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After a successful first year, Ocean Park will continue its Connecting Students with Nature through STEAM Programme into the 2019/20 academic year. About 10,000 students from different age groups will embark on a STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics) learning journey through free visits to Ocean Park with their teachers and classmates. In addition to primary schools and secondary schools, the Park is extending invitations to kindergartens and child care centres for the new cycle.
Meanwhile, secondary school students can be nominated for the all-new Practical STEAM Student Ambassador Scheme, and apply their skills and knowledge learnt from STEAM education to design enrichment items that offer mental and physical stimulation for the Park’s animals. The student ambassadors will also have the chance to join different workshops to learn about animal husbandry.
“Field trips provide highly valuable educational experiences for preschoolers by adding elements of realism to their play to enrich learning and sensory development. Visits to Ocean Park offer first-hand experiences with nature and animals that teachers will be able to build upon in the classroom. We will work closely with kindergartens and child care centres to plan the trips, make learning fun, and help young children foster an emotional bond with nature and animals. A 1:5 teacher to student ratio for preschoolers will also be implemented,” said Josephine Woo, Acting Head of Discovery & Education Division at Ocean Park.
Woo continued: “As an enabler of experiential learning, the Park will facilitate their exploration trips with tools ranging from our proprietary Whiskers & Friends sticker books to Nature Exploration Kits that come with user manuals. We are also staging workshops for teachers to share ideas on how to arouse students’ curiosity and inspire them to explore the plants and animals at Ocean Park via experiential learning, thereby sharpening their observation and analytical skills. The trips will also provide plenty of opportunities for students to engage in team work and creative activities.”
The new programme offers exciting extension activities, including practical sessions where students will have a chance to implement their creative ideas, as well as comprehensive teacher support with educational resources and workshops. Each school can submit one application for a visit of at most 200 students.
Applying for the Connecting Students with Nature through STEAM Programme
The programme is open for enrolment through an online application platform. All applications must be submitted on or before 31 May 2019 at 5pm. Ocean Park will notify the selected schools in late June and student visits to Ocean Park will commence in September. Selected secondary schools will also be invited to attend a briefing session in September to learn more about the Practical STEAM Student Ambassador Scheme and how to nominate students to apply for the scheme. For more details please refer to
https://www.oceanpark.com.hk/en/park-information/news/connecting-students-with-nature-through-steam-campaign.
“Ocean Park is committed to providing edutainment experiences through the thrill of discovery,” said Woo. “By connecting students with nature, we hope to cultivate a community of young innovators for conservation in Hong Kong. The Connecting Students with Nature through STEAM Programme enables schools and teachers to leverage Ocean Park’s unique landscape and resident animals to carry out STEAM activities of their own design.”
The Connecting Students with Nature through STEAM Programme is currently hosting a total of 10,289 students from 43 primary schools and 37 secondary schools in the 2018/19 academic year. 120 secondary school students are also being trained to become STEAM Career Peer Coaching Ambassadors.
