Students were encouraged to get out of their comfort zones through the Wayfinding for Life programme.

Earlier in the term, 48 of our Māori and Pasifika students engaged in the Wayfinding for Life programme at the college. 

Wayfinding for Life is a resilience and life skills strategy programme targeted at our Māori and Pasifika rangatahi that puts students in charge. The programme has been designed using ancestral navigational wayfinding, with the day involving culture, music, dance, artistry, and theatre. Through these mediums, students learn how to navigate the ups and downs of life and are given the tools to understand that choice always exists. 

Students were broken into two groups, with two coaching guides who were fully trained and purposely chosen from varying cultures, experiences, and life stages. The programme used exercises that encouraged and supported our young people to come out of their comfort zone - these included presentations, sharing and working openly in groups. This helped our young people understand the power of honesty, empathy, and sympathy, resulting in them understanding what others may be going through as well as recognising their own emotions and anxieties.

It was great to connect with students after the workshop to understand what came up for them and discuss opportunities for students to connect with their culture and others at school.