Children's University students celebrate love of learning

The University of Western Australia is celebrating 183 Children’s University students graduating and the program’s upcoming partnership with WA Museum Boola Bardip.

The Children’s University aims to inspire a passion for lifelong learning in young people, aged seven to 14 years, and is committed to widen the participation and support of students from diverse backgrounds to access higher education. 

The students, from 12 schools across Albany, the Peel region and Perth, completed more than 30 hours of extracurricular learning activities.

Children's University graduate Emilio Nouchy, in Grade 3 at Flinders Park Primary School, said his two favourite learning destinations to visit in Albany have been the Historic Whaling Station and the Museum of the Great Southern.

"I love the whaling station because we got to go on the big boat and we got to look at all the cool shells in the shell room," Emilio said. 

At the inaugural ceremony at UWA Albany on November 22, 86 children graduated and another 97 pupils will take part in a ceremony at UWA Crawley next Monday December 6.

Emilio's mother, Jaime, said she was so I’m just so proud of her son and all of the kids.

"It’s been a really fantastic learning experience program, what a great opportunity for them to have something like this at this age," Ms Nouchy said.

Mr Colin Pettit, the Commissioner for Children and Young People and honorary Vice-Chancellor of Children’s University in WA, will announce the new partnership with WA museum Boola Bardip at the Crawley graduation. 

Ruth Morris, manager learning and engagement at WA Museum Boola Bardip, said the museum was excited to become a Learning Destination. 

“The Museum is an ideal atmosphere for students to create connections between world-class research and their developing knowledge of the world,” Ms Morris said.

Following the Museum of the Great Southern, Boola Bardip is the second WA Museum site to become a Children’s University Learning Destination partner.

Professor David Sadler, Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Education) at UWA, is a passionate advocate for the Children’s University program.

“Children’s University is all about the community coming together to support children through high quality and engaging extra-curricular learning experiences,” Professor Sadler said. 

“It’s about making learning fun for children because we know that when it’s fun, it inspires children to achieve more and gives them a sense of what they would like to achieve in later life.”

Last year, UWA partnered with Edith Cowan University to form the Children’s University WA Partnership as part of Children’s University Australasia. Children’s University at UWA is generously supported by Rio Tinto.

Families can encourage their school to join and more information can be found here.