3 August 3, 2011

Millner Primary School in Darwin is hosting the launch of the new Thumbs Up! health and nutrition teaching resource on Monday, 15 August 2011.

The on-line resource will deliver health and nutrition education across all primary year levels and will be accessed by teachers and students alike.

The interactive, 12-lesson plan resource is the result of an innovative partnership between The Jimmy Little Foundation and the Northern Territory Government’s Department of Education and Training (DET) that has been a year in the making.

It was made possible by a generous donation from Medicines Australia which has been supporting Thumbs Up! and The Jimmy Little Foundation for the past two years. 

Addressing some of the basic but crucial health and nutrition issues including oral and auditory wellbeing in young people, the lesson plans from www.thumbsup.org.au can be implemented in classrooms across the Northern Territory beginning this term.

Chief Executive Officer of The Jimmy Little Foundation, Graham “Buzz” Bidstrup said the resource would provide vital health and wellbeing information for school children.

“By targeting the early formative years, we hope the knowledge students gain through the lessons will reduce their chances of contracting chronic diseases later in life,” Mr Bidstrup said.

“With no geographic boundaries, teachers and young people in classrooms across Australia can go on-line to learn more about how to lead a healthy, balanced lifestyle.

“The on-line teaching resource developed with the help of NT DET is fun and interactive, delivering health and nutrition messages from Australian Indigenous icon Uncle Jimmy Little and his Thumbs up! team: Good Tucker – Long Life.

The Thumbs Up! teaching resource is part of a multi-pronged approach The Jimmy Little Foundation takes to achieving its mission of a healthier future for Indigenous Australians.

The Thumbs Up! school program engages young people in rural and remote Indigenous communities to create their own healthy food anthem as well as record and film a music video clip at their school, promoting Good Tucker – Long Life.

This is supported by the Thumbs Up! Stores Program where more than 60 stores around the country now display Uncle Jimmy’s Healthy Food Seal of Approval on fruit, vegetables and water products and promote Uncle Jimmy’s Recipe of the Month.

The Northern Territory Government, stakeholders and young people will launch the teaching resource at Millner Primary School in Darwin at 12 noon on Monday, 15 August.