Life Education Australia

{{Short description|Australian education program}}

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File:Life Education Australia Logo.png

Life Education Australia (Life Ed) is the largest and most recognised health education provider in Australian schools.{{Cite web |title=Australian Charities and Not-for-profits Commission - Life Education Australia |url=https://www.acnc.gov.au/charity/charities/b226535e-38af-e811-a95e-000d3ad24c60/profile |website=www.acnc.gov.au/}} Life Ed reaches on average 700,000 children annually where qualified educators present evidence-based preventative health and wellbeing education, along with Healthy Harold, the giraffe puppet and mascot who is the face of the organisation.{{Cite web |date=February 11, 2019 |title=What ever happened to Happy Harold? An investigation. |url=https://www.mamamia.com.au/healthy-harold/ |website=www.mamamia.com.au/}}

Life Education Australia began in 1979, in The Wayside Chapel in Kings Cross by Reverend Ted Noffs, who used his experience with religion to focus on an action-based approach as opposed to preaching.{{Cite web |date=2021-05-06 |title=Life Education and Healthy Harold {{!}} The Saturday Paper |url=https://www.thesaturdaypaper.com.au/2017/07/08/life-education-and-healthy-harold/14994360004872 |url-status=bot: unknown |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210506154155/https://www.thesaturdaypaper.com.au/2017/07/08/life-education-and-healthy-harold/14994360004872 |archive-date=2021-05-06 |access-date=2022-02-07}} In 2016, the program began to teach topics of illicit drug use like methamphetamine, in response to rising narcotics usage rates in Australia.{{Cite web|last=Cook|first=Henrietta|date=2016-08-24|title=Healthy Harold the giraffe makes strides to teach dangers of ice|url=https://www.theage.com.au/national/victoria/healthy-harold-the-giraffe-makes-strides-to-teach-dangers-of-ice-20160824-gr0a8m.html|access-date=2022-02-07|website=The Age|language=en}} In 2017, the Australian government announced plans to defund the program, but this was not implemented after public backlash.{{Cite web|last=Street|first=Andrew P.|date=2017-05-31|title=Healthy Harold, the adorable funding-saving mascot!|url=https://www.smh.com.au/national/nsw/healthy-harold-the-adorable-fundingsaving-mascot-20170531-gwh41q.html|access-date=2022-02-07|website=The Sydney Morning Herald|language=en}}{{Cite web|title=Aussie social media left distraught after news of Healthy Harold's defunding|url=https://www.sbs.com.au/topics/voices/health/article/2017/05/31/aussie-social-media-left-distraught-after-news-healthy-harolds-defunding|access-date=2022-02-07|website=Special Broadcasting Service|language=en}} The in-person program was temporary halted and moved online due to restrictions placed by the Australian government in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, but resumed on October 13, 2020.{{Cite web|date=2020-06-18|title=Healthy Harold returns to local schools|url=https://www.youngwitness.com.au/story/6795142/healthy-harold-returns-to-local-schools/|access-date=2022-02-07|website=The Young Witness|language=en-AU}}{{Cite web|last=Gregory|first=Helen|date=2020-05-17|title=Healthy Harold moves message online|url=https://www.newcastleherald.com.au/story/6758308/healthy-harold-moves-message-online/|access-date=2022-02-07|website=Newcastle Herald|language=en-AU}}