November 25, 2016

Marshmallow catapults and liquid nitrogen start early conversations about university

Kids In2Uni Program goes off with a bang  

More than a thousand year six students will descend on University of Wollongong (UOW) campuses this week to participate in range of sessions and activities designed to get students thinking about higher education.

During this week’s Kids In2Uni Program, students will learn about energy transformations, projectile motion and air resistance by building a marshmallow catapult; explore mechanics, electricity and motion while building and racing a robot; build a mini-brain made of playdough; take the challenge of linguistic gymnastics through a series of tongue twisters and design their own surfboard brand to pitch to their classmates.

The Kids In2Uni Program was developed for stage three students, and aims to start the conversation with students about higher education. The program comprises a five-week, teacher-delivered module that links to the NSW Curriculum and involves a unit of work delivered by primary school teaching staff, a pre-visit to participating schools by In2Uni mentors and a visit to UOW campuses by students, parents and teachers.

UOW Outreach and Pathways Manager Kim Griffin said it was both exciting and beneficial to be able to share UOW experiences with local year six students, teachers and parents.

“Research tells us that early career conversations with children help them to make the connection between their learning and their future,” she said.

“Kids In2Uni provides students with the perfect opportunity to engage with our academic and learning and teaching specialists on our Wollongong and South Coast campuses.”

During their day on campus, each school class participates in three different faculty ‘taster sessions’ before finishing with a scavenger hunt around the university.

Parents of the students are also invited to attend the on-campus event days, with a daily parent information session taking place. These information sessions provide parents with the opportunity to ask questions related to university, gain advice on how to discuss future study and career options with their children, and get to know some of the staff and services offered at UOW.

The Kids In2Uni Program will be held across UOW’s Wollongong campus from 22 to 25 November, Shoalhaven and Bega campuses from 23 to 24 November and Batemans Bay from 24 to 25 November.

For more information about the Kids In2Uni program, or other In2Uni programs, please visit uow.edu.au/in2uni-myway/kidsin2uni/ or contact the In2Uni team at in2uni@uow.edu.au or on (02) 4221 5557.