The Naracoorte Library will be used as a new children’s university hub.
This move is to support home-schooled children in the Limestone Coast region by extending learning outside of schools.
Confirming this, Naracoorte-Lucindale Council CEO Trevor Smart said the children’s university hub will enable children and their parents to come together and engage with others in a bid to learn.
“Naracoorte Primary School and Naracoorte South Primary School already run great CU programs, and their graduations take place in the town hall each November,” Mr Smart said.
“Children that are home-schooled do not have the opportunity to take part in the program, and that is where becoming a hub, really an administrative role and meeting place, comes in to play.
“There is no cost to council as this would operate along the same lines as any of the other programs, we offer, such as our outreach digital lessons in the Lucindale School Library, starting in July, or our active story time in Lucindale.
“All programs that the library runs require planning, networking, community knowledge, project management, and time management skills.
“Outreach, marketing, promotion, and then evaluation of the programs is also important.”
Mr Smart said no teaching was involved in becoming a CU hub, and members that choose to use the library to access Children’s University were issued with a passport and can also use an online portal to record their hours at learning destinations.
“Our library manager is familiar with the aims of Children’s University (CU), and when approached by them (the University of Adelaide) to become a hub for the Limestone Coast, we were intrigued by the possibilities this could bring to the Naracoorte Library and Town Hall.”
Mr Smart said all costs were covered by the Children’s University, and the benefits to the community were multiple.
“Every day at the Naracoorte Library and Town Hall is an opportunity to engage with our wonderful, diverse community, and the CU program adds another spoke to our growing wheel of programs.”
Local children up to the age of 18 can access any program offered by the Children’s University.
This article appeared in the Naracoorte Community News.
