Empowered students transforming Tawa's ecosystems

KETE came about through the Council’s Community Partnerships Team as a means to help combat distress over climate change amongst rangatahi by giving them a sense of empowerment and engagement, through taking action to care for and restore te taiao (our environment).

Tawa was chosen as a pilot for the KETE programme due to the strong Kāhui Ako (Community of Learning) in the area, the unique eco-system in Tawa and the wider Te Awarua o Porirua harbour catchment, and the passion for the environment amongst local community restoration groups and schools. 

Programme Coodinator Sue Lum has been driving KETE since it began and says it has come a long way since its early days.  

“It’s exciting to see the increasing level of engagement between schools and community! Over the past three years, the KETE programme has experienced significant growth, expanding both in reach and impact within the community. For the Student Leadership Team in the first year, we started with four students from each school selected by teachers; last year 56 rangatahi applied for 48 positions in the team.”

Every school is actively engaged with the programme as witnessed by the variety of ‘backyard’ projects, growing Enviro-groups (which sit outside the KETE Student Leaders Team) and improved habitats within schools. 

Sue comes to work each day driven by her passion for creating positive change within the local community. She is deeply motivated by the opportunity to empower rangatahi, foster inclusivity, and support the growth and development of those involved in the programme. Having a connection to and working alongside mana whenua in caring for te taiao, and supporting their aspirations for Te Kenepuru and Te Awarua o Porirua are fundamental to KETE’s kaupapa from Sue’s perspective. 

“I come from a science teaching background and have been privileged to work in conservation and environmental education. I love to see tamariki and rangatahi light up when they have the opportunity to learn about, engage with and take action for our amazing endemic species and te taiao – for them to see that they are not powerless but can be change makers themselves.” 

Education Partnership Lead Ryan Clark believes that initiatives like these are beneficial to the community, as it gives them a strong sense of connection to the environment. 

"By empowering local youth to engage directly with their environment, we not only nurture their understanding of sustainability but also align with te ao Māori values, which emphasise the interconnectedness of all living things. It is crucial that students take action now, as kaitiaki (guardians) of the land, to ensure that we protect and preserve our natural resources for future generations."

Check out some of the achievements from the KETE programme

Community restoration project in Takapū Valley 

In three years, over 17,000 plants have been planted and maintained to date, transforming the area completely. Recent efforts were directed towards weeding and matting the existing plants, with fewer new plants being added. In 2024, work involved over 700 rangatahi, kaiako, whānau helpers, and volunteers who planted 5000 plants and carried out maintenance activities.  

Planting and other backyard projects in Tawa Schools  

Each of the eight Tawa schools have established native planting areas and engage in ongoing activities related to litter management, pest control and water quality monitoring in the local Te Kenepuru stream. These activities enhance rangatahi understanding of environmental stewardship and its impact on the Porirua Harbour catchment and local biodiversity.   

Students taking the lead on projects 

The student leadership teams in each school have their own projects to improve and enhance te taiao. These include improving sustainability through planting māra kai, composting and recycling, litter management and awareness amongst fellow rangatahi, and as a combined team looking at local areas where the environment can be enhanced such as Tawa Skatepark, wider litter controls and advocating for the mauri of Te Kenepuru. 

Established Link Teachers’ group 

There is a group of teachers who represent their schools to communicate, collaborate and support their rangatahi in their learning and actions. The programme coordinator works with this group to upskill and help them make curriculum connections between the KETE principles and their classroom work and long-term planning. With the current challenges due to the introduction of new curriculum requirements for reading, writing, and maths, teachers value help from Sue to continue to integrate Local Curriculum and New Zealand histories into their programmes.

Find out more about KETE on their Facebook page.