Students will become teachers for a day when Hobsonville Point Primary School hosts the country’s first-ever Google Educator Groups (GEG) Student Summit next month.

To be held on August 12, the GEG New Zealand Student Summit will focus on creative and collaborative use of digital technologies to promote innovation and learning. The future- focussed programme includes a keynote speaker (a local school student turned entrepreneur), a demo slam competition (where students demonstrate a new skill in 60 seconds), hands-on workshops and demonstrations led by students for students.

“It’s good for the kids to present their work and in doing so, be teachers and be learners,” says primary school teacher, Amy McCauley, who is helping organise the summit. “It is the students themselves who are really determining what this will look like.”

Registrations are open, with 250 students from Year 0 to 13 expected to attend the free event. Already schools from across Auckland have signed up their students, while those at a school in Alexandra in the South Island will be attending virtually via online technology.

Amy says the primary school, a modern learning environment with open-plan learning spaces, is ideally suited to hosting the innovative event.

“The day aims to empower students to follow their dreams and focus on what can be achieved, and as such, it’s a great fit with the primary school’s values and approach to learning.”