Wool in Schools welcomes its 25,000th student to the Wool Shed

A venture that educates Kiwi college kids concerning the wonders of wool has notched up its 25,000th scholar this month.

“Wool in Faculties” makes use of two transformed 20-foot delivery containers as “Wool Sheds”.

The containers journey the nation visiting faculties and sharing data about wool, aiming to encourage college students to make use of the sustainable, pure fibre sooner or later.

The venture was arrange by Marketing campaign for Wool, a world initiative spearheaded by The Prince of Wales to boost consciousness of the makes use of and advantages of wool.

Prince Charles opened the primary Wool Shed at Tawa Intermediate in 2015 and curiosity from faculties snowballed from there.

Chair of Marketing campaign for Wool NZ, Tom O’Sullivan, mentioned that whereas it was a “implausible milestone” to coach 25,000 college college students, there was nonetheless “an extended strategy to go” for the venture.

“[We] would love each college scholar in New Zealand to have the chance to expertise the Wool Shed and study wool on this method.”

How does Wool in Faculties work?

Wool Shed visits are free, and faculties can apply through the Wool in Schools website.

When there may be sufficient demand in an space, a shed is dispatched, spending between one and two weeks at every web site.

Demand for Wool in Faculties turned so excessive, that in 2018 a second container was created to higher assist South Island faculties.

The Wool Shed expertise takes roughly half-hour, the place children go via a sequence of interactive stations the place they study concerning the totally different makes use of and advantages of wool, together with its processes.

They’ll even have a go at weaving on a mini loom.

A tennis ball exhibit was notably in style with college students, Wool in Faculties’ venture supervisor Vicki Linstrom mentioned.

Folks did not realise tennis balls have been lined with wool, she mentioned.

“[They] are delighted to study that New Zealand wool is chosen for the tennis balls at Wimbledon, as a result of its ‘crimp’ issue which supplies the balls the very best bounce.

“It is implausible to see younger minds beginning to suppose extra broadly about wool as a really versatile fibre, with far better makes use of and advantages than simply making their garments.”

Shifting outdoors the Wool Shed

The scholars’ wool schooling continued outdoors the Wool Sheds at their college libraries as nicely, O’Sullivan mentioned.

“Jock Visits The Neighbours,” a kids’s e-book by Geraldine farmer and writer Christine Taylor, follows the adventures of a highland terrier who visits a close-by sheep farm.

Marketing campaign for Wool just lately partnered with Taylor to ship the story to colleges for his or her libraries.

It was essential to search out “inventive and provoking methods” to share the message about wool with younger individuals, O’Sullivan mentioned.

“The youthful generations are actually tuned into the necessity for extra sustainable methods of residing, together with shifting away from low cost merchandise constituted of plastic fibres that are doing a lot injury to our planet.

“We hope we might help encourage them early on, to create and innovate with wool for a greater future.”