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December 2023 Update
Published on February 19, 2024 by Te Waiora Wanoa-Sundgren

 1. Ngā Kaupapa Whakanui - Celebrating 

 
Te Pihipihinga Kakano Mai I Rangiatea Partnership

Our partnership with kura (school) Te Pihipihinga Kakano Mai i Rangiatea (TPKMIR) continues to flourish through the We Share Solar programme and here are some highlights from the pilot:

  • 83% of the tauira (students) are loving the climate change kōrero (discussions).


  • 50% of these bright minds are already eyeing careers in climate change or renewable energy—a testament to our future leaders!


  • Tauira (students) are hungry for more hands-on learning, applying their knowledge in real-life scenarios.
    •  
  • Excitingly, some are passionate about electrical and engineering innovations and have been sharing this with their whānau (family). 

    • Our Kaituitui (Project Coordinator) Te Waiora, who is a former tauira (student), has played a pivotal role in fostering a strong partnership with the kura. Additionally, we've embraced a tuakana teina (intergenerational learning) approach, involving "Raukura" ex-kura tauira (ex-students) in programme delivery and will be engaging tuakana (current students) in the redesign of the solar suitcase into a Te Ao Māori context.

    We can’t wait to share the re-design of the suitcase assembly manual into Te Reo Māori as we are pretty proud of it- stay tuned.

    Heartfelt thanks, in particular, to the US We Share Solar team and the Toi Foundation for their unwavering support and invaluable resources for this initiative. Check out the great impact story from the Toi Foundation. 

    Planning is well underway for expanding the We Share Solar kauapapa (programme) across the Taranaki Region next year. Keep an eye out for updates!

    Here's what Te Pi’ipi’inga Kakano Mai Rangiātea Principal, Moana Kake-Tuffley had to say in our impact story:

    “Ko te wawata mō tēnei kaupapa te whakatō ai mai te kōhanga reo, ki te wharekura ki te whare wānanga, ā tōna wā ka whai oranga i roto i tēnei momo mahi hei kaitiaki mō te taiao. Kaore he wahi tū atu i kōnei mo tēnei akoranga. E tino hikaka au ki tēnei kaupapa”.     

    “My aspirations for this kaupapa is to embed these learnings from kōhanga reo to high school, to university and create a career pathway for our tamariki in this sector. There’s no better place than kura kaupapa to implement this programme. I am very excited for our tamariki and whānau.” 


    Click here for the impact story.

     Kapa Haka Nationals 

    Recently, two of our partner kura showcased their incredible talent at Te Mana Kuratahi, the Primary Kapa Haka Nationals! A massive mihi (congratulations) to these talented tamariki for their phenomenal performances!

    We would also like to extend a heartfelt thank you to everyone who generously donated! Your support means a lot to these young performers, contributing to their growth and success. 

    Rangimarie Parata Takurua, Chair of Te Pā o Rākaihautū, shared her insights: "Kapa Haka is such a big part of what we do at Te Pā, not only because it restores some of our knowledge and traditions but is the perfect vehicle for building confidence, discipline, pride, teamwork, hard work and all those things that transfer into the classroom and more importantly, their lives in so many positive ways.”

    👀 Click the links below to watch their performances:

     

    2023 Kea World Class New Zealand Award

    You might have spotted that our incredible Chair, Joanne McEachen (Waitaha, Ngāti Māmoe, and Ngāi Tahu), was awarded the prestigious Kea World Class New Zealand Award for 2023! 🏆🌏

    Jojo's relentless commitment and exceptional leadership in education have earned her this outstanding recognition. Her drive to empower students, educators, and communities in Aotearoa and beyond is truly awe-inspiring. Poho kērerū ana te whānau ō Kia Kotahi Ako i ā koe Jojo! Congratulations, Jojo! We couldn't be prouder of your incredible achievements. 

     

    2. Ngā Akonga - Learning


    We've been really enjoying the Systems Change Series from our friends at Leadership Lab, especially using different indigenous frameworks to inform our mahi (work).

    These three webinars are definitely worth a watch! 

    3. Ko Ngā Pātai - Asking


    Upcoming Event Alert

    We're eagerly planning our solar suitcase re-design event in Taranaki in March 2024. 

    The aim is to reduce the cost of the solar suitcase and evolve the curriculum alongside industry partners, tauira (students), and Hal Aronson (the original designer of the solar suitcase) who is visiting from America. 

    Reach out if you'd like to learn more or be a part of this exciting endeavor. We are looking for sponsors, technical advisors and champions!