Creating Change

The holistic, long-term Enviroschools journey creates fertile ground for a range of learning and action.

When tamariki/ students connect with their place and its people, and then plan, design and take action, they are creating change.

Through this empowering experience, they will become life-long change-makers.  The collective exploration is based in the concept of ako, where all participants are simultaneously learners and teachers, and everybody learns from each other.  It is a process of co-creation between people and all of the elements and energies around us. Caring for our place and the whole planet becomes a living curriculum where skills and competencies are gained through experience and mahi within meaningful community settings.

In the following stories you can see how Enviroschools participants are learning with their heads, hands and hearts – connecting with nature, exploring indigenous wisdoms, forming relationships with tangata whenua, collaborating with people in their diverse communities, and finding out about their own qualities and passions.  Learning and action in Enviroschools does not just have environmental outcomes but social, cultural and economic benefits too.

New Shoots Pakuranga - Growing a sustainable community

Shifting mulch seemed insurmountable until a group of young people came to the help of New Shoots Pakuranga. The now transformed community garden is just one element of their environment that supports children to become connected with their place, their people and their kai. This...

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Dotterel dilemma overcome by student advocacy and action

Anne Zhang has been a genuine activist and leader for the protection of northern dotterel/ tūturiwhatu for a number of years at Saint Kentigern College and now in the wider community. She, Sara and Maddy and their school dotterel society members do a great job...

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Waharoa celebrates cultures and values at Clayton Park Kindergarten

In the corner of the playground at Clayton Park Kindergarten in Tāmaki Makaurau an aging structure needed some love and attention. Through a process of working with tamariki and whānau, with advice from the local hapū and an artist, a beautiful waharoa emerged that celebrates...

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Growing a great community at Glenfield

Glenfield Kindergarten is an engaged Green-Gold Enviroschools Kindergarten in Tāmaki Makaurau. They have developed many strong relationships within their local community, and these have helped grow one project they are proud of, their Garden Project.

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Empowered Tangata - Celebrating our Facilitators

This is a series of articles under one story where we celebrate the knowledge and skills, attitudes and values and energy that our Enviroschools facilitators bring to the community. We will continue to add to this as we "capture" their profiles. Tēnā rawa atu koutou....

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