Media Release
‘Learning through Food’ wins Heart Foundation Award for Walungurru School
Friday 2 September 2005
Children at Walungurru School in Kintore, 520km west of Alice Springs, are cooking up a storm as part of an award-winning healthy living project. The remote Central Australian school was one of seven NT winners in the national Heart Foundation Kellogg Local Government Awards.
The annual awards recognise healthy living projects which help to reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease.
Walungurru School and the community council were presented with a plaque and certificate in Alice Springs last week for their ‘Learning Through Food’ project.
The program was the initiative of school principal Jennifer Kite and involved school children aged from 10 to 13 taking part in cooking and nutrition lessons.
Teacher Virginia King said the lessons were held over one-and-a-half hour sessions four afternoons a week. “The students prepare and cook food for all the school under the supervision of teachers or a tutor,’’ Ms King said.
Health workers, the community nurse and a dietician provide nutritional information on a variety of foods, including bush tucker.
“The program is based around electric fry pans which can be easily utilised in the homes,” Ms King said. “And we only use ingredients which are available at the local store.’’
The cooking lessons also enable children to brush up on their numeracy skills - through measuring ingredients - and to learn about good hygiene practices.
Ms King said the students were enthusiastic about the program and enjoyed maintaining a school vegetable garden and putting together colourful recipe books for the community.
It is hoped to further the program at the 67-pupil school by incorporating the wider community.
The other Central Australian award winner was the Alice Springs Town Council. It ran a 10-week healthy lifestyle challenge in conjunction with the Cancer Council.
The Heart Foundation’s Lisa Fox , who co-ordinates the Local Government Awards, said some of this year’s NT entries were “outstanding’’. “We’ll be putting forward these projects nationally as an example of best practice for the rest of Australia,’’ Ms Fox said.
All Territory and state winners will go on to the national finals later in the year.