You can contact LEARNZ, part of CORE Education, at:
Postal Address:
PO Box 13 678,
Christchurch 8141,
New Zealand

Relates well to developing thinking and analysis skills, applying information and evaluating conservation issues. Students used the information as a basis to do further research on NZ Great Walks.
It helped to put our school values and KC's in a real learning experience - one which the students could discuss. It also allows my class to have access to experts.
Students said about the live audioconferences: "We got to talk to real people who are actually there" and "We get to ask questions and they actually listened to us". This field trip enabled my students of different academic abilities to all access the same information in a number of different ways, which led to great discussion and debate about aspects of physical activity and conservation.
Our Inquiry is called "Waipahihi Kakariki". We are a pilot school involved in Kids Greening Taupo so it was very appropriate to our Inquiry. We are wanting to plant natives to bring back native birds into our area so this field trip supported it well.
It was a great support for the Virtual Great Walkers competition, that we have entered in. Lots of helpful information that covered all areas. Valuable resource.
This field trip ... encouraged students to develop Future Focused thinking - how the way we interact with our environment now, impacts on the future.
It was very engaging for all students and they learnt a lot. It was also easy to integrate across the curriculum. Very effective to encourage fitness and knowledge of other New Zealand Great Walks.
Great for extension group. Broad range of materials for reading and writing.
For the Year 7/8 class I was working with, the field trip tied in perfectly with their camp (Borland Lodge). It worked well using the background pages as build up prior to camp, then using the audio-conferences the week following the camp.
Students were really interested in the content which we used as part of our weekly reading programme and to support digital literacy. We also set it up for independent learning so students could gain self-management skills.
Giving the students the option of listening to the background pages is fantastic! It takes away the fear of trying to read something that is 'too hard'. It also develops a familiarity with the LEARNZ teacher.
It was an excellent insight into exploring a new area that not a lot of children had visited before. The children came up with a lot of great questions, especially around saving native birds and the effect of a beach mast this year.
Our class is studying ecology in the lead up to our annual camp so the information was very fitting in all aspects.
Students are focussed and engaged. They have a purpose. "This is fun, I didn't know you can learn like this". During camp we studied the native birds and plants and compared them to the field trip. A great effort went into using our thinking skills to prepare for camp and doing the research.
Children inspired to walk tracks and parents wanting to join them. Great topics, different way of presenting things in class, able to get involved through audioconferences. Differentiated readings and audio/video options meant all class could access information, including Special Needs children.
We connected this field trip with an older one - Restoring the Kepler. By doing this, students began to look at ways that they can contribute in the wider community as well as our school community, working towards a common goal. Maori students in the class particularly liked the glossary - we also added more to our own one on the wall.
Students said it was great because it simulated going to Antartica and it was awesome seeing (our ambassador) BuzzBee there. It was easy to set up my programme using Google classroom so students and their families could see what was happening whenever they wanted.
Engages the students. Interesting material which covers a breadth of issues and topic areas. Students gained an understanding of the Antarctic food web.
The LEARNZ virtual journey to Antarctica was great because EOTC is not possible in Antarctica for a school classroom to do for real. The opportunity to hear real scientists talk to the LEARNZ representative, Shelley Hersy, was very valuable and also helped us form some of our science goals.
Children loved every part of the experience- thoroughly engaging. Really cool for the students to be able to participate with a group outside of their immediate context!
This is an effective and engaging part of my literacy programme. My Pasifika students, in particular, are much more engaged with a Learnz field trip than other academic activities. Especially relevant in meeting the vision of the NZ Curriculum.
We loved the field trip! Thanks so much for all that you do. It is such an engaging way to connect with various areas of the curriculum.
The LEARNZ personnel and experts feel like real friends or students' own personal teacher, which helps to make the learning experiences very potent. They field trips like Antarctica are great and I just love the work you all do to make them interesting and engaging. Thank you.
The students were highly motivated throughout this field trip. A fantastic resource that can be used easily within any classroom setting to support classroom programmes around skills and attitudes we are fostering with our children.
The field trip supported the development of Key Competencies, and provided up-to-date information relevant to Education for Sustainability.