CLEVELAND high school students are helping Redlands seniors to bridge the gap with their grandchildren, with the different generations this week bonding over coding, robotics and drones at a technology workshop.
Cleveland District State High School science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM) co-ordinator Nicholas Cooper said students had welcomed University of the Third Age members for an afternoon of fun and problem-solving featuring popular robotic devices in the school's new STEM space.
"For the older (U3A) students, this is about bridging that gap between themselves and their grandkids.
"My thoughts are that their grandkids are playing with robots but they might not know which ones to buy or they might just want to get more involved.
"This is their way to get ahead of the curve."
For the high school students, it would be a chance to develop their communication skills and gain confidence.
"I'm hoping that the younger students get an opportunity to work collaboratively, to demonstrate their knowledge and to help them grow as tutors in this field."
U3A members were introduced to technologies like Lego EV3 Mindstorms, Maxbot, Ozobot, Sphero and Littlebits and learned some simple coding.
Mr Cooper said Cleveland District State High School ran digital technologies units in years 7 and 8 to introduce students to the world of robotics and coding, before some were invited to move into a dedicated STEM elective in Year 9.
"We run a STEM club on Mondays and a STEM in sport group as well," he said.
"That's for students who have an interest in STEM but don't necessarily want to follow it in an academic pathway.
"There's some opportunity for them to learn a bit about robotics and drones and just play around in a safe environment."
