Rocket Lab CEO Peter Beck (left) met Peoply founder Matt Strawbridege at the New Zealander of the Year Awards in 2015.
As children all over the world are adjusting to social distancing at home, their learning
environments have been impacted and the way that they socialise has changed. More parents are looking online to support their child's education.
Rocket Lab and Peoply have come together to help kids learn and connect. The two
companies have partnered to create the online programme, Rocket Lab Explorers, that
introduces rocket science and the space industry to children between the ages of 8-12. Each
week, kids delve into a different topic that fosters curiosity and interest in the natural
world through exploration and play.
Students join classes by jumping into a live "classroom" with up to six other students
around the country. Each class has a "coach" who facilitates, inspires and supports
students. Kids explore topics such as building and launching rockets,
Rocket Lab missions, the future of space, jobs in space and even space entrepreneurship.
"Space is something that captures the imagination of so many kids all over the world, and
Rocket Lab Explorers fosters this curiosity and discovery. Kids are exposed to the cutting
edge innovation that Rocket Lab is doing in space in a way that they can understand and
engage with," says Peoply founder 21-year-old Matt Strawbridge.
Experiential learning is used throughout classes, and teaches kids how satellites monitor
herd migration across the world, how space exploration can help the environment and
what space travel might look like in the future. Kids also get to learn fun facts such as how to
tell the difference between a star, a planet and a satellite in the night sky.
Peoply classes are based on the principle, "they may forget what you said, but they will
never forget how you made them feel"- building confidence and empowering kids is at the
core of what Peoply does.
Entrepreneurship and thinking differently are also themes that run throughout, so that
Children realise they can become entrepreneurs, and that anything is possible.
"The programme is something that I would have loved to participate in growing up," Strawbridge
says.
The partnership is a dream come true for Strawbridge, who first met CEO and founder of Rocket
Lab, Peter Beck, at the New Zealander of the Year Awards in 2015 when the two were
both nominees for New Zealander of the Year and Young New Zealander of the Year,
respectively.
"Meeting Peter at the age of 15 was such a memorable moment for me. I would never have
imagined that our two companies would eventually get to partner to create an
online learning programme for kids, at a time when they need it most," Strawbridge says.
When kids need space more than ever, Peoply and Rocket Lab are sending their
imagination to the stars.
Rocket Lab Explorers is a seven-week programme, starting on
Monday, April 20.
Head to www.peoply.co to sign up or learn more.
Racing in Hastings was shut down suddenly during the 2024 Spring Carnival.