Australia (run by Adelaide University) validated these organisations as safe and providing a positive learning experience for students.
There were more than 70 learning destinations throughout South Australian including sports clubs, museums and galleries. Each destination had a strong emphasis on experience as a significant learning tool. All learning activities had to be linked in some way to a university course. A football club experience would be linked to sports engineering, physiotherapy, management, teaching, sciences. A child already doing activities outside of school (sports, music, choirs, council activities etc.) can have those be included in the program.
The children’s university also offered independent learning activities as simple stand-alone tasks that students can complete at home in their own time. They also are rewarded with a stamp in their passport for each completed task.
Once they have reached the required 30 hours of learning, children will graduate from the university. Certificates were presented at graduation ceremonies in high-profile locations such as Bonython Hall at Adelaide University.
In response to feedback from older students a passport to volunteering was created which provides 15–18-year-olds with opportunities to assist with running Children’s University Australia activities, while developing leadership skills and graduate attributes. Older students could use this activity to count towards the Duke of Edinburgh Award scheme and the South Australian Certificate of Education.
From 2016, Children’s University Australia also began partnering with government and other organisations to provide opportunities for young people to shadow senior state executives, opening their eyes to possibilities for their own futures.