Celebrated Tupu ‘Youth’ Library unleashes kids’ digital potential

Spark, Auckland Council and Huawei work together on pilot workshops

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Otara’s celebrated Tupu Youth Library is the base for a series of after-school workshops designed for primary aged children, to unleash their creative potential via digital means.

A regular group of 15 to 20 6-8 year olds have participated in the twice weekly after schools sessions for the past five weeks, designed as a complement to on-device learning provided at schools.

Facilitated by library educators onsite, music and video editing have been the top choice activities as creative software packages have been connected to Huawei tablets and wearable technology. The children, many of whom do not have access to internet-enabled devices at home, are encouraged to experiment, play and use their creative license to produce content which can be shared online or via social media.

“It’s been great being able to open the door to the digital world for the kids who come to Tupu. The partnership with Huawei and Spark has allowed us to offer that,” says Community Library Manager, Richard Misilei.

Spark Digital’s GM of Enterprise, Vanessa Sorenson says that there is much to learn from seeing kids in their element – the digital world.

“Unleashing the potential of all New Zealanders is what we’re all about, and Spark is excited to be behind a truly useful service, digitally empowering Tupu Youth Library to create an experimental space for kids to try-out the latest in cool tech.”

“Initially the team expected that the most exciting outputs would be the production of things – music, movies, art – through the gadgets and software available. But the real magic is in seeing moments of learning and creativity flash across the kids’ faces.”

Spark and Huawei have partnered with Auckland Council as libraries have emerged as naturally digital hubs where communities use technology to create, store and share information, together. The workshops are the result of discussions to try out emerging technologies in that library environment.

At Tupu, Huawei tablets and wearables are connected to Huawei’s cloud platform which enables the kids to store and share their creations with friends and family.

“The ability to share with a wider community is key to Huawei’s Smart City vision, encouraging digital engagement and connecting people through technology,” Huawei NZ CEO Jason Wu said.

The pilot scheme has become a regular feature at the library, and will continue running two afternoons a week during the school term. It’s all part of adding to the library’s ability to help young people build their digital skills and confidence to share their stories with a wider audience.

ENDS

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