Academics have hand in success of Little Skippers program

A children’s art program run by the Hervey Bay Regional Gallery in conjunction with education faculty staff from USQ has received special commendation at a prestigious State-wide award.

The Mudskippers and Little Skippers Education Program received the recognition at the 2010 Gallery and Museum Achievement Awards on the Sunshine Coast recently.

The judges recognised that the program not only showed a commitment to lifelong learning, but also strengthened relationships with early childhood, primary and tertiary education sectors.

USQ Fraser Coast education lecturer Bonnie Hoi Yin Yim was instrumental in establishing the program, which engages artists from the local community to conduct the workshops for the Little Skippers (aged 3 to 5) and Mudskippers (aged 6 to 12).

The weekly workshops complement the themes of exhibitions on display in the gallery.

USQ education lecturer Katie Burke was the special guest presenter to teach the children about texture on October 21.

Mrs Burke said the classes were excellent because they opened up art to make it assessable to everyone, regardless of age. She said the classes helped develop the children’s fine motor skills and broaden their vocabularies with words to describe art and objects.

'We want to stimulate children’s creativity,' she said.

'This is particularly important as we tend to educate children more and more from the head up (ie their brains).'