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< Back Check & Connect Youth Week Games & Kai Anglican Trust For Women and Children & Family Works Northern Target Age: 13-17 Address: When: 18 May 2026 11:00 am tanial@atwc.org.nz PRIVATE EVENT We are holding our event at 6 schools we are based in across the whole week. Monday: Te Haikura a kiwa: Activities/Talanoa & Kai Tuesday: Kelston Girls College: Paint & Sip & Kai Wednesday: Tamaki College: Activities/Talanoa & Kai Thursday: Papatoetoe High School: Activities/Talanoa & Kai Friday: Manurewa High School & Sir Edmund Hillary College: Activities/Talanoa & Kai Previous Next

< Back Ball 4 Hauora Health & Sport Te Tohu O Te Ora O Ngati Awa Target Age: 13-18 Address: 100 College Road, Edgecumbe 3120, New Zealand When: 20 May 2026 12:00 pm jason.newton@nash.org.nz Ball 4 Hauora is a youth‑led Youth Week event at Rangitaiki College using basketball engagement to promote rangatahi wellbeing, connection, and youth leadership in a safe, inclusive environment. Previous Next

Cimone Grayson Kaiwhakahaere Ngā Kaihoe Kia ora! I whanau mai ahau i te Whanganui a Tara No Wairoa ahau Ko Ngāti Kahungunu ki Wairoa, Rongowhakaata, Ruapani, Tūhoe me Ngāti Porou ōku iwi Ko Grayson tōku whānau Ko Cimone tōku ingoa. I stumbled upon Community-Led Development work some years ago (with a focus on youth) and it’s the most purposeful mahi that I’ve ever done. Our whānau is top of the tree in all that we do, our kids enjoy a free range existence in Wairarapa, exploring rivers, parks and independence. Get in touch to discuss All things Ngā Kaihoe and supporting your Māori kaimahi Contact cimone.grayson@arataiohi.org.nz

Lucy Smith Intern She/Her After years of working alongside youth workers and being introduced to the sector through leadership and development opportunities, I started studying towards my bachelor of youth development degree. I am a huge advocate for youth voice and the change that young people can make in our world! Get in touch to discuss Youth Week lucy.smith@arataiohi.org.nz

Youth Week Aotearoa is a better place because of young people! Youth Week is a nationwide campaign, running from 18th - 24th May 2026, that celebrates this! It brings us all together to recognise the value, awesomeness, and impact of rangatahi, and to champion a society that supports young people to thrive. Events Calendar Promotion Resources Celebrating Rangatahi Youth Week is all about celebrating everything that young people contribute to Aotearoa - just by being themselves. Too often, the amazing things young people bring to our communities go unnoticed - Youth Week aims to change that! Youth Week is for everyone. It’s about noticing and valuing the ways young people shape our hapori and world around us. Joining in the celebration means honouring the mana and energy they bring to the world. This year, our focus is all about making sure youth voices are heard. ‘Our Voices Matter, We Deserve to Be Heard’ is a chance for rangatahi to share themselves in the ways that feel right to them - through kōrero, creativity, culture, leadership, and everyday actions. We cannot wait to see how you all interpret the theme! YOUTH - LED EVENTS All things events! Check out our events calendar! Read More YOUTH WEEK, YOUR WAY Youth Week resources for rangatahi View More STANDING WITH RANGATAHI Celebrate the young people in your life View More Why celebrate? One in six kiwis are aged between 12-24 - they are our emerging workforce, creators, innovators and leaders Our Youth Week Image This year's amazing image has been designed by Sao May Nguyen, a young multidisciplinary designer and content creator from Vietnam, now based in Auckland. For this year's image, she drew inspiration from a blend of modern design and pop art to reflect how young people express themselves in today’s world: bold, creative, and full of energy! More details The Whakapapa of Youth Week Youth Week began in 1995 with a handful of events scattered throughout Canada. Since then it has gathered momentum and is now celebrated each year in countries all around the world. Aotearoa New Zealand first marked Youth Week in the late 1990s, with NZAAHD weaving the first festivals and later entrusting it’s celebrations to Ara Taiohi in 2010. More details Revolution : Youth Week Waiata A group of emerging artists from Te Karanga Trust have written, performed and produced a powerful new waiata, Revolution , to mark Youth Week 2026. Listen, add it to your playlists, and play it at all your Youth Week events! Listen and Learn More

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.

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.

Kaiparahuarahi - Understanding identities through intersectionality Download Kaiparahuarahi - Whai Wāhitanga: Rediscovering the Future of Youth Partipation Download Kaiparahuarahi - COVID Download Kaiparahuarahi - Trailblazers Download Kaiparahuarahi - The Stars that Guide Us (INVOLVE 2023) Download Kaiparahuarahi - Defining Youth Work Download Kaiparahuarahi - Mana Taiohi Download

Code of Ethics Download

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!

Supervision Supervision in our sector is less about oversight more about a relationship, ideally external to your organisation, that asks the question: how super is your vision or how well do you see the work you do? The supervision relationship parallels the relationship we have with young people. Supervision provides youth workers with a safe place to reflect on professional development, personal support, organisational and practice issues, and to seek opportunities to increase effectiveness, safety and accountability within their practice. The Code of Ethics requires that youth workers actively participate in regular supervision. Find a supervisor to work with Join our supervisor database Meet some of our supervisors Supervision gives youth workers a safe space to reflect, grow their practice, and get the support they need to do their best work with young people. Maybe some of our supervisors who are also members of Korowai Tupu, the professional association for youth workers. Tayla Taylor Tayla Taylor (she/her) is a passionate youth development advocate, Korowai Tupu Member and trainer in Mana Taiohi and Code of Ethics. Recently qualified in professional supervision, Tayla is excited to support youth workers through reflective, strengths-based supervision that upholds ethical, safe, and competent practice. Qualifications : Bachelor of Social Work Post-Graduate Certificate in Professional Supervision Sarah Finlay Robinson Ko Sarah Finlay-Robinson ahau. Kei Tāmaki Makaurau e noho ana. I care deeply about youth workers and the vital role you play in helping taiohi thrive. For the past seven years, I’ve been offering external professional supervision. I offer supervision that is strengths-based, reflective, and relational. Qualifications: Level 5 Certificate in Supervision Te Ara Reo Māori (Levels 1 & 2) Level 5 Certificate in Adult Teaching & Learning Master of Health Science Postgraduate Diploma in Development Studies Bachelor of Arts Supervision Scrapbook The Scrapbook provides practical information and exercises to help anyone working with young people strengthen their supervision practice. Buy the book

Code of Ethics The Code of Ethics provides an agreed set of guidelines for Youth Work in Aotearoa to ensure that youth work is carried out in a safe, skilled, ethical manner. The Code of Ethics for Youth Work in Aotearoa New Zealand is designed for youth workers but is relevant to all individuals working with young people and provides guidance to keep workers and the young people they work with safe. Download Code of Ethics Buy Code of Ethics Book Purpose of the Code of Ethics Ethics are principles that are based in values. These ethics guide our behaviour. GUIDELINES AND ACCOUNTABILITY: This Code of Ethics provides an agreed set of guidelines for Youth Work in Aotearoa, to ensure that Youth Work is carried out in a safe, skilled, ethical manner. It is one of the ways youth workers hold one another accountable for our practice, and in doing so protects the credibility of Youth Work. FRAMEWORK: The Code of Ethics also provides youth workers with a frame of reference from which to develop ethical awareness, to create discussion and debate of ethical issues, and to implement good and ethical practice for both youth workers and young people. POWER AND PRIVILEGE: The Youth Work relationship is both a privileged relationship and a power relationship. While we try to minimise the power imbalance, we must acknowledge it. This is what makes ethics central to Youth Work. PROFESSIONAL IDENTITY: The Code of Ethics supports the identity of Youth Work. Many professions have Codes of Ethics. While some ethical standards will be consistent across these, the uniqueness of a profession must be encapsulated in its code of ethics if this is to truly guide behaviour. Notes In publishing the Code of Ethics, we acknowledge that this is a living document and will be reviewed regularly. This document is one aspect of developing and offering ethical practice, and should be used in conjunction with supervision, specific training and development, and an awareness of changes in our practice and wider society. The Code of Ethics is intended to be consistent with the responsibilities of Tāngata Whenua and Tāngata Tiriti, agreed to in Te Tiriti o Waitangi. Ara Taiohi encourages youth workers, and those working with young people in diverse settings, to critically reflect on this version of the Code, offer feedback and continue to make suggestions for change at any time.