Around New Zealand 88 ākonga attend 14 Immersion courses in 2017

The Immersion Service has provided 14 planned courses in 2017. A total of 88 ākonga have attended 122 places on Immersion Courses this year.  The courses have covered diverse topics such as daily living skills – learning to use a knife and fork to assistive technology skills – how to use a BrailleNote to search the internet.

A highlight of many of the courses for students has been visits off campus to such places as the Aotea Centre to see the first audio described ballet performance in New Zealand or to Sylvia Park to practise assistive daily living skills including buying their own lunch.  Ākonga have spoken again and again of the great pleasure they get from meeting with their peers in the residential setting and the learning that takes place from one another.

One RTV said, “It was evident that ākonga who have had Immersion experiences from a young age have a higher level of independence, plus better technology and social skills than new ākonga who first attend at an older age.”