Now in its fifth year, the Wyndham Learning Festival is going virtual in 2020 due to COVID-19. While the festival will look a little different, the objective remains the same – to provide opportunities for free learning activities across the City of Wyndham.
Brought to Wyndham by the Wyndham Community and Education Centre (Wyndham CEC) and supported by Wyndham City Council, the festival will run virtually on November 23-30 this year.
Wyndham Chief Operations Officer, John Sheen, says being forced into a virtual format provides the opportunity to invite the world to Wyndham to run and attend events, while simultaneously showcasing the wonderful offerings in Wyndham to the world.
“With the timely theme of Healthy learning, healthy lives, the Wyndham Learning Festival will reinforce the message that any learning is healthy for the mind and body,” Mr Sheen says.
The online offerings will include exciting opportunities for all age groups. Chinese lantern making, beginners’ karate and Brazilian drumming to cooking skills in a Global Kitchen and dance and grooves from West Africa will be included.
Glasgow University will step participants through Ancient Egyptian hieroglyphs in 30 minutes; the Matsunaga Institute in Hawaii will be sharing stories of resilience, peace and conflict resolution; and Manchester Metropolitan University in the UK will share a presentation exploring the impact of COVID-19 on children transitioning from primary to secondary school.
There will even be an opportunity to match debating skills with others across the globe, moderated by the English At Tea Time Speaking Cafe and Workshop Centre in Hatay, Turkey.
“This festival plays a significant role in bringing people together, with a focus on lifelong learning across the municipality,” Mr Sheen continues. “With Wyndham one of the fastest growing cities in Australia, our vision is to create a socially inclusive community that enjoys high levels of learning and employment.
“A strong learning community is a more resilient community that can adapt to change, learn new skills and take advantage of opportunities.”
Wyndham City Council chief executive Kelly Grigsby says: “Lifelong learning is the centrepiece of the Wyndham Learning Festival, encouraging the community to try new things, regardless of age. We are proud to be an active partner with Wyndham CEC in this important community initiative.”
The 2020 festival is proudly sponsored by Victoria University Polytechnic. The festival provides multiple opportunities to discover the diversity of VU Polytechnic’s programs.
For details or to view the calendar of events, visit www.wynlearnfestival.org.au/
