Focus Areas
At present we have four focus areas for our mahi
1. Research and information-sharing
We keep up to date with research in relevant fields and help to disseminate it, as well as giving ideas for how scientific research can be translated into practice.
2. Establishing best-practice and giving inspiration
We work to help set the standard for what makes best-practice outdoor spaces, providing flexible ideas and inspiration that can be adapted to the needs of each school or community.
3. Changing policy and practice
We work with government officials, iwi and hapū to advocate for policies and practices that maximise the potential of outdoor spaces in the lives of our kids and communities.
4. Sourcing Funding
We work to improve awareness amongst funders of the potential of outdoor spaces in improving hauora in our young people and communities.
Project Support
We also plan to provide intensive project support to specific schools and communities to apply the Te Puna Taiao kauapa in the way that best suits them. We have provided this support to Allandale School in Whakatāne, and aim to support a bigger pilot of the kaupapa in the near future.
In this role we will have three areas of focus:
1. Re-imagining spaces
We will support schools and communities to rethink what their spaces might look like and how they could better contribute to their objectives and aspirations.
2. Transforming spaces
We will provide practical support to schools and communities about the process for transforming their spaces, including things like the how to go about design, how to secure funding, and what to think about with implementation.
3. Better using spaces
We will provide professional development to educators to help them to think about how to better use their outdoors spaces for play and learning, with a focus on realising the potential of the holistic child, as both an individual and as a member of a whānau and wider community.
WHAKATAUKI