Over the next four months, Ngā Mātāpuna o Ngā Pākihi Kāhui Ako will undertake an innovative consultation process with their community to co-design a desired future for the journey of learning that young people experience from birth to 18.
The upcoming consultation and engagement process will engage all stakeholders in the community to participate in creating this desired future for our learners.
A Kāhui Ako, also known as a community of learning, is a network of education providers who have agreed to work together to create stronger alignment and greater commitment to the learner achievement challenges they face within their own community.
Throughout New Zealand there are 221 communities of learning, with three in the Selwyn District.
Ngā Matapuna o Ngā Pākihi Kāhui Ako comprises of one secondary school – Lincoln High School, seven primary schools – Broadfield, Springston, Tai Tapu, Ladbrooks, Prebbleton, Lincoln, Ararira Springs and 15 early learning centres.
Together, these providers are currently responsible for just over 5000 young minds that will one day graduate into our communities.
Looking to the future and considering ‘what if’ helps create short- and long-term strategies that are more resilient to change and uncertainty.
It helps to explore the ‘what ifs’ and to solve the problems of tomorrow, today.
Currently, a team of 30 students are being mentored to begin this engagement process which will include a range of activities to target the many different stakeholders who contribute to the learning journey of our young people.
Students, staff, parents, business owners, community groups, leaders, public and local iwi will all get an opportunity to contribute to this unique vision-setting process which will be a New Zealand first in terms of long-term strategy creation for a Kāhui Ako context.
Having a shared desired future allows everyone to know the direction they are going and how they can contribute or participate.
The goal of this approach to strategy creation is to connect the community together for the 2040 learner, so everyone can work together to direct resources to overcome whatever future achievement challenges our community could have.
Keep an eye out at the Lincoln Christmas Parade, outside shops, in your school newsletters, at school and community events, and on community social media pages to see how you can be a part of creating a thriving network to support our incredible young people.
An online engagement hub will also be accessible and shared on local community social media pages so everybody can track the journey and contribute.
