Taieri MP Ingrid Leary said the leadership retreat gave five teenagers from the Corstorphine Hub and five from the Dunedin Multicultural Council the opportunity to participate in Festival for the Future, a two-day leadership retreat involving young people from all over the country, to share ideas, create networks and help shape the future of the country.
"It’s an incredible positive, uplifting, inspiring conference run by young people, for young people.
"I wanted to ensure young people from the South get to participate, especially those who see life from a different angle to the mainstream."
Ms Leary said the retreat included visits to the National Library, Te Papa and Parliament.
"I figured, if they were coming all the way to Wellington, they might as well also visit iconic institutions including Parliament so they can see pathways to change and influence and meet a diverse range of MPs so they can see people like them in political leadership."
The young leaders had been selected for displaying leadership in their communities and expressing a commitment to making a difference.
Corstorphine Community Hub volunteer Vasilis Jouanides (17) said the retreat would be a way to learn new things to pass on to the community, who were like family to him.
Chinese immigrant Amelia Zhang (17) said the travel experience would help her achieve her dream of becoming a social entrepreneur.
"It’s a chance to open up my network and to challenge myself to see and understand a different perspective and learn how to work with all types of people."
