Harold the Giraffe,
Early Childhood Education
Empowering children to make healthy lifestyle choices
Life Education Trust Hamilton is one of many national trusts that help deliver the Life Education programme throughout New Zealand. The Life Education Trust Hamilton is responsible for the area from Huntly to Hamilton City.
Our early childhood education program empowers children to make healthy choices so they can live full and healthy lives. Every year we teach children about their body, friendships, their identity, food and nutrition and helpful and harmful substances.
Help us deliver the Life Education programme
Why are we so important?
Behaviours developed during childhood and early adolescence in part determine who you are and who you'll be as an adult.
Specialist health resources for schools
As a specialist health resource for schools, our Educators and Harold the giraffe work in mobile classrooms, seeing 85% of primary and intermediate schools.
We reach over 250,000 kids each year!
Every year 250,000 children take part in our programme. Our goal is to give children the knowledge they need to make healthy choices throughout their lives.
Helping kids to feel comfortable with their identity
We understand that mental health is critical for children growing up and work to help them feel comfortable with their identity, where they fit in, and where they belong. In this area we cover identity self-worth, resilience, peer pressure, the effects of bullying, and being aware of others.
You can help us reach more kids!
Get involved with Life Education and enable us to reach even more of our children! You'll help us to make a difference to the lives of more individuals as well as to the community. Your support of the work we do means, in time, generations of healthy, young New Zealanders will be able to be the best people they can possibly be.
Early childhood education with Harold the giraffe helps kids:
Stand tall
Just like a giraffe, Harold reminds children to stand tall!
Remember they are unique
We are all unique – giraffe's have a different spot pattern just like each person has a different fingerprint.
Be caring
Giraffes are gentle, caring animals that live in families and work together.
Make healthy choices
Giraffes are careful about what they eat and only put fresh food into their bodies.
In 2020 we reached over 4,090 children despite the lockdowns affecting our numbers
in 22 schools in Hamilton!
We're continuing to grow and expand our reach – with our amazing hardworking Educator Amy Lake.
The hard working Trustees continue to raise much needed funds to keep the mobile classrooms running.
Providing support in local communities without government support
In 30 years we’ve raised over $150m to provide our service in local communities without government support.
New Zealands largest health and well-being service provider to primary and intermediate schools
Over the last 30 years we’ve established ourselves as the largest health and well-being service provider to primary and intermediate schools in New Zealand. Schools continue to ask us to return to support their children.
Feedback From Children Following Their Life Education Lesson
MARIE - Things we say and do can get passed on and stay online somewhere forever.
JONO - We have to think before we click, cos there are real people online and we need to be kind.
JANET - Never say anything bad, because millions of people could see it and make the problem worse for the person who is getting bullied, and the person who says it.
BEN - I will really think about not telling lies. I will practice what I learned about negative peer pressure and hang about with better friends. I will keep away from violence.
DAVID - I used to be a follower and now I have more confidence to make up my own mind – like with gangs.
BEN - I can make new friends, and find new ways to learn and do things.
DAVID - I’ll try to help by stopping them doing dumb stuff and making bad choices - like stealing and fighting.
BEN – I’m going to make better choices at home, and listen to my parents.
DAVID - I will try not to be cheeky this week, and I’ll help clean the classroom.
BEN - The classroom is cool.
DAVID - I like how we learn how to make better choices. It made me think about other ways to do things.
The strategies children learn will have a flow on effect at school, at home, and later at high school.
Our Whitikahu students love Life Education. Life Education is a special educational setting that is facilitated by a trained and enthusiastic teacher.
We find our students really absorb the messages promoted in the life education programmes, that is they use the language being taught and they share the messages being promoted.
It is a true novelty.
Meaningful messages delivered by an educator that is passionate about the content. Our students get exposure to meaningful and relevant health content.
It is an extremely valuable resource and health tool. Our students love ‘Harold the Giraffe.’ His visits support our class programmes and provides all our learners with valuable curriculum, and life, information.
Brent Harper - Principal Whitikahu School, Hamilton
