Good sports

A trio of Otago Polytechnic Bachelor of Applied Science students are heading to India, where they will spend the next four weeks playing games.

In the second year of their BAppSc degrees (Physical Activity, Health & Wellness), Tarryn Fahey, Stephen Vanderpeet and Jenna Paton will be initially accompanied by Kim Park, Senior Lecturer at Otago Polytechnic’s Institute of Sport & Adventure, before Kim leaves the trio in the care of Indian academic supervisors.

Tarryn and Jenna, along with students from Flinders University (Adelaide), will work at Sulochanadevi Singhania School, where they will teach primary school-aged students fundamental movement skills using an approach that involves play or games to promote learning.

Stephen, meanwhile, will be based at the Darren Lehmann Cricket Academy, teaching junior and senior players training techniques and sport-specific skills (alongside students from Flinders).

“As part of the second-year and third-year courses for the BAppSci, students are required to do 260 hours of work placement in a physical activity, health or wellness workplace,” Kim explains.

The Mumbai opportunities will be invaluable for the Otago Polytechnic students, helping them demonstrate and build core competencies such as communication, teamwork and leadership, Kim says.

Studying abroad can help students creatively solve problems by applying familiar concepts to unfamiliar situations. These include looking at a project from different perspectives, learning from people whose value systems may be different, and being flexible and adaptable.

In a recent survey, employers ranked the following as the top four employability skills for tertiary graduates: an ability to communicate verbally with persons inside and outside the organization; ability to make decisions and solve problems; ability to plan, organize, and prioritize work; and ability to obtain and process information.

“Having travelled to a number of developing countries in my early 20s, I am convinced of the benefit of seeing how others live,” Kim says.

“The students can also  with work and dedication -- actually affect change in others’ lives and come to know the satisfaction of giving their time to something beyond themselves.”

Read more about Otago Polytechnic’s International partnerships.

Read more about Otago Polytechnic’s Bachelor of Applied Science.