Scoop has an Ethical Paywall
Work smarter with a Pro licence Learn More

Local Govt | National News Video | Parliament Headlines | Politics Headlines | Search

 

Education Ministers visit Naenae Clubhouse

Education Minister Chris Hipkins has visited Naenae Clubhouse this week to find out more about the success it’s having helping young people develop skills and build confidence through the use of technology.

Hutt City Council has two Clubhouses, in Naenae and Taita, which are part of a network of 100 around the world. They provide a creative, safe, and free out-of-school learning space where young people can

work with adult mentors to explore their own ideas, develop skills, and build confidence through the use of technology.

Minister Hipkins was accompanied by Associate Education Minister Tracey Martin, and both spent time talking to young people at the Clubhouse and helping out with the projects they’re currently working on.

Clubhouse co-ordinator Lily Chalmers says they were interested to know more about the Clubhouse teaching approach, which is grounded in research from education, developmental and social psychology,

cognitive science, and youth development.

“Central Government is currently leading a nationwide conversation about education reform and they’re keen to look more closely at approaches that are having success, like ours,” she said.

“The Clubhouse philosophy is that people learn best when they’re actively engaged in designing and creating, and not just passively receiving information; they’re willing to work harder and longer when

they care about what they’re working on; when they collaborate with people who’re different to them they gain new perspectives and understand the world, and themselves, better; and that when

Advertisement - scroll to continue reading

Are you getting our free newsletter?

Subscribe to Scoop’s 'The Catch Up' our free weekly newsletter sent to your inbox every Monday with stories from across our network.

everyone’s ideas and opinions are respected, people are more likely to take risks and experiment.”

The Naenae Clubhouse was established in 2010 through seed funding from the Department of Internal Affairs. The Taita Clubhouse was established in 2015. Each site has both paid staff and volunteers,

and Clubhouse members who go on to tertiary study are encouraged to return and share their learning. Around 400 young people are currently involved in Lower Hutt’s two clubhouses.

“You can walk into a Clubhouse any day and find young people making 3D models and animations, producing and editing films, building robots, creating graphics and websites, designing computer games,

writing and recording music, and much more. They’re learning to take their projects from early concept to final product. Some of our young people struggle in the current school system, but they have success here.”

The Naenae and Taita Clubhouses are part of Hutt City Libraries, and are one way Libraries are delivering on their strategic focus of lifelong learning. Hutt City Council is currently the only local authority in

New Zealand investing in Clubhouses. Lily Chalmers says she’d love to see more young people given the opportunity to learn this way, especially those from under-served communities where they may not have

access to technology or adult mentors with time to invest in them.

The Clubhouses are also part of Hutt City Council’s wider Empowering Tamariki programme which aims to improve the lives, and in the longer term the outcomes, of children growing up in high-deprivation

communities in the city’s North East.

General Manager of City and Community Services Matt Reid says through initiatives like Clubhouses, local government can make a big contribution to central government’s efforts to improve the wellbeing of young people.

“Hutt City Council is going a step further than some in this respect. As well as Clubhouses, we have developed new community hubs in Taita and Stokes Valley and have one on the way in Naenae,

we are partners in the Youth Inspire employment and training programme, we are the lead provider for Healthy Families Lower Hutt (funded by the Ministry of Health) and we are working with central government

to develop a masterplan for social housing in our city that supports better outcomes from young people.”

During the visit, Minister Martin also congratulated the Clubhouse team on the award they recently received for their short animated film ‘Rata and the tree’.

The film won the global Clubhouse Network’s Reach Media Festival’s animation category. (To see the film: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=257rY0UGHgg&t=29s)


© Scoop Media

Advertisement - scroll to continue reading
 
 
 
Parliament Headlines | Politics Headlines | Regional Headlines


Gordon Campbell: On The US Opposition To Mortgage Interest Deductibility For Landlords


Should landlords be able to deduct the interest on the loans they take out to bankroll their property speculation? The US Senate Budget Committee and Bloomberg News don't think this is a good idea, for reasons set out below. Regardless, our coalition government has been burning through a ton of political capital by giving landlords a huge $2.9 billion tax break via interest deductibility, while still preaching the need for austerity to the disabled, and to everyone else...
More


 
 

Government: Concerns Conveyed To China Over Cyber Activity
Foreign Minister Winston Peters has confirmed New Zealand’s concerns about cyber activity have been conveyed directly to the Chinese Government. “The Prime Minister and Minister Collins have expressed concerns today about malicious cyber activity... More

ALSO:


Government: GDP Decline Reinforces Government’s Fiscal Plan

Declining GDP for the December quarter reinforces the importance of restoring fiscal discipline to public spending and driving more economic growth, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says... More

ALSO:


Government: Humanitarian Support For Gaza & West Bank

Winston Peters has announced NZ is providing a further $5M to respond to the extreme humanitarian need in Gaza and the West Bank. “The impact of the Israel-Hamas conflict on civilians is absolutely appalling," he said... More


Government: New High Court Judge Appointed

Judith Collins has announced the appointment of Wellington Barrister Jason Scott McHerron as a High Court Judge. Justice McHerron graduated from the University of Otago with a BA in English Literature in 1994 and an LLB in 1996... More

 
 
 
 
 
 

LATEST HEADLINES

  • PARLIAMENT
  • POLITICS
  • REGIONAL
 
 

InfoPages News Channels


 
 
 
 

Join Our Free Newsletter

Subscribe to Scoop’s 'The Catch Up' our free weekly newsletter sent to your inbox every Monday with stories from across our network.