Otago Girls’ High School guidance counsellor Kirsten Taylor has been awarded the Alliance of Girls' Schools Australasia Fellowship to fund the Whaiora Project: culturally appropriate interventions for at-risk high school girls.
The $10,800 annual fellowship supports outstanding educators from member schools to investigate topics or issues related to girls’ education.
Ms Taylor said the Whaiora Project had been developed for use with Otago Girls’ High School pupils, and was part of the school’s wider suicide prevention strategy to reach at-risk Maori/Pasifika pupils in a culturally appropriate way.
Ms Taylor will lead the project, supported by kaitiakitanga adviser and cultural practices guide Jolie Davis.
She said the ‘‘qualitative’’ study would entail 12 ‘‘at-risk’’ pupils taking part in a series of practical group therapeutic days, led by cultural experts Manawa Ora, in a marae-based setting.
‘‘The beauty of this project is that it also involves the families of the girls, who will be invited to participate in a workshop independently, in order to ensure that the benefits of the work that is done are shared within the communities that the girls come from.
‘‘The hope is that we will be able to show that a group-based approach that is grounded in authentic cultural practice allows students to safely explore their trauma, and through that process become increasingly whole and empowered.’’
Ms Taylor said the project had the potential to significantly reduce the need for school pastoral teams to work in a ‘‘reactive’’ capacity.
