The Tararua College/Meal Innovations Link
The teacher's perspective – Diana Eagle, Tararua College
Diana Eagle uses the Techlink website as a case study resource for her classes, and it was there she read about Meal Innovations. Since the company is in Palmerston North and therefore relatively close to Tararua College in Pahiatua, she asked if her class could visit the factory and discussed with Meal Innovations contact person Kim Uthina how her students could examine their products and practice to develop their technological knowledge. Meal Innovations was keen to be involved and agreed to to be a client for her Year 13 class project.
"The first year of making a link is always the hardest because it's an information-gathering year. You don't know what you'll be able to get, and they don't know what you need. You have to be quietly determined but also realistic. I outlined what I wanted, and then asked for the little bits as I needed them, which I got. Then you need to work out a way to present that information so that the students can use it. I appreciate that they gave the time to make the link; that's the first step – that they're willing to be part of something but have no idea of what they're getting into”.
Kim's departure from the company resulted in a temporary halt in communication, until General Manager Allan Johnson took over the relationship. His hospitalisation meant another delay, so Diana decided it was better to work with another client, and use Meal Innovations as the client for her 2008 Year 13 class.
Production Manager Ana Tuimana was given the school liaison role and organised a factory visit for Diana's class. This gave the students an opportunity to observe a real situation and connect it to their own work. Diana also used this to introduce them to the confidentiality aspect of working on case studies, such as using a price range, rather than a specific price, in their report.
"Another advantage of working with a company is the good PR for the school. In other situations they might mention that they've worked with us, and that we're a good school to have a relationship with. These community links can be very positive; the school received a congratulatory email from someone who had purchased chocolates, made for a Food Technology project, from a local café”.
"In making this link you build up a huge resource that opens up. Meal Innovations is keen for this link to be successful, so it's great to know that if I don't work with them one year, I could still use them another”.
