REIDY Park Primary School students will do their part to help bridge the gap between the health expectations of indigenous and non-indigenous Australians this month as they take part in the Australian Indigenous Mentoring Experience (AIME) National Hoodie Day.
Beginning in 2005, AIME brings together university students and disadvantaged school pupils to become educational heroes and role models for their region.
Reidy Park Primary is an AIME Ambassador for Indigenous Success school and students are raising money for the educational program.
Receiving a visit from AIME chief executive officer Jack Manning Bancroft earlier this year, Aboriginal education teacher Jess Magarey said students are more passionate about helping out.
“We wanted to give students the opportunity to buy an AIME hoodie and play their part in trying to end global inequality,” she said.
“It is a fun event to be involved with while also giving students a sense there is something bigger than themselves and that even though their contribution might be small, it can have a massive effect on other people.”
However, the school is this year taking it one step further and also raising money through the AIME 4 The Bucket initiative.
Encouraging the wider community to get involved, the school has placed small plastic buckets around the city at businesses for others to also make a donation.
With every donation, people are asked to post a picture on social media and use the hashtags #AIME4thebucket and #itscooltobekind.
All money raised will go to AIME’s global campaign to expand to program into other nations.
AIME National Hoodie Day will take place, Friday with students also encouraged to contribute a gold coin donation.
Businesses with donation buckets include Metro, Muffin Break at the Marketplace, the Mount Gambier and District Community Bank, The Old Mount Gambier Gaol and Di-Monty Training Solutions.
Visit www.aimementoring.com to learn more about the work of AIME.
