Ten-year-old Jenna Shanks is a youngster with a big heart and a will to make a difference.
The Logan Year 5 student signed up for Life Education Queensland’s Healthy Harold Hundred challenge to help stamp out bullying - after seeing friends experience the hurt of being targeted by bullies.
“One of my friends was picked on a lot for things they said and the clothes they wore,” Jenna says.
“People would gossip and say mean things to my friend – sometimes to their face, sometimes behind their back.”
“It’s not nice to bully. It can hurt people mentally and physically. It might stop them from concentrating in school because it’s always making them scared while they are at school.”
Life Education program
Like tens of thousands of Queensland children, Jenna participates in the Life Education program when the iconic mobile learning centre visits her primary school – learning about health and safety, strategies to deal with bullying and the keys to respectful relationships.
With the Healthy Harold Hundred challenge boosting funds for Life Education’s respectful relationships programs to reach more children, Jenna was keen to sign on and help others.
“It’s nice to raise money for something that helps kids stay safe from bullies and teachers them how to act around bullies. Life Education has also taught me about how to deal with cyberbullying,” Jenna says.
Mum Kathy is proud of her daughter’s motivation, saying she loves to help others.
“Jenna is always looking at things from other people’s point of view and has a lot of empathy for people’s feelings. She absolutely loves animals too. She’s always looking for ways to make things a bit easier for other people,” Kathy says.
Doing the k’s
With a busy school and activities schedule, Jenna is completing the 100-kilometre Healthy Harold Hundred by riding her bike after school.
She’s hoping to reach her personal fundraising target of $200, with the overall campaign aiming to raise $150,000.
If you’d like to donate, go to the Healthy Harold Hundred website.
