Nau Mai, Haere Mai!

Nau Mai, Haere Mai! Welcome to this blog. Here we will share announcements and progress of The Tairāwhiti Cluster of schools supported by The Manaiakalani Trust and The Connext Trust.

What is The Tairāwhiti Cluster? In 2018, 12 schools in the Gisborne region joined together to engage in The Manaiakalanai Programme Outreach. The Manaiakalani Programme Outreach is an opportunity for communities to partner with The Manaiakalani Trust to embracing a Learn Create Share pedagogy, shared digital infrastructures and affordances. Including;

• Professional learning facilitation
• Regional programme coordination
• Device procurement systems
• Independent research analysis
• Access to curated resources
• Supported knowledge sharing across all Manaiakalani Outreach schools. 

Photo by Connext Trust.
Learn-Create-Share in action at Makauri School with Facilitator, Cheryl Torrie.

How did we get involved here in Te Tairāwhiti? In 2018, The HB Williams Family Charitable Trusts’ invited The Manaiakalani Programme Outreach to present this opportunity to our schools. The trust announced that they would contribute $1.2 million towards the delivery of the Manaiakalani Outreach Programme in East Coast/Gisborne/Wairoa. Expressing that “strategically supporting schools, teachers, learners and their whānau through a collaborative, evidence-based model with a focus on empowering young people” is central to this decision. Read more in this public statement by JN Williams Memorial Trust and HB Williams Turanga Trust: Manaiakalani Outreach Programme, 1 May 2018.

Which of our schools are connected with this opportunity? The initial year of the programme saw 12 schools engage as early adopters. See The Tairāwhiti Cluster Site for a list of those schools currently involved. The Manaiakalani Programme Outreach is supported by three locally based facilitators; Maria Krausse, Cheryl Torrie and Renee Raroa. Check out their introduction blogs here soon. In 2019, three more outstanding educators will join the facilitation team! Watch this space for announcements.

So, how can I be included? In 2019, all schools and kura from Pōtaka to Wairoa are invited to express an interest in partnering with The Manaiaklani Programme Outreach. Please get in touch with Renee at renee.raroa@core-ed.ac.nz for more information. If you are at a school outside of those currently partnering or are a community member interested in upskilling your digital fluency, you are welcome to join in on professional learning opportunities, sign up at bit.ly/ManaiakalaniToolkits.

Manaiakalani is a nationwide learning community for effective teaching and accelerated learning of students, teachers and whānau through creative sharing in a global digital world.  Check out www.manaiakalani.org for more information.