Te tūranga oraʻanga o te iti tangata Kuki Airani ʻinanaʻi, i tēia rā e āpōpō
Barrett-Watson C1, Hildreth, J2, & Bay JL2,3
1. Cook Islands Ministry of Education, Cook Islands; 2. Liggins Institute, University of Auckland, New Zealand; 3. Koi Tū, Centre for Informed Futures, University of Auckland, New Zealand.
This presentation reports on the update of the school-based learning resource: Past, Present and Future Lifestyles in the Cook Islands. The original resource was developed in 2017 to support adolescents (11-14 years) to learn about Cook Islands history, framed in exploration of how lifestyle and social change has impacted the nutritional environment over time. These changes have long-term downstream health implications. Consultations were held where stakeholders in Rarotonga and the Pa Enua assessed the suitability of the existing resource and recommended potential modifications to include stories from across the Pa Enua. Stakeholders included school students, community leaders and professionals from education, health and agriculture. Students were very enthusiastic about the resource, developed for and about them. They commented positively on the wide range of interesting activities. Students used their learning to think about health and social issues currently impacting the Cook Islands, such as the prevalence of lifestyle diseases and food insecurity. Education professionals emphasised the value of contextualised materials incorporating English and Maori. They agreed that the cross-curricula learning opportunities offered new perspectives on drivers of complex issues where systems-level influences are at play. Health professionals were interested in the historical and socio-scientific lenses that enriched and complimented wider health promotion programmes. Other community stakeholders including Pa Enua growers were happy to see their stories reflected. Final revisions included the seamless integration of Pa Enua content and updating statistical data, images, and student activities. The resource is now ready for use in schools across the Cook Islands.
Barrett-Watson, C., Hildreth, J., & Bay, J.L. (2023). Te tūranga oraʻanga o te iti tangata Kuki Airani ʻinanaʻi, i tēia rā e āpōpō. Cook Islands Pasifika Medical Association Conference, Rarotonga, Cook Islands.