New partnership gives kids taste of aviation

Classic Flyers aviation museum and Tauranga YMCA have forged a partnership aimed at bringing a unique set of fun and educational aviation-themed programmes to YMCA holiday and after school programmes.

The focus will be on homework and aviation studies aimed to enable students to develop skills in maths, science and language in order to apply concepts to solve problems representing real-life situations and help them reach their full potential.

Purpose-built teaching and learning areas enhance the education experience already offered at the museum. Celebrating the newly formed partnership, the YMCA and Classic Flyers NZ held a unique evening when the first sleep over in the Classic Flyers Museum was held as part of the YMCA holiday programme. Fourteen children spent the night there, playing games, watching a movie and having dinner.

Another component of the partnership starts this term following Child, Youth and Family approval for Classic Flyers to become a new host centre for YMCA's after school care programmes. Last Monday they held another sleep over for 5-8-year-olds.

"Classic Flyers has dedicated an ideal space inside one of the hangars for an after school care centre," says YMCA CEO Ric Balfour.

Other YMCA after school care centres around town will rotate into the Classic Flyers space each week to access the museum and aviation-themed activities. The new centre offers great tools and resources and a virtual classroom accessible by all of YMCA staff and students.

"We are so excited about this partnership and the potential it has to bring to life all sorts of fun and education opportunities in Classic Flyers.

"We have developed a long-term plan that includes a whole range of new programmes designed to make aviation more accessible to Tauranga students, so watch this space," Mr Balfour says.

All students enrolled in after school programming through the YMCA will receive a free one-year membership to Classic Flyers New Zealand."

For more information and applications for enrolling children in programmes visit YMCA Tauranga on Devonport Road, or contact chief executive Ric Balfour, (07) 578 9272, email: ceo@ymcatauranga.org.nz or Classic Flyers education director Margit Barreras, 022 102 1019.