Museum Educator South Canterbury Museum
BSc, Dip Env Tech, Dip Teaching and Learning

Learning is a lifelong journey and can happen anywhere. Learning about our history helps us to find a sense of belonging that helps us explore the wider world.

Learning is moving, communicating, noticing, interacting, wondering and experimenting, all things that people will be able to do at CPlay.

As an educator based at the South Canterbury Museum I can see that CPlay will be an asset in helping young people learn about the history of South Canterbury. From Mahikakai (food trails) to the Rocket Brigade, locals stories will be easily accessible to all visitors to the Bay.

Imagine a class of 7 and 8 year olds visiting Caroline Bay to learn about our shipping history. To the South the can see the port and to the North they can see Dashing Rocks where many of the ships were wrecked. The educator calls them all to board the ship in the middle of the playground and from here they can see the cargo ‘floating’ away on the sea. Who will save them? Never fear the Rocket Brigade is hear! Over to the flying fox to be rescued from the crow’s nest of the ship. This is the kind of experience that will engage all children and the adults that are with them.

We often find after class visits to the museum and other areas of significant history that students go on to talk with their families and share the information that they have learned. We know that this will happen at CPlay as well. What a great way for young people and older people to build relationship, discussing the events that happened in a place that all South Canterbury people share. Grandparents might not be old enough to remember the ship wrecks but this story telling will provide opportunities for people to say “When I was young we used to come to the Bay and go on the giant wooden slide” or “When I was a kid we used to go eeling and get a feed that Mum would cook up for us”. These inter-generational moments help anchor our young people and in these uncertain times understanding where you come from and what has shaped the area around you is more important than ever.