GEORGE NEWS - Get their buy-in while they are still young, and they will become customers for life! This is the motivation behind GO GEORGE, the integrated public transport network in George, developing creative educational material for use in schools.
According to GO GEORGE manager James Robb, children are regarded as important stakeholders in the development and ongoing roll-out of the service to the George community.
"A scheduled bus service running on fixed routes was a completely new and strange concept for our community when first introduced at the end of 2014," says Robb.
"Therefore, the educational component of our engagement with the public - adults included - has to be a focus area of our communication with our users, and of course, our future users."
A GO GEORGE board game was the first item designed for use in schools alongside the school curriculum on public transport. Since its introduction in November 2017, the game has proved to be a hit with the youngsters who learn while they play.
The designers have supplied clear and detailed instructions for teachers, including a DVD which the children can also watch before they play the game the first time. Teachers' feedback confirms it to be a most useful practical component to their existing curriculum.
During August, two more additions have been added to the collection.
The 120-piece GO GEORGE puzzle aimed at Grades 1, 2 and 3 caught on immediately, since finding the youngsters' favourite mascot, Georgie, is part of the fun once the puzzle has been completed.
Grade 4s are entertained and educated by means of a colourful activity book - available in English and Afrikaans - containing a word search, code deciphering, a bus route maze, customised snakes and ladders game, connect-the-dots pictures, a Georgie Sudoku, spot the differences, colouring picture, bus rules and even a play dough recipe - instilling knowledge about the system and the rules of carriage as they play.
The GO GEORGE board game is colourful and fun to play - kids won't even know they're absorbing information!
All these items have been or are currently being handed out to schools in those areas where the bus service is already active. The puzzle has been distributed to the municipal libraries as well, for use in their educational programmes.
As soon as the bus service rolls out to the Xhosa-speaking areas, the educational aids, including the activity book in Xhosa, will be made available to those schools too.
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