Wellington ākonga attend campus Discovery Day

This year, the day had a hands-on creative arts theme, with Professor Karen Loop heavily involved in the day’s proceedings.

The first stop of the day for the ākonga was the nursing simulation lab, where Dr Beth Mallard, Andrea Thomson and an enthusiastic group of nursing students showed the group where germs lurk on hands and how to investigate the body’s vital signs.

From there, the group moved to the TV studio, where they met up with Professor Loop again. Prior to their visit, they had been tasked with writing a script and memorising the lines, which they then acted and filmed under the guidance of Professor Loop and a group of staff and students.

The Massey mascot, Fergus the Ram, made a surprise appearance, much to the delight of the ākonga.

Next, Fab Lab Technical Demonstrator Daniel Harmsworth and helpers showed the kids how to make 3D printed fidget spinners and name stamps. Following that, commercial music student Seth Paenga helped the group to record a track under the lights of the music studio.

The final stop for the day was the Massey gym, where, under the guidance of student Ellie Hurley-Langton, the kids took part in games and skill testing.

Wellington Programme Coordinator Naomi Westrupp says the aim of the day was to fuel the imaginations of the ākonga.

“It was super to have such variety of hands-on activities for the Taita School tamariki to have a go with. They had put lots of preparation into their Discovery Day film scripts and showed curiosity and enthusiasm throughout the day. The university team were so impressed with how the tamariki supported and encouraged each other to try new experiences. A special thanks to the many university students who came along and shared their skills.”

One of the parent helpers who joined the group for the visit said, “The trip was fantastic, an amazing experience for the kids to see what opportunities are out there when they finish school. I thought it was great that they did a range of activities, it gave a really good variety.”

The day after their visit, the ākonga were asked to write comments about their favourite parts of the day. Some feedback included;

• “It was so much fun making cool little fidgets in the FabLab, we used three different parts and clipped them together. But the best part was the gym because we got to do fun activities and workouts.”
• “The best part was screen arts because I got to control the brightness on the computer in the backroom. We got to use the camera to video the other students.”
• “The best part was the music studio because we got to say ‘Yeeha ha’ and sing SpongeBob.”
• “I never knew how many germs I had on my hands. Even though I kept washing my hands aggressively I still had germs on my fingers.”

About Children’s University

Children’s University is an international charity initiative that supports and encourages young learners to participate in educational experiences outside the classroom. The programme identifies learning destinations where tamariki and rangatahi can explore, gain confidence, and develop a passion for learning. Massey is the North Island franchisee offering the Children's University programme, which started in the United Kingdom in the 1990s. A partnership between Canterbury University and Lincoln offers it in the South Island.

To join the programme, tamariki apply through their participating school and once they’re enrolled, they receive their Passport to Learning. With their passports, tamariki can visit local learning destinations of their choice. Visits are recorded, and each entry is validated in their passports by the learning destinations.

They also get membership to an online learning portal with information about local destinations, along with a wealth of online activities that can be done at home. Once 30 hours or more are earned in their passports, tamariki receive a certificate at a graduation ceremony to celebrate their achievements. Massey Children’s University Wānanga Nohinohi Te Kunenga held its first graduation ceremony in December 2021.

More information about Children’s University is available here with regular updates provided via the programme's Facebook page.