Tank crew teamwork

Twelve young people from St Aldhelm’s Academy had a brilliant day at the Tank Museum at Bovington on Wednesday as part of their Level 1 Blue Skies programme. Claire Cooper, the Education Officer had arranged lots of interesting things to do. Everyone got to sit in a tank where they learnt about the importance of teamwork and how the crew had to depend on each other.

The students also learnt about clear communications when they had to give directions to their partner who was blindfolded and responsible for moving a remote control tank around a course. There were a few crashes!

The teams were sent off after lunch to discover facts about certain tank displays in the museum. The hard part was then to present those facts to the rest of the group. This offered an introduction to speaking to a group, which is an important skill that the students will develop in time for their Blue Skies graduation in a few months. Josh, 12 said “When I presented my ideas, I just stood up and said it without worrying.”

Claire Cooper, the museum’s Education Officer said “‘Working with the Jon Egging Trust has been great. Through hands on, practical activities we encouraged the children to understand how tank crews work together as a team and the importance of clear communication. Special thanks goes to the Dorset Museum Association for funding these trips and recognising how beneficial it is for children to develop these skills.”

Thanks go to The Tank Museum, Bovington for all their help with the day.