Partnership Helps Young Learn About Environment

PRESS RELEASE
28 April 2009

New Partnership Helps Young New Zealanders Learn About Environment

Sanford and the Seafood Industry Council (SeaFIC) have teamed up with the Foundation for Youth Development to develop a new set of lessons about the environment for New Zealand children participating in the Foundation’s Kiwi Can youth development programme.

Foundation for Youth Development co-founder, Graeme Dingle, said Sanford and SeaFIC had helped to fund the development of 10 additional Kiwi Can lessons for use within the primary and intermediate school-based programme.

“Sanford has been a valued, long-term sponsor of Kiwi Can in a number of regions, and the time was right to build on this by inviting them to become a national sponsor. By partnering with SeaFIC as well, we were able to create a set of new lessons which emphasise the importance of environmental sustainability, biodiversity, personal and social responsibility, and interdependence.”

He said the additional lessons also teach children about the importance of managing and sharing natural resources to protect and improve the environment.

“Once students have completed the environment and community lessons they’ll have a greater understanding of why indigenous species and habitats need to be protected and identify and undertake responsible actions to protect our natural world. Students are taught the importance of being responsible for their actions.

“The lessons allow Kiwi Can students’ learning to go beyond the classroom, by providing them with the opportunity to also gain first-hand experience by visiting a Sanford plant,” Graeme said.

The new lessons will be piloted later this year, and will be incorporated into the existing Kiwi Can programme and offered to all Kiwi Can primary & intermediate schools. Lessons are taught by trained Kiwi Can Leaders once a week in more than 70 primary and intermediate schools across the country.

Kiwi Can is a values and life-skills Foundation for Youth Development programme offered to over 15,000 children aged between 5 and 12 years.

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