Learning's on the menu thanks to an innovative partnership approach

A fresh partnership initiative between the Ronald Macdonald Learning Program and Skwirk, a well-known online education provider, is aiming to feed the minds of vulnerable Australian children who are missing out on learning due to serious illness or prolonged hospitalisation.

Currently over a thousand students across the country are benefiting from the Program, which enables children who are falling behind at school due to ill-health to access the Australian curriculum through personal tutoring, advocacy and support. The Learning Program is one of a number of initiatives funded by Ronald Macdonald House Charities. Each Learning Program participant receives a full educational assessment, 40 hours one-on-one teaching with a registered teacher, advocacy and the services of an occupational therapist and physiotherapist. Skwirk is donating free access to its comprehensive online education facility to both teachers and students involved in the Program.

Skwirk provides premium learning content across all main subject areas, giving students between the ages of four and 14 immediate access to over 16,000 learning resources. Information is relayed through a selection of engaging media, so children can learn through videos and animation as well as text and pictures. Skwirk combines information with assessment and the system also automatically sends regular progress updates to tutors, enabling them to form an accurate view of progress.

Being able to use Skwirk as part of the bespoke learning experiences which the Ronald Macdonald Learning Program offers allows students continuity of learning whether they're in hospital or convalescing at home, minimising the disruption which prolonged absence from school can cause. Verity Gobbett, South Australian State Manger of the Learning Program, commented, "For children on the Learning Program, online resources such as Skwirk are fantastic as school absence rates are high due to hospitalisations, treatments and recovery times."

It's not just the children who find Skwirk a useful resource. One tutor from the Learning Program said, "Skwirk is great! I can maximise the efficiency of the one hour session with my Learning Program student by pre-planning lesson content." Skwirk's appealing format, clear structure and close links to the Australian national curriculum mean that many teachers find it an excellent option to use as part of a lesson plan or to provide valuable reinforcement to learning as a homework resource.

Skwirk remains committed to providing high-calibre educational material in a convenient format that gives every student the opportunity to benefit from an enriching, rewarding learning experience.

For more information, please visit the Skwirk Website