Ipswich children and families learn to ‘speak animal’

Dogs and guinea pigs turned into teachers for a day at a recent RSPCA Queensland and Mission Australia empathy program for Ipswich families and children.

The Learn to Speak Animal program was well received by families and children participating in Mission Australia’s Referral for Active Intervention (RAI) - a six-month intensive intervention program designed to help families improve their safety and wellbeing.

The day was made up by a number of sessions, some fun and others about the serious issue of responsible pet ownership. The adults learned basic dog training techniques based on principles of positive reinforcement while the children created a guinea pig habitat and picked up tips on how to care for the pint-sized pets.

Participants were asked to consider how their own emotions could impact on others and they explored the issue of self-control.

Di Townsend, Mission Australia Service Manager RAI Ipswich, said everyone thoroughly enjoyed the challenges:

“During the day, the kids made habitats for guinea pigs and learned to care for them. The adults learnt basic dog training techniques – including how to interpret dogs’ body language and recognize emotions,” she said.

“The RSPCA animals had plenty of fun themselves – with lots of hugs and treats from the kids.”

Di added that while everyone had fun, all participants learned valuable lessons:

“We’re hoping the empathy learnt through this program can help strengthen families and improve children’s ability to interact with others.”

Why is empathy important?

Empathy is defined as the ability to recognise and respond appropriately to another’s emotional state. A number of studies have suggested that interactions with animals can be a bridge to improved interactions with humans. Training an animal to behave acceptably can promote a child’s self-control and patience and reduce violent behaviour.

Combining promotion of humane values with hands-on animal interaction and training, RSPCA Qld’s Empathy Program aims to have a positive impact on human behaviour exhibited towards people and animals.

For more information about RSPCA Qld’s education programs please email education@rspcaqld.org.au or call (07) 3710 9806.

Getting back to nature

Did you know it takes as little as four minutes in a natural environment to reduce stress, improve mood and steady the vital signs?

This is just one of the findings Mission Australia’s National Director of Mission Australia’s Early Learning Services (MAELS) took home from last week’s World Forum on Early Care and Education.

With delegates representing 73 nations, the conference examined the natural world’s potential to reduce childhood obesity and have a positive impact on ADHD (Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder) and learning.

Ms Howard said the conference reaffirmed Mission Australia’s plan to ‘naturalise’ the environment at its 29 MAELS centres through the addition of gardens, replacing plastic equipment with timber and using paint hues inspired by nature.

“We not planning to introduce natural environments into our centres because it’s ‘trendy’ or looks good, but because there is increasingly a real disconnect between children and nature,” she said.

“Today we have children growing up in developed countries who are afraid of wind, rain and snow. This is the generation we are handing society.”

Ms Howard said that initiatives such as vegetable gardens at MAELS Shell Cove (NSW) and Doveton (Victoria) centres were already making a difference to young lives:

“The children at those centres can’t wait to get outside when they arrive,” Ms Howards said. “It’s a small but important way we can start reconnecting children with nature.”

Further reading:

• Find out more about Education Week in Victoria
• ‘Families need adventure playgrounds and cities need families’
• Resources, photos, videos and more from the conference: will be shared at http://worldforumfoundation.org/wf/wp/current-work/upcoming-events/2011-world-forum

Children take a break in Toukley

Ninety-five children from Mission Australia’s Brighter Futures program enjoyed their very first holiday this month, spending a week on camp in Toukley, New South Wales.

Two buses transported children from Albury, Griffith, Wagga, Cootamundra, Harden, Young, Yass, Queanbeyan, Goulburn, Nowra and Ulladulla to the Central Coast camp where they were treated to a huge variety of activities.

The children enjoyed team activities such as fishing, canoeing, swimming, snorkelling, quad-bike riding, archery, rope-climbing, craft activities and obstacle courses. They also experienced the thrill of the camp’s flying fox and high swings.

One young boy conquered his fear of heights, bravely using the flying fox and taking part in a rope climb.

“He was about to go on the giant swing and wanted us to watch that he could do it,” said Cheryl O’Donnell, Acting Service Operations Manager, Southern NSW Community Services.

“Seeing the excitement and that look of accomplishment on his face, plus the fact that someone he knew witnessed his effort, was enough on its own to say we had done the right thing to put this camp adventure together for these children.”

Another child with autism who had never spent time away from home delighted staff and his family by lasting four full days at the camp.

“It was the first time we had put together something of this size and nature,” said Ms O’Donnnell. “I went up to visit with another senior manager and we were very impressed. It was so fantastic to see so many children having the time of their lives at this camp and staff really enjoyed being involved with this.

“Although they were exhausted by end of week, each staff member said they would jump at doing it again as it was so good to see these children having so much fun. We also received a lot of phone calls from parents thanking us and saying how much the children enjoyed the camp.”

Brighter Futures is a voluntary, targeted program that helps families to build resilience while promoting healthy development in children. This early intervention program is one of Mission Australia’s 107 services that are designed to build strong families and healthy, happy children.

Woman’s Day shares a Macarthur Christmas miracle

Read about how Mission Australia’s Macarthur Early Childhood Intervention Service (MECIS) has transformed the lives of two Sydney children in this week’s Woman’s Day.

Six-year-old Saul and his sister Mischa, 5, both have autism. Watching them laugh and play together is something their mother had never thought was possible, given that children with autism often have trouble relating to others or expressing themselves with words.

“That was Saul and Mischa until we found help with the Macarthur Early Childhood Intervention Service (MECIS),” Marion told Woman’s Day. “I wonder what I would have done, where the kids would be at, had I not found them.”

Mischa has now learnt to say her name and Marion is ecstatic that her son is able to start school.

Based in Sydney’s south-west, the Macarthur Early Childhood Intervention Service (MECIS) is a Mission Australia program that provides specialised early childhood intervention services for children from birth to school-entry age who have a diagnosed developmental delay or disability.

MECIS provides therapy, education and support services that aim to assist parents or carers to achieve the best possible outcomes for their child.

Brisbane kids follow in big footsteps

Former Brisbane Bullets star Andre Moore has made the promotion of healthy living his mission in life.

After hanging up his size 17 pro sneakers, Andre now runs the Big Feat Basketball Mentoring Program as part of Australia’s Pathways to Prevention Project - an early intervention, crime prevention program providing holistic support to children and families in Brisbane’s western suburbs.

The most recent ‘Big Feat’ program involved 180 Grade 5 and 6 students from Carole Park, Durack and Inala state schools. Grade 6 students from Richlands East State School will experience the same “skills, thrills and fun” when Andre’s next sessions begin on August 9.

The 10-week mentoring program uses basketball to promote positive and healthy messages to pre-adolescent children, with Andre teaching kids to discover their strengths, improve their communication skills, become better team players and set goals.

The former professional basketballer, affectionately known as ‘The A-Train’ in his Brisbane Bullets days, has been leading by example for much of his life. The oldest of four children who grew up in a tough part of Chicago, Andre was a father figure to his younger siblings.

“Now I have seven children, so messages I pass on to these kids I pass on to my own,” he said. “By running this program I’m giving back to the community that has supported me.”

Cherie Lamb, Pathways to Prevention Manager, said Andre made a big impact on the lives of local children: "They were in awe of Andre's height and basketball skills.

“Andre provided the students with insight into the importance of making healthy choices in relation to nutrition and exercise, while still keeping their attention by mixing in basketball drills,” she added.

“The children’s evaluation forms showed that ‘Big Feat’ program was a life-changing experience.”

Durack State School principal, Beth Petersen, said teachers and parents were delighted with the program's success: “Our students have responded very positively to Andre and Mission Australia's lessons."