UOW LEARNING LABS program breaks another record

January 12, 2015

UOW LEARNING LABS program breaks another record

The highly successful UOW LEARNING LABS program has expanded again. More than 700 academically high-achieving students will descend on the University of Wollongong campus during their January school holidays to partake in fun yet challenging workshops.

Pro Vice-Chancellor (Inclusion and Outreach) Professor Paul Chandler with participants of the Learning Labs program in 2014.

Due to a growing demand within the local community, the gifted and talented program for primary and high school students has grown to encompass students from as young as Year 1 through to Year 10.

Because of the growing numbers, the primary school program has been split into two streams -- LITTLE LEARNING LABS for Years 1 and 2 students and EARLY LEARNING LABS for Years 3 to 6 students.

Photo/filming/interview opportunities will be available for LITTLE LEARNING LABS tomorrow (Tuesday 13 January) – see below for further details.

Workshops will be led by teachers with specialist training or a specific interest in gifted education. Organisers say the program has proved to be extremely popular with all workshops full and many more students on waiting lists. Some of the workshops offered will focus on such things as building video games, LEGO robotics, mathematics, science, creative writing and graphic design.

Conducted by the In2Uni program at the University, Learning Labs Project Officer, Sarah Smith, has been steadily building the program since its conception in 2012.

Two other LEARNING LABS events will be run in January – the EARLY LEARNING LABS event (Years 3 – 6 students on Thursday 15 and Friday 16 January) and the high school program, LEARNING LABS, for high-achieving students in Years 7 to 10 on Tuesday 20 and Wednesday 21 January.

The high school LEARNING LABS program will include workshops on the main campus as well as the Innovation Campus. Ms Smith said the new technology workshops, CodeCamp, Digital Media and Introduction to Building Video Games have proven to be extremely popular with students travelling from all over the region to participate.

“Each workshop has been developed and will be presented by university academics or specialists who are leaders in their field,” Ms Smith said.

“We plan to give gifted and talented students from the region something different to what they can achieve at school –a real university experience with a variety of dynamic and challenging workshops,” Ms Smith said.

Media contact: For the best times and venues to photograph young students tomorrow (Tuesday 13 January) contact Sarah Smith on +61 2 4221 3348 or Kylie Austin on +61 2 4252 8885 or +61 400 141 874.