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
Here's how we asked you to participate
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.