Children
If you are a child aged between 7 and 14 years, and would like
to find out about exciting learning opportunities with the
Children's University, you have come to the right place. It's
impossible to know all the questions you might have, so here are a
few to get you started:
What exactly is the Children's University?
It's an organisation which signposts you to exciting learning
activities which take place outside the normal school day - it
could be before school, during lunchtime, after school, during
weekends or holidays etc. The activities are all
voluntary, it is up to you to choose what you do and when, and
the learning always has a link to something you could go on to do
at a 'grown up' university.
How do I know it's any good?
All of the Children's University learning activities are checked
by your local Children's University staff to make sure that
the learning provided is good enough. The places that offer
CU approved learning activities are then given the title
of Children's University Learning Destination and they
will visibly display our black and gold Learning
Destination poster.
What happens after I have completed an
activity?
Make sure you have your Children's University Passport To
Learning with you and the Learning Destination
will give you a stamp for the number of hours the activity
counts for in your passport. The more activities you do, the more
the hours add up! You may also be able to have an online version of
the passport, known as the E-Passport, where you can
upload pictures and comments for the activities you have done and
share them with other Children's University members, as well as
find other activities on offer. As the E-Passport is a
very new thing, you may have to be patient and wait for this in
your area - not all schools are using it yet, but it is on the
way!
At what sort of places can I use my Passport To
Learning?
For starters, lots of your after school clubs and holiday
activities. Some of the activity clubs in your local area may
also be Learning Destinations and there are a growing
number of places such as museums and activity days which are also
part of Children's University learning. You can search for
Learning Destinations near you by using the menu on the
home page. If there is somewhere that you go to and you would
like to recommend it as a good place to learn, you can do so by
telling your school co-ordinator or your local Children's
University Manager.
How will I know when I have collected enough hours
for a certificate?
Your school co-ordinator will check your Passport To
Learning and tell you when the next set of certificates will
be handed out. For your bronze level certificate, you will need 30
hours, 65 hours for silver and 100 hours for gold. You will
usually have the chance to be presented with your certificate at a
special graduation ceremony organised by your local Children's
University.
What does it all cost?
Your school will explain how it works locally. Many of the
school-based clubs are free, but the usual charges will
apply for public clubs and places of interest.
What do I do next?
You can usually only be a member of the local Children's
University if your school is taking part in the scheme. The best
place to ask is at your school. You can also check
out the details of your nearest local Children's University
centre by using the menu on the home page.