The beautiful and historic site overlooking the mouth of the Tamar River was therefore the perfect location for today’s launch of Limitless Learning, with key stakeholders including learning destination staff and volunteers, Children’s University Tasmania families, school principals and George Town community leaders in attendance.
Peter Underwood Centre deputy director aspirations and attainment Dr Becky Shelley said the project was providing children and young people with a central role in the creation of learning experiences at destinations in the North, North-West and on the West Coast.
“Our Limitless Learning team are working with Children’s University Tasmania members and the staff and volunteers from nine Learning Destinations in the development of activities for families to enjoy,” Dr Shelley said.
“Limitless Learning will enrich the quality and quantity of learning available outside of school hours.
“Who better to tell us what they are interested in than the children themselves?”
The Limitless Learning Project is all about children and young people:
- sharing ideas of what they love about the learning destination;
- co-designing and co-creating exciting new learning activities; and
- sharing the new activities for the community to enjoy.
Dr Shelley said the four-year project – funded by the Tasmanian Community Fund, the Jetty Foundation and the Cuthill Family Foundation – would develop a model for co-designing quality informal learning.
“Many learning organisations are operated by small teams of people, and are often reliant on volunteers,” she said.
“We want to help them in how they can work in this way.”
Low Head Pilot Station Maritime Museum curator Des Wootton said it was an exciting project to be involved in.
“Limitless Learning is proving to be a very valuable addition to the Museum, and we hope it can continue and we can develop more learning activities,” Mr Wootton said.
The nine learning destinations currently involved in Limitless Learning are the Low Head Pilot Station Maritime Museum, the Launceston Tramway Museum, the Great Western Tiers Visitor Centre, the Tamar Island Wetlands Centre, the National Automobile Museum of Tasmania, the Devonport Regional Gallery, Hive Tasmania in Ulverstone, the Burnie Regional Museum and the Galley Museum in Queenstown.
Other interested learning providers are invited to join our community of practice by contacting Educational Resources Co-designer Justin Smith or Community Co-designer Jesse Brennan, or by making a general inquiry to the Centre: underwoodcentre.enquiries@utas.edu.au
A Children’s University learning destination is a place children and young people can visit with and engage with quality learning experiences.
They are generally free or low-cost locations such as museums, art galleries, libraries and animal parks.
Children’s University has 1300 active members in 51 schools and learning hubs around the state.