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F1 in the schoolroom

  • By Paul Gover
  • Herald Sun
  • image

    Youngsters aged between nine to 11 can attend 12 half-day sessions to complete the Race to Learn program.

School can be such a bore. Lots of learning and not much fun.

During my school days I can remember sketching cars and daydreaming about racing, just like a lot of other car company people I meet around the world. But I have just heard of a plan to put some race-themed excitement into the classroom, through the Williams F1 team.

Williams has joined forces with the Cambridge University Press to create a genuine educational resource based on the grand prix world. Race to Learn is aimed at youngsters from nine to 11 and is linked to the regular classroom curriculum and units on science, maths and literacy. It also covers a range of other areas including technology, geography and citizenship.

The basics of Race to Learn are simple: students work in small groups to set up their own racing teams to complete educational tasks that have been developed to encourage their ability to work as part of a team.

There are 12 half-day sessions in the program, with a DVD package that includes real-life video from Williams' work on the grand prix trail. It is intended as a flexible package that can be tailored to individual groups and schools.

Race to Learn is not approved yet for Australia, but Williams is looking into what it will take to move it outside Britain. For now it is backing a nationwide race in the UK where classroom groups compete for prizes through the Williams F1 Fast Track competition. If you want to know more, head to www.racetolearn.org

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