A new playground for a rural kindy
As the only early education centre in the rural town of Wandoan, Queensland, creating an encouraging learning environment for students was critical for Trish, the kindy’s Teaching Director. Discover how Shell’s support to build their new playground is helping to boost the children’s physical education and development.
From little things big things grow
Wandoan Kindergarten is the only early education program in the town. It has a small population of 600 and the only other kindergarten is a 45-minute drive away. This is just one of the reasons the much-loved local kindy is so important to the community. “We’re the first and only early education setting that children receive in our area. Wandoan has no childcare centre and doesn’t have any family daycare, so it’s the first actual opportunity that they have for early education,” said Teaching Director, Trish Pitkin. Starting with only six students, the kindy has grown with 25 students now attending from the local area.
For Trish, there’s an extra sense of personal connection with Wandoan for her family. “My husband is actually a Wandoan local, so he was born and bred here, and we’ve returned back to his childhood home. It was about six years ago, after his mum retired, that we returned to the family farm, and it just so happened that Wandoan Kindy needed a teacher. It was like fate.”
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The new playground for the many years to come
To help the kindy continue to be a great place for the town’s preschoolers, Shell’s QGC business supported them with a grant for much-needed upgrades to the playground. The $50,000 grant through Shell’s QGC Communities Fund allowed them to design and build a new playground, supporting the future of the kindy. “We are grateful to be able to have teamed up with Shell. The new playground has provided such a boost to physical education and development for our children. You can see the footprints of improvement that Shell has left behind in Wandoan,” said Teaching Director, Trish Pitkin.
Opportunities and benefits for all kids
The spirit of the Wandoan community and Trish’s passion capture the idea that regional kids and communities deserve the same opportunities and benefits as children in bigger towns and cities - to roam, explore, learn and grow into healthy, resilient and capable people. “I’ve been working in early education for over 20 years, specialising in the under-fives, but I've also worked at lots of schools. So I’ve always had a passion for the high-quality education route. Children shouldn’t miss out just because of their location.”
Shell’s QGC Communities Fund provides grants between $20,000 - $50,000 to single organisations and $100,000 to eligible collaborative projects by community organisations in the Gladstone and Western Downs Local Government Areas and the township of Taroom. Traditional Owner groups with agreements with Shell’s QGC business can also apply for projects covering these regions.
