Cornwall Children’s University learning destination

The Children's University™ is a national project, funded by the Department for Education, which recognises the achievements of young people who take part in high quality out of school hours learning activities, and it has now arrived in Cornwall. The initiative is being run by Cornwall Council’s Out of Hours Learning team and it is a bit like a junior version of the Duke of Edinburgh Scheme.

It is open to all children aged 7-14 years but will be looking to including younger (down to 5) and a similar scheme for older students (14-19) in the near future.

The Project validates any activity which:

• Is about learning or developing skills
• Is undertaken voluntarily outside of school time
• Relates to a subject which can be studied at a higher education institution somewhere in the country
• Raises aspirations and broadens students’ horizons.

When children take part in ‘validated’ activities, such as those provided in the Fox Club events diary, they will earn a Children’s University sticker for each hour of participation. These hours will be recorded in their Passport to Learning, which will be provided by the children’s schools, and when they reach certain milestones, they will receive Children’s University^TM certificates.

• 30 hours of participation wins them a Bronze Award (presented in school)
• 65 hours of participation wins them a Silver Award, and
• 100 hours of participation wins them a Gold Award plus a medal.

The graduation ceremonies for Silver and Gold will be organised by Cornwall Children’s University to be held at a local university.