< Back Ngā Tākaro Maia Cultural Waihora Kī o Rahi Target Age: 12-24 Address: 25 Boundary Road, Lincoln 7608, New Zealand When: 24 May 2026 9:00 pm https://forms.gle/9rtzNNeS6Qs3boABA waihorakīorahi@gmail.com Ngā Tākaro Maia is a social kī o rahi competition with the goal to introduce youth across Canterbury to a taonga tākaro Māori. Previous Next

This online library is full of helpful resources including programme planning and group activity ideas. Resources For Youth Workers This online library is full of helpful resources including programme planning and group activity ideas to guidance on capturing youth voice, and more. Resources are listed under each heading. Have a resource that has helped you as a youth worker but don't see it here? Get in touch - we would love to include it. Supervision and Support Healthy youth workers are those who are supported to navigate the diverse challenges of their role. Supervision is a great place to start. EXPLORE OUR SUPERVISOR DATABASE Programme Planning and Facilitation Planning a weekly youth programme or looking for new icebreakers to use at your next workshop? Here are some online resources we have found helpful. - Access 100s of icebreaker, team building, and group activity ideas on Playmeo One of the best things about Playmeo is that you can search by activity type and group size to make your life easier. (Note that there is a paid version but plenty of the activity descriptions are free) - St John Youth have compiled some fantastic icebreakers. - More icebreakers and team activities from Erin Walton Youth Voice and Engagement Whai Wāhitanga is one of our Mana Taiohi principles and but while authentic youth engagement is extremely important, it can sometimes be hard to know where to start. - The Ministry of Youth Development has extensive resources, tools, and reports on how to engage youth voices. - The USA- based ACT for Youth website has some great research and tools for meaningful youth engagement that can be relevant to New Zealand youth workers. Get Qualified There are different pathways to becoming a qualified youth worker here and developing your career in youth development here in Aotearoa. Check out these courses and certifications. Trainings Click here to find out about our upcoming Code of Ethics and Mana Taiohi trainings. Resources to awhina young people Click here to access helpful resources for your young people including crisis helplines. Shop Resources Click here to view our youth development resources including our publication and MOSAIC cards.

< Back Lulu Cooper I have over 20 years’ experience across the education, health, and social services sectors. My work has included supporting children with special needs in primary schools, delivering puberty and adolescence education programmes in intermediate and secondary schools, nursing in Australia and New Zealand, supporting whānau through health and social services, and holding leadership and administrative roles. I have also managed an iwi provider with more than 15 contracts, led a maternity education centre, and currently work alongside a range of government, social, and educational services with whānau affected by family violence. I also love spending time with my mokopuna, whānau and friends. Gardening, painting, reading and fishing are my main hobbies. My Approach I am passionate about connecting with people from diverse backgrounds. I take time to listen to your story, understand your journey, and support you to grow toward your goals. Empowerment is central to my approach. I use active listening, thoughtful questions, and open communication to build genuine connections and encourage meaningful dialogue. By focusing on the needs and aspirations of others, I aim to make a positive difference in their personal and professional development. I am available to provide online supervision throughout Aotearoa or face to face within the Waikato and Bay of Plenty area. Qualifications Certificate in community and Social Work - 1998 Enrolled nursing. - 1987 Training: Turanga Māori Cook Islands Family Violence Framework - 2024 Te Ngaru Learning Systems - (AoD/Mental Health) - 1999 Samoan Conceptual Framework - 2024 Supervision skills for the Health and Social Service professionals - 2024 Understanding prison violence in Aotearoa - 2023 Trauma informed care - 2023 Methamphetamine use - 2023 Mauri Ora; The metrics of flourishing, Mason Durie - 2021 Life keepers national suicide prevention - 2020 Internal auditor - 2003 Leadership and management - 2001 Māori models of mental health - 2001 Profesional Association Connect with the Supervisor Directly CoopsLu712@hotmail.com Previous Next

Korowai Tupu Whakapapa Our History Korowai Tupu was established after years of effort to recognize and promote the mana of Youth Work and youth workers. The Pathways to Professionalisation (P2P) Working Group was set up in 2012 to explore professionalizing youth work. Extensive engagement with over 600 youth workers led to the launch of Korowai Tupu. "It’s our love of young people that drew us all into this mahi. Being involved with people when they are young grows strong communities and strong citizens." Youth Work in Aotearoa Youth work in Aotearoa has a rich history, reaching beyond European settlement. Two documents that explore this context are The Ethical Practice in Traditions of Youth Development in Aotearoa, an article found on Page 10 f the Code of Ethics and Ara Taiohi’s History of Youth Work Professionalisation. The following pieces of work explored the best model for a professional association for Aotearoa and the state of the Youth Work sector in the nation: - The P2P Phase 1 Report researched existing local and international models to help define the best model for a professional association. - The P2P Youth Work Workforce Research Report summarised the size and make-up of the Youth Work sector (work experience, qualifications, paid/unpaid, full-time/part-time) - Stepping Stone is a report on the Youth Work cohort of its wider 2014 National Youth Sector Survey, which compared results against the 2006 NYWNA Real Work Report . The results of these reports, along with an extensive engagement process with youth workers across Aotearoa created the foundations for the establishment of Korowai Tupu. Naming of Korowai Tupu Our full name is Korowai Tupu o Ara Taiohi: Te Tōpūtanga o Ngā Kaimahi Whanaketanga . This translates to Korowai Tupu o Ara Taiohi: The Professional Association of Youth Workers in Aotearoa. The conceptual meaning behind our name is a cloak of growth. The key words translated here are: Korowai: Cloak (connects to Ara Taiohi whatu raranga or strategic framework) Tupu: (noun) growth, development, seedling; (verb) prosper, originate, increase; (modifier) real, genuine, ancestral Kaimahi: Worker Topūtanga: Association, collective, grouping, organisation Whanaketanga: Youth development Aotearoa: Used when working internationally Using Starfish focus groups and an online survey, we gathered thirty-six suggestions for the name and values that the name would need to embody. A subgroup of representatives from the Pathways to Professionalisation group and Ngā Kaihoe met to work through the list. Through this process, many of the suggestions were woven together into one. The suggested name then went through a process with our Kaihautu and our Māori founding members for their input. Our Process

< Back YouthFest 2026! Music & Dance Youth Voices Action (YVA) Target Age: 12-24 Address: When: 17 May 2026 12:30 am https://www.eventbrite.co.nz/e/youthfest-2026-tickets-1982397664780?aff=ebdssbdestsearch erika@youthvoicesaction.org.nz Now in its third year, YouthFest opens at 12:30pm - 4pm, where eight of the region’s most exciting emerging acts will perform live, showcasing rangatahi talent across Tauranga and the Western Bay. We’re excited to announce this year’s lineup on the main stage will be: • Cybele Chapman • Stella Riley • Greenroom • ELEMENTS • Mil0 • Maria Medeiros • Pugmen • Technical Difficulties Designed by young people, for young people, the event doubles as a vibrant community hub where rangatahi can connect with local organisations, discover opportunities, and explore what’s possible for their future - all in a relaxed, festival-style setting. In addition to music performances on the main stage you can also expect: • Food trucks and festival vibes • Photo booth and face painting • Roaming Performers • Interactive stalls and over 20+ community organisations • Opportunities to connect with clubs, services, and activity providers directly With competitions being run in on social media, at th event and inside the sports zone with Whai Basketball, Urban Fitness, and other exciting activations onsite. Previous Next

< Back The Wall That Speaks Amplifying Rangatahi Voices Art Methodist Mission Southern Target Age: 16-19 Address: When: 22 May 2026 julier@mmsouth.org.nz PRIVATE EVENT Ōtepoti Youth Transition House residents (age 16-19yrs) will create “The Wall That Speaks: Amplifying Rangatahi Voices”, a creative project combining a collaborative Art Wall and a karaoke celebration. The Art Wall will display rangatahi artwork reflecting their experiences, hopes, and identities, centered on the theme “Taringa whakarongo! Ki te reo o ngātaiohi – Our voices matter!” The project will culminate in an exhibition wherewhānau, peers, and supporters can view the work and attend the karaoke session, allowing rangatahi to express their voices through art and music. Previous Next

< Back Liesl Niania-Sharples Tēnā koutou e rau rangatira mā. I proudly whakapapa to Ngāti Kahungunu located in Takapau, Central Hawkes Bay. I currently live in Waitākere, Tāmaki Makaurau. I’m a proud māmā of two adult children and Nana to one beautiful mokopuna. My professional journey spans a diverse range of roles, including health promotion, youth mentoring and advocacy, managing youth residential homes and working as a therapist in the field of family therapy. Currently, I contract as a one-to-one counsellor, lecture part-time at AUT, and provide kaitiakitanga bi-cultural professional supervision. My Approach My supervision experience has been in providing clinical and cultural support to students, youth/community workers, counsellors and social workers from a range of different agencies. In a supervision setting I sit alongside a kaimahi within the context of a reciprocal relationship in that we both bring our own wisdom and that we both have something to learn from meeting together. My supervision style is relational, grounded in a mixture of Māori values and models and non-Māori therapeutic teachings. I have a strength-based approach that is respectful, hopeful, fun and solution focused. My intention is to support kaimahi on a journey of self-compassion, self-analysis and reflection that will strengthen practice and in turn add value to your mahi with tamariki, rangatahi & whānau. Qualifications Kaitīakitanga, Post Grad Diploma in Bicultural Professional Supervision, Te Wānanga o Aotearoa Te WhiuWhiu o te Hau, Diploma in Māori Counselling and National Diploma in Social Services, Wintec BA Degree (Māori/History) The University of Auckland Profesional Association NZ Association of Counsellors Connect with the Supervisor Directly lieslani77@gmail.com Previous Next

Information for Funders Why fund organisations committed to a positive youth development approach? Positive youth development is grounded in academic research and the experiences of grassroots organisations, and research suggests that it is more successful than approaches that focus solely on young people’s deficits. Although there is recognition that young people face challenges and that risks need to be mitigated, the emphasis in positive youth development is on young people’s strengths and capacities, with a focus on thriving. When a positive youth development approach is added to other youth interventions, it has been shown that young people’s engagement increases and positive results are more likely. Here's a snapshot of some of our key activities last year: Mahi Tūturu This landmark research brings together the voices of 560 youth workers and managers from across the motu, painting a powerful picture of the realities, challenges, and hopes shaping our sector today. Grounded in tikanga and driven by collaboration between Ara Taiohi and AUT, Mahi Tūturu offers fresh insights to guide the future of Youth Work — and celebrates the mana of those who make it happen every day. Dive in to see where we’ve come from, and where we’re heading next. Mahi Tūturu Report Partnering with Ara Taiohi As the peak body for youth development, Ara Taiohi leads the strategic, systemic work that furthers the practice and effectiveness of the youth sector. If you are a funder that has a focus on... systems change workforce development futures thinking capacity and capability advocacy then we'd love to chat to you about any potential partnerships or opportunities to work together. Youth Week Are you interested in partnering with us to grow youth-led funding through Youth Week - empowering young people to design, lead, and deliver initiatives that make a real difference in their communities? By investing in this kaupapa, you’re helping to amplify youth voices, strengthen local leadership, and create lasting opportunities for rangatahi to shape the future they want to see. Work with us First Name Last Name Email Message Send Thanks for submitting!

< Back She Climbs Youth-Led Community Bouldering Day Health & Sport Northern Rocks Target Age: 12-18 Address: Unit 17/101-111 Diana Drive, Wairau Valley, Auckland 0627, New Zealand When: 23 May 2026 1:00 am https://northernrocks.gymmasteronline.com/portal/book/class/824423 info@northernrocks.co.nz Girls & Women - all ages welcome! The She Climbs Youth-Led Community Bouldering Day is an indoor climbing event created and delivered by rangatahi who participate in the weekly She Climbs programme at Northern Rocks. For new and beginner climbers, She Climbs leaders will be leading this bouldering session for girls & women. They will put into practice what they have learned through the She Climbs bouldering program, and teach participants climbing techniques and games. This session is free for participants thanks to Sport NZ and will support our youth in youth week - leading, connecting, building confidence, and sharing the love of climbing. Bring your friends, your sisters, your mum - book today to save your space! Session times: 1pm - 5pm Coaching times: 1pm- 3pm followed by free climbing time + a full day pass and climbing shoe hire Previous Next

< Back Play Your Way: Your Game, Your Rules Health & Sport Inclusive Activity Murihiku Target Age: 12-23 Address: 77 Tay Street, Invercargill 9810, New Zealand When: 19 May 2026 4:30 am admin@inclusiveactivity.org.nz A fun, inclusive sports event where rangatahi can get active their way—choosing how they play, adapting the rules, and trying new games in a safe, supportive environment. Play Your Way: Your Game, Your Rules is all about freedom, creativity, and making sport accessible for everyone. Previous Next

Who We Are Ara Taiohi is the peak body for youth development in Aotearoa. We are a national membership based organisation connected to over 3,700 individuals and organisations who represent a diverse range of groups and practitioners that work with young people. Our Board Our Board provides strong leadership and strategic guidance, ensuring our work remains impactful and aligned with our mission to support young people. Meet the leaders who support and guide our mahi, ensuring we continue to make a lasting difference. Our Members Members are a core component of our peak body mahi, and help to shape the work Ara Taiohi does for the wider youth development community. Our Team Our team is a passionate group of individuals dedicated to empowering the youth sector and driving meaningful change. Meet the people behind our mahi—each bringing their unique skills, insights, and energy to our mission. Ngā Kaihoe Ngā Kaihoe is the national network of Māori kaimahi. We create space to connect and share youth sector insights and experiences from an indigenous perspective. Funders To play, press and hold the enter key. To stop, release the enter key. When our people share views or opinions on their personal social media, these are their own and don’t necessarily reflect the views of Ara Taiohi. Unless someone clearly says they are speaking on behalf of Ara Taiohi, their posts and comments should be understood as personal views.

Tāhono Helping shape the future of youth work and young people in Aotearoa In November, Aotearoa will have its next General Election. This isn’t just a chance to decide who will govern our country, but to influence the directions they will take. Together, we’ve created two sets of policy directives to take to politicians across the political spectrum before the election. Government decisions shape funding, accountability, and the conditions within which youth work operates in. It's important that the voice of our sector is part of shaping those decisions. We’ve built from the the findings of Mahi Tūturu , and we worked with hundreds of youth workers from across the motu. Collectively, their input shaped what we are taking to MPs, the stories we tell, and the cases we're making. We gathered whakaaro on two main topics The value of youth development We focused on the value of youth development: who we are, why we're needed, and how the government can support an empowered youth development ecosystem where rangatahi thrive. Explore related work Safe practice in youth work We also focused on how the government can support a safe, skilled and sustainable workforce. What should accountability and support look like to ensure young people are safe, and youth workers are well supported? Find out more Here's how we asked you to participate Share your thoughts Share your thoughts and experiences via our online survey. It only takes a couple of minutes to complete. Take the survey We're coming to you We are connecting with as many regions as possible ā-tinana. Check out how close we are coming to you. Meet with us Regional networks We're connecting with regional networks. Ask your local network how they're planning to participate. Find your network Online webinar If you prefer to connect online, join our online webinar on Thursday 28 May, 11-12pm. Register Chat with us directly We are always happy to meet online one-to-one or with groups with those interested in knowing more. Contact us Who we connected with We wanted to hear from people right across the youth development sector. Alongside open ways to participate, we also created dedicated spaces to connect more intentionally with different parts of the sector. Connect with our Practice Lead at tyler.ngatai@arataiohi.org.nz If you are Māori We’re committed to engaging in ways that reflect our responsibilities under Te Tiriti o Waitangi and to ensuring Māori voices help lead and shape this work. This includes connecting ā-tinana with whānau, hapū, and iwi across the motu with support from the Workforce Futures Fund, and working closely with Ngā Kaihoe and the Māori youth development workforce. We’ll also be providing a space for Māori voices to come together and share whakaaro through an online forum for Ngā Kaihoe members. If you have experience with the Care System It’s important that this work reflects the experiences of those connected to the care system. We’ve already engaged through the VOYCE Whakarongo Mai conference, connecting with Kaiwhakamana and care-experienced young people, and we’ll continue to build on these relationships. We’re also working with Oranga Tamariki to connect with youth workers across their network. Alongside this, we’re keen to connect with organisations and youth workers in the community who are supporting young people in care. If you want to know more, please connect with Jane at executive.officer@arataiohi.org.nz We are connecting with as many regions as possible ā-tinana Come find us on the road! If you're wanting more information on exact times and locations, please reach out to Tyler Ngātai at tyler.ngatai@arataiohi.org.nz Te Tai Tokerau Whangarei - Monday 4th May Kaikohe - Tuesday 5th May Kaitaia - Wednesday 6th May Whakatū Whakatū Marae - Monday 11th May Nelson Tasman Youth Workers Network - Tuesday 12th May Tauranga Bay of Plenty Youth Development Trust - Friday 15th May Rotorua Rotorua - Monday 25th May Taranaki New Plymouth - Thursday 18th June Hāwera - Friday 19th June Stay tuned We'll update this webpage as more events get confirmed.