Core boards in parks around region making a difference

PARKS FOR ALL: The core board at Gisborne's Adventure Playground. The symbols help non-verbal children communicate their feelings. Picture by Liam Clayton

More core boards or kupu atua, have been put up at playgrounds around the region.

The large boards offer another way to communicate for non-verbal children by having pictures beside 60 core words of everyday vocabulary.

The user can point to the symbols and in this way share their message.

The boards in te reo Māori and English are now up at Hauora Tairāwhiti Playground, Lions Junior Cycle Park, Adventure Playground, Te Karaka playground and Patutahi playground.

A further five are about to be installed in playgrounds along the East Coast.

Gisborne District Council liveable communities director Michele Frey said the core boards helped set an inclusive tone for the community.

“We are so happy to have five more core boards up in our region's playgrounds. This brings the total in Tairāwhiti to six after one went up at the Botanical Gardens in May.

“We've heard how they make a big difference to anyone who communicates non-verbally. Our parks are here for all of us to enjoy and are such an important part of growing up in this community.

“We thank the Ministry of Education for this initiative, for funding them in our area, to help make communication easier for anyone who is non-verbal.”

The core boards include a QR code, so anyone can scan the code and take an image with them either to print or keep using on their phone.

This is an innovative initiative of the Ministry of Education learning support team, who worked in collaboration with different members of the community, in particular, whānau and educators of tamariki who use core boards as part of everyday life. Trust Tairāwhiti also funded $10,000 towards the project.