Media Release

Following facelift, West Coast Life Education Trust mobile classroom is back on the road

15 April 2009

With a new paint job, the mobile classroom operated by Life Education’s West Coast Community Trust is back on the road visiting schools from Haast to Karamea.

The Solid Energy-sponsored programme is valued by teachers and will visit all 33 schools on the Coast during 2009.  Educator Heather Smith says about 750 West Coast pupils have already been into the wheeled classroom this year.  “Harold the Giraffe, our mascot, and I are back on the road and ready for action,” Heather says.  “The mobile classroom’s in fantastic working order, with very visible new cartoon artwork depicting West Coast scenes.  It looks great and has already received many positive comments.”

The West Coast Trust is one of 38 operating around the country.  Life Education’s aim is to help give the young people of New Zealand the knowledge and skills to reach their potential and live a fulfilling and healthy life.  Operated by registered teachers, its classroom material is linked into the school curriculum and takes a preventative, positive approach, using sophisticated sight and sound techniques to capture children’s imaginations.

“We visit schools by invitation so it’s wonderful that every school in our region has asked us in,” Heather says.  “Not many trusts can claim to visit every school in their area.”

It costs about $12 a child to deliver the programme and Life Education charges schools just a fraction of this, raising the balance through community support and sponsorships such as those from Solid Energy on the Coast and Nature’s Flame, the Solid Energy renewable fuel company, in Canterbury.  Life Education’s local community trusts do not pay levies to the national office so donations to the local community trust directly benefit children in the area.