Health and social service Te Hā o Maru will receive the funding over the next three years for the expansion of its innovative Te Pōhā programme.
With an aim to help young people connect with their environment and cultural identity through mahika kai (traditional food gathering), the programme is the first of its kind in the Waitaki district.
Te Hā o Maru chief executive Mani Molloy-Sharplin said the programme was designed by Moeraki’s cultural historians and mahika kai practitioners.
She commended the trust for seeing the tapu of its programme.
Te Pōhā had a 95% attendance rate and 100% of its graduates either transitioned back to mainstream education, entered employment or continued their studies.
Te Hā o Maru was planning on doubling its capacity next year and reaching more youth with school-based teaching.
The three-year funding would support the recruitment of additional kaimahi (employees) that included outdoor specialists, education navigators, and pathways co-ordinators.
It would also enable the programme to extend into intermediate and primary schools throughout the Waitaki region.
"The investment from Otago Community Trust has been pivotal in enabling us to provide such a special kaupapa to our rakatira [leaders] of tomorrow."
The expanded Te Pōhā programme will begin implementation immediately, with recruitment of additional tauira (teachers) and kaimahi under way. — Allied Media
