Newly trained ‘Ogier Engineers’ have been ‘helping a life take flight’ with the Jersey Child Care Trust (JCCT).
Over the past six weeks volunteers from the Jersey law firm have worked with more than 100 nursery children to design, build and fly paper airplanes – helping develop skills in the 3-5 year olds that include hand-eye coordination, sequencing, spatial and memory skills, as well as patience and attention. Since the nursery visits the children have been invited on a tour of Jersey Airport as part of the immersive learning experience.
The Ogier Engineers – a group of Ogier employees whose day jobs range from lawyer to IT and HR – are supporting the JCCT Help a Life Take Flight campaign focusing on some of the youngest members of the Island’s community.
JCCT is a small local charity that helps families access the nurture, care and learning they need so each child can reach their full potential. They provide information and services to families, policy makers and childcare providers in the Island.
JCCT’s programmes and inclusion manager, Alice Bennion, said: “80% of your brain develops before you are three – this is when the foundations for a child’s future are made. This is when they learn to fly.
“The Engineer Programme has been an amazing success all round. It has been wonderful to watch all involved get so much out of the experience. Having different adults come into nursery and talk about something new has had a real impact on the children. Parents have commented on how their children have come home talking about what an engineer is and all the things they learnt through the visit. Nurseries have commented on the engagement and interest of the children and how the sessions have led to continued learning well beyond the visit. It has been a great initiative to connect corporate employees with the community and the work we do as a charity.”
Ogier’s Director of Marketing, Kate Kirk, also commented: ” Although it’s a simple activity, making and flying paper airplanes has been shown to enhance STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) skills in even the youngest children. With Ogier’s CSR programme focused on education, we were delighted to support this fun and educational initiative within the nursery environment. We’re proud to sponsor JCCT and the fantastic work they do. It was a great opportunity for Ogier volunteers to see for themselves the invaluable support they give to young children in the island.”
