School receives $217,000 in grants

Dr Simon McMillan stands in front of an area at Kaikorai Valley College where he hopes to...
Dr Simon McMillan stands in front of an area at Kaikorai Valley College where he hopes to establish an urban concept farm. PHOTO: PETER MCINTOSH
Science, technology and sporting education at Kaikorai Valley College has received an extraordinary funding boost of $217,000 from the Government's Teacher-led Innovation Fund.

The Government has made $10 million available over the next three years, to all primary and secondary teachers, to support the development of innovative practices.

About 210 schools from around the country applied for grants from the fund and Kaikorai Valley College principal Rick Geerlofs confirmed this week the school had been successful in getting two funding grants, totalling $217,000.

Mr Geerlofs said one of the grants ($117,000) would go towards the Science and Technology Learning Innovation in Agriculture (STLIA) programme, which aims to establish an urban concept farm on school land.

Project leader Dr Simon McMillan said the STLIA programme would be developed over the next few years, and a key focus would be the development of critical thinking in teachers and pupils as they analysed how and why humans interact with the environment.

''That thinking will be developed by using science and technology in the context of learning in agriculture.

''The project will involve the college working in partnership with teachers and their students from surrounding primary schools.''

It was expected the project would improve engagement in learning for pupils in science and technology; improve recognition by teachers of how to develop and evaluate critical thinking skills in their pupils; increase the use of scientific and technological skills and knowledge by teachers and pupils in inquiry learning; target the development of critical thinking skills in pupils to take charge of their own learning; and create a wider awareness of career opportunities in agriculture.

The geography and surveying departments of the University of Otago, the New Zealand Council of Educational Research, local businesses and members of the community were supporting the project, he said.

The other $100,000 grant would fund the Active Education Project - a joint initiative run by Kaikorai Valley College and Queen's High School.

Project leader Craig Reddington said the project would extend the schools' learning from the Sport in Education Project (SiEP), which has been running for the past three years.

''In that project, we found that being active in the classroom helps engage students, which in turn helps lift achievement results.

''In SiEP, we have tried this in physical education, maths and English, using a range of different types of learning activities.

''Now we want to know whether, and how, the strategies we developed can be adapted and used in other learning areas.''

Mr Geerlofs was delighted with the grants.

''It's pretty exceptional to get two applications through and to get this level of funding.

''This is very exciting news for Dunedin city because one of these projects provides an opportunity and pathways into primary industry education that are so critical to New Zealand's future, and is an area where there is very much a shortage of labour.

''The other keeps students active, while putting learning into a context that has brought about much higher levels of student engagement.''

Both projects would see teachers and pupils interacting and learning alongside many pupils from primary schools and the university, Mr Geerlofs said.

Ministry of Education student achievement deputy secretary Graham Stoop said three projects in the Otago-Southland region had been successful in receiving grants.

However, he would not disclose what they were.

''The schools have been notified. We will name the schools and give further details once the funding agreements have been signed, which we expect to take around two weeks.''

john.lewis@odt.co.nz

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