A veterinary company has launched educational kits for schools in a bid to attract young people into the industry.
Anexa Veterinary Services is believed to be the first in New Zealand to produce an educational and hands-on school resource designed to engage students aged 8-10 in the world of veterinary practice.
The kits, launched last month, aim to transform classrooms into centres of veterinary science education by allowing students to experience what a real veterinarian does.
Anexa board member Gaynor Tierney said the kits are a wonderful resource for kids, bringing hands-on learning into classrooms.
“Our kit opens our children’s eyes to the world of vets and the life they lead with animals every day. It’s an experience they won’t forget,” said Tierney.
Anexa’s operations manager, Karen Good, believes children are naturally curious and the kits have been designed to tap into that curiosity.
“Our goal is to inspire the next generation of veterinarians by providing them with a realistic and enjoyable learning experience,” she said.
“The first uptake of the kits has been a huge success, with 80 schools across New Zealand already using the kits.”
The kits fit into the English, science, maths, and digital technology subject curriculums.
Essentially, teachers can add the tasks that the kit offers to their daily planning at no expense to the school or class learning time.
“We’ve packed together creative, educational, but fun materials designed to captivate young minds,” said Good.
The kits are built around a number of fairytale characters and include story cards that present different veterinary scenarios that encourages students to assess their fictional patient and diagnose their condition.
“We’ve included lab test tools like test tubes, X-ray and petri dishes, and comprehensive vet school resources such as patient information sheets, folders, and charts,” she said.
“The overall goal is to help children understand patient details and veterinary tools and gain knowledge in a fun and engaging way.”
While the kits provide a complete “vet school” set-up for the students, teachers gain access to a dedicated online network where they can support each other and download teaching resources, making the kit easy to introduce into the classroom.
Anexa has funded 500 kits to kick-start the initiative, which supports up to 16,000 students in the classroom nationwide.
Good said with a lifespan of three to four years, the kits represent a substantial, long-term investment in students’ education and the future of the profession.
“We’d love to see more kits being rolled out to provide for more New Zealand students, and we’ll be looking to partner with other veterinary organisations and stakeholders to make this feasible,” Good said.
Teachers and schools can register for the Anexa school kits via the School Kit website at https://www.schoolkit.co.nz/ or through the online teacher network.
