Through the second and third week of September, all our Kids Academy centres participated in the Aussie Wildlife Champions fundraiser drive for the Australian Wildlife Conservancy.
Dress Up and Donate Day
A part of this fundraiser was a Dress Up and Donate Day on the 21st of September, where the centre teams and their children were encouraged to dress up as their favourite Australian animal, as a farmer, swagman or to bring in their Australian wildlife soft toy.
We also encouraged all families to consider donating towards the Australian Wildlife Conservancy, which does an exceptional job assisting with the protection and re-introduction of Australia's most iconic and endangered species.
Affinity education and the Australian Wildlife Conservancy have formed a partnership to develop our unique Aussie Wildlife Champions program, which is offered in all our Affinity-owned and operated centres. Affinity education is the only educational organisation that the Australian Wildlife Conservancy has partnered with on a project of this scale. Australian Wildlife Conservancy is one of the world's leading conservation organisations and has a focus on preserving Australia's unique biodiversity.
The ‘Aussie Wildlife Champions’ education program, developed in partnership with the Australian Wildlife Conservancy, provides engaging lesson plans for 18 iconic and endangered Australian species and introduces the children to core principles of conservation and Australia’s sometimes harsh climate and environment. Fun and age-specific videos describe the criticality and lifecycle of species such as Native Bees, Crocodiles, frogs and Bilbies.
Each lesson is filled with delightful imagery provided by the Australian Wildlife Conservancy, insights and activities that will expand children’s understanding of the breadth, depth and uniqueness of Australia’s native species.
They have also developed at-home resources for all our communities and families to learn about these important Australian species.
“To celebrate and learn more about how to be a Wildlife Warrior, Jessie, our Centre Manager, brought in some special guests to visit Kids Academy Glenmore Park. We had two Macleay River Turtles and a pygmy bearded dragon visit the children in each room. We were fascinated with how they felt, with the turtle's hard shell and the lizard's spikey body. We talked about what they eat and where we might find them.”
Nicole Gasper, Assistant Centre Manager at Kids Academy Erina Heights, shared, “The Australian Wildlife Conservatory dress up and donate day was important for us at Kids Academy Erina Heights. We are located in a beautiful rural street and often observe Australian wildlife through the playground fence. They feel like part of the centre! The children and educators dressed up in some creative costumes, and we researched how we can best help our Australian wildlife and what to do if we encounter any in the wild.”
All our centres appreciate the commitment our families and our local communities have towards the causes we take great pride in supporting.
If you would still like to donate, please follow the link below.