Over six evenings at the Christchurch Town Hall, over a thousand children aged seven to 14 were presented with their graduation certificates in front of proud wh膩nau and friends, marking the programme鈥檚 fifth year of success.
The Children鈥檚 University programme, a partnership between Te Whare W膩nanga o Waitaha | 茄子视频app官网 (UC) and Te Whare W膩naka o Aoraki | Lincoln University, has seen year on year growth since its launch in 2019. This year, 1,152 graduates from 48 schools and two r奴nanga completed a staggering 67,714 hours of extracurricular learning. Their accomplishments reflect the programme鈥檚 core mission: fostering a love of lifelong learning and raising aspirations for higher education.
The Children鈥檚 University programme has become the largest of its kind in Aotearoa New Zealand, and to date 4,303 tamariki have graduated. Demand is so high there are over 45 schools on the waiting list.
Through their Passport to Learning, tamariki collect hours by visiting libraries, museums, and wildlife parks, participating in campus experience days, and completing online activities.
鈥淐hildren鈥檚 University is child-led, which means they get to decide their learning journey,鈥 says Programme Manager Jack Swannell.
鈥淭he programme empowers tamariki to engage in a range of exciting and innovative learning experiences that take place outside of the classroom.鈥澨
