THE CHILDREN's University Newcastle is celebrating the graduation of its biggest cohort yet, as 1936 students - up from about 930 last year - are honoured for their achievements in learning beyond the classroom.
The program encourages students between seven and 14 to participate in validated activities outside the school curriculum. Around 275 registered learning destinations, such as libraries and art galleries, can record hours in each child's passport.
Program coordinator, Selina Darney, said students must complete a minimum of 30 hours to receive either an award, certificate, diploma, degree, post graduate award, post graduate masters or doctorate fellowship depending on their completed hours.
Six graduation ceremonies are being held across this week and next week.
Ms Darney said Wallsend Public student Audrey Rose Wattus was awarded a gold fellowship on Tuesday for becoming the second child to record 1000 hours.
"This program gets students and families to recognise where learning happens and all the learning moments in life," she said.
"These children are being given permission to explore in their imagination and we're seeing them take charge of how they want to spend their time. We're asking them to be curious."
She said validated activities could take place at home, in the community, in a student's own time at school or at the university.
"Children can get a stamp for devising a menu at home; for attending HMRI's open day, for coming to the university to hear from Eddie Woo.
"Students have various levels of connectivity to the community - learning doesn't just happen at structured sport that cost $300 for registration."
Ms Darney said this year's 59 partner schools had grown from 47 in 2018, around 21 in 2017 and seven in 2016.
"Schools are looking for partnerships that recognise contextualised learning for their community," she said.
"Some schools have things that make them unique - we can come in and build on the strengths of what is already happening in that school."
