Children Let Loose Robots in Waqadra

Amongst the industrial spaces, coffee shops, and everyday scenes of Waqadra, Nadi, Elevate Academy sits quietly, but boldly as a space for educational innovation and digital literacy awareness.

If you stop in one day, you’ll see young children getting hands-on with robotics and chipsets, and you might hear the occasional “Mum, I don’t want to go home”.

Founded by Orion Engleton and Losalini Rokovesi and driven by their parental aspirations, Elevate Academy supplements the school curriculum with programmes and services in traditional subjects but also digital literacy in areas like coding and robotics.

The founders saw the critical importance of early education in shaping their outlook and abilities.

When traditional methods didn’t align with what they believed would be most beneficial, they decided to create their own space—an academy that resonated with their vision.

Outside The School Classroom

The significance of supplementing the school curriculum is akin to providing an extra spark in a child’s educational journey.

Recognising that every student has a unique learning style, Elevate Academy aims to bridge the gaps and nurture individual capabilities, ultimately fostering a deeper understanding and passion for learning.

“Every student learns differently,” Orion and Lo said.

“Supplemental programmes offer a more personalised approach, catering to diverse learning styles and paces that may not be feasible in a traditional classroom setting.”

Inside Elevate Academy

A typical coding lesson at Elevate Academy is interspersed with breaks for educational games to keep learning interactive and enjoyable.

Students love spending time here, and parents have shared positive feedback about their children’s progress.

Robotics sessions are run using real physical devices that young students learn to programme to sense the temperature, light up, and do many things that simulate what a typical tech gadget (such as a phone) can do.

“A few parents contact us right back to thank us for the services we provided in assisting their child, and they have noticed a significant improvement in their child’s learning,” Orion and Lo said.

Overcoming Hesitation

Embracing new tech skills can be daunting. Intern Henry Antonio reflected on the hesitations encountered in adopting new tech skills and noted there’s often a fear of complexity and doubts regarding the relevance of these skills.

Elevate recognises that teaching is about more than the subject matter, and teaches new skills through play and experiences, real-world applications, and personalised offerings.

Teacher Vasiti Lesavua running a class at Elevate Academy.

Navigating the digital world from home, accessibility, and safety.

For those with a phone, Orion and Lo suggest YouTube as a goldmine for educational resources to work on digital literacy from home and explore simpler digital interactions, such as editing photos using the phone’s photo app.

They also emphasise the importance of monitoring your child’s online activities and encourage the use of parental controls and privacy settings.

A safe digital experience can also be achieved by teaching children scepticism and behaviours such as being respectful during online interactions, refraining from cyberbullying, and understanding the permanence of digital actions.

Notes from the author

I recently met the team at Elevate Academy and we spent a day together sharing lessons on all things hardware, software, and education.

Participants from my previous website workshops were excited to learn something new, and together we all programmed a little robot each - experiencing the average lesson for students of the Academy.

As someone who loves software and gadgets, I was so inspired to see how these lessons teach hardware engineering skills to young kids, and that too, without them knowing it.

If you have ever thought about how the things you see on the screen of your phone work together with the physical phone itself.

Well, there’s a place where your kids can learn, and come home and tell you all about it.

On a broader note, it is encouraging to see individuals and Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) take on the large task of shaping digital futures into their own hands.

The grassroots work undertaken by Elevate Academy focuses holistically on elevating the literacy levels of young students in Fiji in a fun way.

Opinion by Shenal Harakh

Shenal Harakh is the founder of her eponymous software development agency Shenal (www.shenal.online), which builds tech products for startup clients around the world. She is currently based in Fiji and is running workshops to digitally upskill communities. Head to https://fiji.shenal.online/ to sign up and keep up to date with new workshops, or follow her work on Linkedin: Shenal Harakh or Twitter: @shenalyo.

Feedback: jernese.macanawai@fijisun.com.fj