Evening Telegraph (First Edition)
Next month to be March of the penguins... into schools
EVERY school in Dundee is to receive a “baby” penguin sculpture and an accompanying education pack as part of the Maggie’s Penguin Parade project.
One hundred statues, standing 4ft tall, will waddle their way into the classrooms of nursery, primary and secondary schools, plus a number of community groups, next month.
The man behind the initiative is Maggie’s Penguin Parade’s education coordinator, Neil Cooney.
He said: “When I became involved with Maggie’s, I wanted to ensure all schools and children were able to take part — nurseries, primaries and secondaries — as well as young people’s residential units and those with additional support needs.”
Each penguin cost £400, but thanks to funding from Northwood Trust and the Community Regeneration Fund, Maggie’s can ensure 100 of the penguins — which are half the size of the towering 8ft versions in the summer Penguin Parade Trail –— go into schools and community groups in Dundee free of charge.
A handful of Angus schools are also set to benefit.
“It’s a fantastic opportunity for schools to engage pupils, teachers, carers and parents in wholeschool, whole-community conversations around a series of topics, including the difficult topic of cancer in the family,” said Neil.
Each mini penguin comes with instructions on how to paint it — a task that will be completed by pupils and teachers. Schools will also be given packs full of facts about penguins, Antarctica, exploration and Dundee explorers.