Kids Club makes technology fun

15 June 2006

The Kids Club project, which is being piloted by the Meraka Institute of the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) in Pretoria, gives children the opportunity to experiment with science and technology in a fun, relaxed atmosphere with none of the constraints and pressure to perform found in traditional classroom teaching. Merryl Ford of the ICT (information and communications technology) for Education Group within the Meraka Institute says, "Our extra-curricular activities let the children give free reign to their creativity and imagination. They know no boundaries or limitations, and apply innovative and imaginative ways in their technology design projects.

“At the club they have the opportunity to experiment with technology in their own way. We hope to dispel the idea of technology as a boring or difficult subject. It is fun, it is interesting, it is relevant and it has endless applications." The Kids Club is a joint project between the Meraka Institute, the University of Pretoria and the University of Joensuu in Finland. The University of Joensuu has been running a kids club in Finland for the past five years for children from ages 10-18 that are given hands-on technology activities, such as Lego robotic materials that they use to design, build and program various devices. The ICT for Education Group looks for ways to get children interested in science and technology as a career, and how to use ICT in innovative ways for teaching and learning in schools. The group does not produce products, but rather develops ways of empowering schools through ICT. The Kids Club project gives children the opportunity to take part in extramural activities where they learn about technology through clubs. The methodology used in Finland is being replicated in South Africa and adapted to local conditions. The project here will initially involve 36 children aged 11-12. Advantaged and disadvantaged schools are paired; thus far six children from the Isaac More School in Atteridgeville have been paired with six children from Lynnwood Laerskool (primary school). Discussions are being held with four other schools to set up similar kids clubs. Two sessions of two-hours each have been held at Lynnwood school to fast-track the children's computer literacy levels. The Kids Club is held once a week; at the next club meeting the children will be introduced to Lego sets for designing and building various objects and devices. The organisers of the club feel that the project is extremely rewarding and that doing research with children is also teaching them a lot. Marjo Virnes of the University of Joensuu says, “There is much of value in the South African experience that can in turn be applied in the Finnish project.”

Contact Person Biffy Van Rooyen Email: General and technical enquiries Tel: +27 12 841 3887

Last updated : 15 June 2006