After 5 years supporting the incubation and growth of New Horizons BAF has helped found a dedicated New Horizons Aotearoa Trust who, under the leadership of founder Kere Ell and Chair Emily Butler, will be taking on the New Horizons programme.
This programme has now completed five years and has seen growth year on year with 2019 seeing programmes completed at Devon Intermediate School, Manukorihi School, Coastal Taranaki School, Spotswood College and Te Pi’ipi’inga Kākano Mai I Rangiatea supporting over 100 rangatahi / young people. Working with DOC and the Taranaki Mounga Project, rangatahi built pest eradication traps, who then had the opportunity to place them at the Blue Rata Reserve, seeing first-hand the impact their work will have on the predator numbers in the National Park.
New Horizons Aotearoa sees years 7-10 students work with mentors on groups building projects. The idea was founded by Kere Ell who actively manages the kaupapa of the programme and BAF has been the programme manager connecting the various organisations involved, overseeing the mentors, managing the programme logistics and working with the schools involved.
Mentors are an integral part of the programme and include local business / trades people, as well as anyone who has a passion working with youth. All mentors have been through the police vetting process.
The programme fosters positive relationship building with mentors while being encouraged to be open to vocational career pathways and helps students to be ready to connect with existing initiatives at high school.
Participating students achieved the following outcomes during 2018:
- Helped to build pest eradication traps to protect their natural environment
- Learned practical building / construction skills;
- Developed a sense of responsibility and trust.
Current supporters of this programme include Red Cross, Taranaki Mounga Project, New Plymouth ITM Building Supplies and ICT Gateway. We gratefully acknowledge these businesses for their support. We also gratefully acknowledge the TSB Community Trust for providing funding for the programme.
The programme’s Facebook page at New Horizons Aotearoa provides further information and pictures or visit www.newhorizonsaotearoa.nz