If you’re an Aussie under the age of 30, you’ll distinctly remember being pulled out of your classroom in the middle of the day, led into a dark caravan and introduced to a giraffe in a box.
International readers, don’t freak out. We’re talking, of course, about the non-profit educational programs run by Life Education Australia. Founded by Reverend Ted Noffs in 1979, the organisation has taught more than five million kids about food, nutrition and personal development with their high-tech vans, transparent anatomical mannequins (TAM) and iconic giraffe sock puppet Healthy Harold.
While Harold might have undergone a few facelifts in 35 years, he doesn’t show any signs of slowing down. We recently caught up with CEO of Life Education NSW Kellie Sloane to find out more about the organisation’s impact on Aussie kids and Harold is up to next.
A lasting impact.
An entire Aussie generation will remember “Healthy Harold days” with much more clarity (and fondness) than normal school lessons. But it’s not just the novelty of the LED “stars” on the ceiling – the programs are designed to help kids learn in 3D
“We use a high-tech, multi-sensory approach,” says Kellie. “Children with behavioural problems benefit from this as they can touch and feel, engage and move around while they’re learning.”
And it’s worked. Along with a number of organisations, Life Education has helped reduce the rates of smoking and drug use in Australia, says Kellie. It has also raised more than $500,000 through Ocsober towards alcohol safety lessons for kids.
Education for all.
While we all believed that there was only one Harold who travelled to each school, Life Education has had to shell out for a few more puppets. Every year, the vans visit 3,000 schools, working with 600,000 children and 30,000 teachers, in addition to their family outreach.
“We find that the messages we teach do go home to mums, dads, grandparents. But we also put a lot of work into parent resources to reinforce those messages,” says Kellee. “We really believe in a whole community approach to targeting health issues.”
Unlike many organisations, Life Education also works hard to reach children in regional and rural areas, rather than just the city centres.
“We’re one of the very few charities who makes sure we visit kids in every corner of the state. It’s important because in Western Sydney, one in three kids is overweight or obese. In some areas of Australia, up to 70 per cent of adults have some problem with their weight.”
It’s such a big issue that Life Education has dedicated a program to Western Sydney which specifically targets junk food… and sugar.
Harold’s new target.
While Life Education has always taught kids about nutrition, they’ve had to find more “sophisticated” teaching techniques to combat Big Food’s ruthless marketing tactics.
“I’m a mum of three boys, so I see firsthand how hard it is to pack a lunchbox and make sure it’s healthy,” Kellie says. “There are so many traps these days, especially with processed foods containing hidden sugars and fats.”
The Western Sydney program teaches kids about the impact sugar has on our bodies, as well as how to read nutrition labels for hidden sweet stuff. The van has also had a revamp, with 3D animations to keep the iGeneration engaged. It’s Harold as you’ve never seen him before.
“We need to next generation to be educated about their health and diet,” says Kellie. “We say to the kids, ‘We want you to grow up, not out’. We want them to be fast and healthy and strong. Nutrition is key to that.”
What lessons did you learn from Healthy Harold?
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