Table 1 Main activities included in the Good Start Program to convey key messages

Challenge Book

A simple diary distributed to students to monitor their daily physical activity and nutrition intake. A student shades in a check box relating to specific lifestyle behaviour choices (e.g. drink a sugary drink, eat vegetables, exercise, watch TV).

This helps the students to become more aware of their lifestyle choices and see progressive changes they have made. Some teachers have found this to be a particularly useful tool and have incorporated it into their curriculum planning.

MPI Can You Dance?

A creative blending of hip hop and cultural dance with healthy lifestyle information. It incorporates street dance, contemporary style, cultural dance and current music to engage children and explore ideas surrounding healthy living.

By weaving in cultural dance, it creates a sense of individual, community and cultural pride, while educating children on the importance of healthy lifestyle choices. It was developed in partnership with a local community organisation working with MPI youth.

MPI Eat Well

A classroom based nutrition education program based on the four key messages. Children learn nutrition and physical activity content through interactive games and fun activities.

This program is delivered during class time and the information presented is at a slightly more advanced level and students are supported to build a deeper understanding of health. Some schools have acknowledged the comprehensive nature of the information and include it as part of their health curriculum.

MPI Got Talent

Students create a role play scenario that promotes healthy lifestyle behaviours.

The MHWs work with the students to prepare a short performance ensuring the content of messages is accurate. Role plays tend to use a variety of performance styles from cultural dance, singing, chanting and acting.

MPI Junior Chef

The aim of this activity is to enable each child to develop basic cooking skills and build basic nutrition knowledge. The MPI Junior Chef utilises culturally tailored resources such as the ‘Healthy Taro Leaf’ and modified family recipes. MPI Junior Chef also incorporates the use of a ‘Kitchen Licence’ system. This system progressively builds the children’s skills as their cooking experience increases.

Kids enjoy a sense of achievement as they progress from a Basic Licence to an MPI Junior Chef.

Power Up

Designed for high school students this structured one hour session is broken into two components: a nutrition segment and a physical activity segment. Each session is highly interactive with the use of many practical demonstrations, props, visual and audio media, personal stories and testimonies.

Within MPI communities it is these types of communication strategies that are most effective in conveying messages. This unique culture and environment has received positive comments from many of the school staff and principals.

Power Up Leadership

This program was implemented with high school students for the purpose of training and developing future MPI Leaders to lead the way for change in their school, family and community. Students with potential leadership qualities (or those who might benefit from some additional structure and support) are identified by the school or selected by the MHWs. Weekly lunchtime meetings are delivered covering cultural leadership principles, group interactions and discussions with MPI guest speakers.

This program aims to build the capacity of students to take on responsibilities and lead change.

Island Flavour

The Island Flavour program is based on traditional MPI games. The games showcased are physically active and fun. Each week students “travel” to different islands using a passport in which they write down the key learning from each island, e.g. “60 min everyday, got to keep on moving”

The Island Flavour sessions were very well received by students and teachers. They provide an excellent opportunity to learn about health, physical activity and MPI cultural heritage.