Category: EIT Hawke’s Bay

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EIT Masters programme empowers IT professionals to make lasting impact in Hawke’s Bay | EIT Hawke’s Bay and Tairāwhiti

Source: Eastern Institute of Technology – Tairāwhiti

4 days ago

Completing a Master of Information Technology at EIT has marked a significant milestone for three students, who balanced years of hard work, dedication, and full-time roles at Te Taiwhenua o Heretaunga with their academic pursuits.

Teriwa Graham, Tane Edwards, and Juanita Teariki dedicated their final projects to areas such as digital inclusion, cybersecurity, and the development of team-focused IT systems—projects that align closely with Te Taiwhenua mission –  to deliver essential health and social services across Hawke’s Bay.

The trio credits EIT’s supportive environment and the guidance of Associate Professor Dr Emre Erturk for their success in achieving this challenging goal.

Teriwa, Te Taiwhenua General Manager of IT, developed ‘people-centric’ IT solutions that simplify processes for staff and enhance service delivery.

“It’s about making sure high-quality data and information are provided to staff in a way that’s clear and helpful,” said Teriwa.

“Our goal is to give our frontline team the tools they need to make quick, informed decisions.”

Tane, a Business Analyst with 17 years at Te Taiwhenua, and Master of Digital Business graduate, addressed digital inclusion by promoting digital literacy and training community members who may lack confidence with technology.

“We live in a digital world, and there are those who embrace it and those who don’t,” he explained.

“The aim is to help people become more independent by equipping them with basic digital skills—whether it’s using apps, online banking, or other essential tools.”

Juanita, Te Taiwhenua IT Manager, concentrated on building cybersecurity awareness to protect the organisation and its users from cyber threats.

“Cybersecurity awareness is crucial, especially in today’s digital age, where anyone can fall victim to cybercrime. My goal was to improve our team’s understanding of cybersecurity and create strategies to keep everyone safer online.”

Reflecting on the support they received from EIT and Associate Professor Dr Emre Erturk, all three students credited his guidance as essential for balancing full-time work and studies.

“Emre has been incredibly supportive throughout our journey,” Teriwa stated.

Emre congratulated Teriwa, Tane and Juanita.

“Every student is unique and needs tailored guidance. Anyhow, our common interest in digital inclusion and transformation has made our synergies even greater.”

Tane added that this support was crucial as they navigated their demanding schedules, noting, “It’s rewarding to work on projects that not only improve our work environment but also benefit our community.”

Juanita concluded, “EIT has provided us with the tools and knowledge to drive meaningful change, and we are excited to implement these solutions in our roles”.

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Juggling international rugby career and Bachelor of Teaching degree the focus for EIT student | EIT Hawke’s Bay and Tairāwhiti

Source: Eastern Institute of Technology – Tairāwhiti

18 hours ago

Tori Iosefo is in the final year of the Bachelor of Teaching (Primary) at EIT.

Juggling an international rugby career and a Bachelor Teaching (Primary) degree, along with being a mother, is the focus of an EIT student.

Tori Iosefo, 29, has just returned from Dubai where she helped Samoa’s Women’s rugby team, Manusina, qualify for next year’s World Cup.

Of Samona and Cook Island heritage, Tori was born and bred in Flaxmere, finishing her schooling at Hastings Girls’ High School. She is now in the final year of the Bachelor of Teaching (Primary) at EIT, but it has been a journey to get there.

“I’m in the final stretch now and I can’t wait to finish up this year and graduate next year.”

Having done some orchard, factory and retail work after leaving school, Tori soon found herself working as a teacher’s aide, while also raising her daughter Cataleya.

She says having her baby was the push she needed to become a teacher’s aide, but she soon realised that she should take a step up to balance out her life with rugby.

“I also got the push from my family and my colleagues as they saw the potential in me to become a teacher. It was then that I decided I wanted to be a teacher.”

As a tighthead prop in an international team since 2020, Tori says she is focused on balancing her studying with her rugby.

“Those are my tough missions at the moment, but they are the two things that I really want to hold on to. I’m excited about next year’s World Cup in England, so I just have to keep working on my fitness and hopefully get selected again.”

She says that it will be good to have a degree behind her by the time she goes to the World Cup.

Tori is loving the EIT programme, especially her placement with schools. Since beginning the degree, she has spent time at Mahora School, Ebbett Park Primary and Heretaunga Intermediate. She will finish things off at Flaxmere Primary School.

“I have loved studying. I had to have a big discussion with my husband Hajo if it would be okay for me to study. But it’s actually turned out pretty good. The programme is amazing. The lecturers and everyone, they all want us to do really well.”

She says that working as a teacher’s aide has certainly helped make her placements easier.

“For students that come in and haven’t really had the experience I had, it’s really good to have hands-on experience in a classroom.”

“I would definitely recommend this programme to others. The lecturers really do help, but the best way to get experience is being in the classroom. And the partner schools that we have are really helpful. I’ve already recommended this course to a lot of people that I know.”

Kirsty Jones, EIT’s Bachelor of Teaching (Primary) Programme Co-ordinator, says: “Tori is an excellent model for how to complete study alongside a busy personal life. She has shown resilience and determination and has always embraced challenges. The boutique nature of the BTP programme is its’ real strength, it enables school staff and EIT staff to get know the Candidate Teachers beyond course learning, on a deeper more personal level and to tailor the learning so it supports the teacher in training holistically. That approach has really suited Tori.”

“In just a few weeks the BTP team will acknowledge Tori’s and the rest of the third-year graduate’s efforts, and then another wonderful cohort of great teachers grown at EIT in the Bay will be ready to start their careers. Most have already secured jobs locally. Tori is looking to utilise her new teaching skills in her own community, making a difference and giving back in the area where she was schooled. The EIT and school partners couldn’t be prouder.”  

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Becoming a rural animal technician the aim for EIT student | EIT Hawke’s Bay and Tairāwhiti

Source: Eastern Institute of Technology – Tairāwhiti

42 seconds ago

Ella Cooke, 19, is currently studying Year One of the Bachelor of Veterinary Nursing.

A love for animals and a desire to work as a rural animal technician is what is driving an EIT student to succeed.

Ella Cooke, 19, is currently studying year one of the Bachelor of Veterinary Nursing. She has grown up with animals and currently lives on an orchard outside Hastings with her parents.

She attended Iona College last year and came into EIT with a number of scholarships. One was a Year-13 Scholarship from EIT, which is offered annually, and covers one year of tuition fees. The Scholarship supports school leavers across the Hawke’s Bay and Tairāwhiti regions to study any one of EIT’s degrees or selected level 5 diploma programmes that lead into a degree by providing one year FREE study.

She also won a scholarship from Vet Services Hawke’s Bay, as well as a Prime Minister’s Vocational Excellence Award.

“I just love animals and love to care for animals and I’ve had four dogs and a cat in my life.”

Ella says that she is loving the programme, especially the hands-on work with animals.

“It is not just about attending lectures, but we also actually get to work with animals. We get to learn how to handle the animals properly.”

“I want to get my qualification, and then I eventually want to work with large animals – livestock – and visit farms.”

One of the things that Ella loves about EIT, is that it is close to home and she did not have to move out of Hawke’s Bay to achieve her tertiary education dreams.

Work experience is an important part of the programme, and Ella is due to return to Vet Services in Hastings, where she has been before.

Emma Martin, EIT’s Veterinary Nursing Programme Co-ordinator said: “Ella has been a pleasure to have in the programme this year. She has come out of her shell, taking full advantage of every learning opportunity and making the most of her experiences. “

“Ella has received excellent feedback from her clinical placement at Vet Services in Hastings, where she has impressed with her skills and professionalism. She works exceptionally well in a team and has built a strong network of classmates, combining fun with learning experiences. We are excited to see what the future holds for Ella as we continue to support her in reaching her final goals.”

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Life-long love of nature leads EIT student to important local environmental research | EIT Hawke’s Bay and Tairāwhiti

Source: Eastern Institute of Technology – Tairāwhiti

16 mins ago

Ryan Bauckham is in his final year of the Bachelor of Applied Science (Biodiversity Management), which EIT offers in partnership with Unitec.

A life-long love of exploring the outdoors has been the incentive for an EIT student to pursue a career in environmental research in Hawke’s Bay.

Ryan Bauckham, 35, is in his final year of the Bachelor of Applied Science (Biodiversity Management), which EIT offers in partnership with Unitec.

He has currently been  researching Lepidoptera (moths and butterflies)  in a significant forest stand called Puahanui found near Gwavas , Tikokino.

“It’s actually the largest stand of remnant podocarp forest in Hawke’s Bay and I’ve recorded just over 200 species of Lepidoptera there.”

“ Most people aren’t aware there are so many moths. They are generally thought of  as nondescript brown insects, that you don’t really pay that much attention to, unless they are coming to the outdoor lights at night. But when you look at moths closer, there’s a stunning diversity, all sorts of shapes, colours and sizes.  I just find them really quite endearing and beautiful.”

Ryan’s study means he spends a lot of time out in nature and for him it is more than just a job, but a passion.

After leaving Karamu High School , Ryan became a postie with New Zealand Post, which he did for ten years. However, he always felt he wanted more.

“It’s been a lifelong interest of mine, and I’ve been heading out regularly to the mountains since I was a teenager. And birds have been my main interest in life for as long as I can remember.”

After leaving NZ Post, Ryan ended up living for five years in a camper van.

“While I was at NZ Post, I was able to travel around the country thanks to the flexibility of work. And after that, I was able to travel more. I spent the winters overseas, mostly in Southeast Asia, as well as the Pacific Islands.”

The turning point for Ryan was on the Kinabatangan River in Borneo in 2019 when he realised that he wanted more than “groundhog day”.

He returned to New Zealand, but life changed even more with COVID-19 and his young son Yahya coming into his fulltime care in 2021.

It was an advertisement for the Diploma in Environment Management (Level 5) that attracted Ryan’s attention and he decided to go for it.

“It was really scary, actually, to give up work. But I thought that I’m not getting any younger, so I decided to make a change.”

He says that he found going back to studying fulfilling, but soon found his interest moving from birds to insects.

“I spent a lot of time that summer recording moths and learning their taxonomy. I was already reading a lot of research papers, but then going back to study and having to do that as a task, it felt really fulfilling.”

Ryan faced a few challenges in his studies, the first being learning to use computers as he had not grown up with one, as well as dealing with COVID-19 lockdowns and Cyclone Gabrielle.

However, that is all in the past and Ryan is focused on his research, which recently received a funding boost from Biodiversity Hawke’s Bay. Ryan and his supervisor, Dr Amelia McQueen, were one of thirteen groups that received support from the Environmental Enhancement Contestable Fund, which is funded by the Hawke’s Bay Regional Council.

It will play a role in enabling Ryan to continue his research.

“Lepidoptera also play real crucial roles in the ecosystem. They’re pollinators, decomposers and they are prey for larger organisms.”

Ryan says that even though there are about 2,000 species in New Zealand, the life histories of many of them are “poorly understood”.

“We don’t know their host plants or even what the larvae look like. They’re often just being described from the adult specimens. What I’m trying to do is make a comprehensive species list for the region, just simply because historically moths  have been understudied.”

The site on private land drew Ryan because it had been deer-fenced in 2020 which allowed the understorey of the forest to regenerate.

“When I visited there, it just felt the right place, simply because it is the largest forest remnant in Hawke’s Bay. And at one time, the whole region would have been covered in forests like that.”

“And there’s a lot of species there that are relics, really, really relics of another age, and you wouldn’t find them outside of that environment, in the pastoral land or like an exotic forest or a newly planted one. Fortunately the landowners are really conservation focused people.”

EIT Environmental Management Lecturer Dr Amelia McQueen agrees: “Puahanui bush is a really special place to study flora and fauna and we are lucky there are places like this still around in Hawke’s Bay.”

“ Ryan’s study is amazing, over 200 moths and some of the observations are new for the North Island or one of a very few observations of these moths actually recorded for New Zealand. Ryan’s Lepidoptera identification skills and determination, especially doing observations on very cold nights in winter, has made his work particularly important. . . and there is more to come!”

As for the future, Ryan does not discount continuing his studies, but there is no doubt that he has found his calling.

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Caring for sick animals and helping them get better prompted student to study vet nursing at EIT | EIT Hawke’s Bay and Tairāwhiti

Source: Eastern Institute of Technology – Tairāwhiti

6 hours ago

Bayle Smith, 18, is currently studying the NZ Certificate in Animal Technology (Level 5).

Caring for sick animals and helping them get better prompted Bayle Smith to study vet nursing at EIT.

A life-long animal lover, Bayle, who was born in South Carolina, USA, moved back to New Zealand as a youngster and has grown up in Hawke’s Bay.

Bayle, 18, is currently studying the NZ Certificate in Animal Technology (Level 5), with the aim of completing the Diploma in Veterinary Nursing (Level 6), with the option of going on to finish the Bachelor of Veterinary Nursing.

Bayle was in Year 12 at Napier Girls’ High last year when she decided to leave school and go straight into the Veterinary Nursing programme, because she knew that’s what she wanted to do.

While she was at school she had to do some extra assessments and credits to qualify to enrol at EIT.

“I did a  few extracurricular assessments in my English class to have the right amount of credits. I had a couple of meetings with the coordinator before that and she gave me some help with working it out.”

“I love animals and I have an interest in the anaesthetic side of things and looking after the patients. I grew up watching the Irwins so my dream job is to work  at a zoo with exotic animals, but the first step is doing small animals before you get to the large animals.”

“I’m on my second work experience placement at the moment where I get put in a clinic and it’s making me realise that I definitely want this career. I love to look after and monitor the sick animals and make sure that they get better.”

Bayle’s first placement was at a Vet Clinic in Hastings, while she is now experiencing things on the frontline at a clinic in Hamilton.

Her love of animals stems from her time growing up on a farm in Eskdale.

“When I was a little kid, I was always out in the paddock playing with the animals. We would bring in the orphaned lambs and baby goats to look after them. So, I’ve grown up my whole life around animals and loved looking after them.”

“I’ve also volunteered at Riding for the Disabled and SPCA, so when I decided to go into veterinary nursing, it certainly did not feel like a job. I could happily do it free and go volunteer, because that is what it is all about.”

Bayle says she is loving the programme and particularly enjoys the interaction with lecturers, who she says are keen to pass on their knowledge to students.

“I do want to go all the way to my Bachelor’s degree. Obviously, I’m just at the start of it, but I definitely know that I’m going to continue with it for sure.”

“I came into this programme knowing some things, but not a lot. But, I have learnt so much in my lectures and on my placement. This programme really sets you up well for a good career.”

Emma Martin, EIT’s Veterinary Nursing Programme Co-ordinator & Lecturer said: “As Programme Coordinator for the veterinary nursing programmes at EIT, I first met Bayle in 2023 at our temporary offices on Vautier Street. At the time, she was still in school, working through her NCEA journey. “

“We had a great conversation about her potential career options, and it was clear that Bayle was passionate about animals, providing care, and showing compassion to both pets and their owners. After discussing the academic entry criteria, Bayle returned to school with a clear goal, and we were delighted to welcome her into the veterinary nursing programme this year.”

“Since joining, Bayle has demonstrated herself to be a keen and eager learner, always striving to deepen her understanding of the many concepts we teach. She has been making the most of her learning opportunities, both in the classroom and during her work placements. We are thrilled to see her continued focus and enthusiasm as she pursues her studies and works towards entering the veterinary nursing profession.”

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Following in father’s footsteps at EIT sets student up for career in mechanical engineering | EIT Hawke’s Bay and Tairāwhiti

Source: Eastern Institute of Technology – Tairāwhiti

35 seconds ago

Braydon Gregory is enrolled in the NZ Certificate in Mechanical Engineering (Level 3).

Following in his father’s footsteps by studying at EIT, is setting a student up for a career in mechanical engineering.

Braydon Gregory, 17, is currently doing his apprenticeship and is enrolled in the NZ Certificate in Mechanical Engineering (Level 3) at EIT – the same programme his father Aaron completed in the early 2000s.

Braydon left Napier Boys’ High halfway through Year 13 this year with a very clear plan of enrolling in Mechanical Engineering (Level 3) and doing his apprenticeship at his father’s company, Gregory Innovations Limited.

He says that he is a third generation product of Napier Boys’, but that mechanical engineering has also been a part of his life since he was young.

“I’ve pretty much been doing it since I was ten, and then I got top of engineering two years in a row at school.”

“It was then that I decided that I would get a head start by leaving school early and starting the EIT programme. Dad then offered me an apprenticeship opportunity.”

As part of this apprenticeship, Braydon is working with his father on contract work for Dennis Glenn Logging.

“The work we are doing is working on big diggers, big loaders and trucks. It is a wide variety of work.”

It is a busy time for Braydon, whose family has a farm in Puketapu. Not only does he work as a part-time shepherd (he has his own dog) for a neighbour, but he also works at Pan Pac Forest Products outside Napier on a Sunday.

Braydon says that his career path has been planned from the beginning, including studying at EIT.

“My father said that it’s a really good place to learn all the basic skills that you’ll carry on for the rest of your life, like sharpening a drill bit.”

“He said that if you went into industry straight away, they would just overlook it and not teach you. At EIT, you weld for as long as you want to get it right before going out into the industry.”

The aim after he has studied is to eventually take over the family business. However, before then, he plans to go on an OE.

“With my engineering qualifications I will probably travel with engineering, so either go to Australia for the big shutdowns or over to America where they do big pipelines. But the aim is definitely to take over the family business and carry that on.”

Asked what he enjoyed about EIT, Braydon said that the tutors made all the difference.

“It is more than a job for them, they really enjoy engineering and passing that knowledge on to us.”

He has no hesitation in recommending EIT as a place to study.

EIT’s Head of the School of Trades and Technology said: “The engineering industry are a big supporter of EIT’s Mechanical Engineering programme and provide excellent graduate pathways, it is fantastic to see one of our graduates pathway into the industry.”

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Te Ūranga Waka Senior Lecturer honoured with Te Tohu Reo Māori Award | EIT Hawke’s Bay and Tairāwhiti

Source: Eastern Institute of Technology – Tairāwhiti

7 mins ago

EIT Te Ūranga Waka Senior Lecturer Hiria Tumoana (Ngāi Tūhoe) has been awarded the Te Tohu Reo Māori Award.

EIT Te Ūranga Waka Senior Lecturer Hiria Tumoana (Ngāi Tūhoe) has become the first recipient of the prestigious Te Tohu Reo Māori Award.

Presented by Ako Aotearoa, the Te Whatu Kairangi Awards celebrate outstanding educators who make a profound impact on their learners, their whānau, and the wider community.

Hiria, who will receive the award at Parliament next month, is overwhelmed by the honour.

“It’s amazing. They have a lot of people to work through. So, for someone like me, I must be doing something really good. I think I’m just really privileged and lucky to get this,” the 70-year-old said.

Hiria’s journey with te reo Māori began in Ruatoki, where she was raised in a community where Māori language and culture were central to everyday life.

Te reo Māori was her first language, and it has remained the foundation of her life’s work.

“For me, English doesn’t tell me who I am. Only te reo Māori does that,” Hiria reflects. “I will never stop teaching te reo Māori and hope to continue until my time is up.”

Hiria began teaching Te Reo Māori at Victoria University in 1977.

Since then, she has gone on to gain her BA Honours, train and examine translators for Te Taura Whiri i Te Reo Māori (Māori Language Commission), and co-design and teach te reo Māori on Radio Kahungunu and across Aotearoa New Zealand.

Her passion for revitalising the language has driven her more than 40-year career at EIT, first starting in Wairoa, and now at the Hawke’s Bay campus in Taradale.

Hiria is renowned for her engaging teaching style, which blends humour, tradition, and modern techniques to create an inclusive environment for learners of all ages.

She believes that helping students discover their full potential is her greatest achievement.

“I want them all to be successful and I want them to know their full potential. They don’t always know what they know but when they understand, they feel good about who they are and what they can do.”

Pareputiputi Nuku, Pouarataki, Te Uranga Waka, says: “Hiria is an inspiration to all staff of Te Ūranga Waka, the majority of whom she has taught over the years and now they themselves are teachers”.

“Congratulations Hiria as the inaugural winner of this very significant award. E poho kereru ana mātau i a koe!”

Ako Aotearoa Deputy Director Māori, Dr Joe Te Rito says the proverb, ‘Te puna o te kī, te whītiki o te kī’ describes Hiria most aptly.

“She is an authority on the Māori language, as a native speaker and linguist, and she has a special gift for teaching it. Hiria is an icon for her life-time commitment to the revitalisation and teaching of the language dating back to the 1972 te reo Māori Petition.”

Hiria Tumoana will join the 10 other Te Whatu Kairangi awardees at Parliament on November 4 at the official awards ceremony hosted by the Hon Penny Simmonds, Minister of Tertiary Education and Skills.

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Pursuing passion for nursing by studying at EIT | EIT Hawke’s Bay and Tairāwhiti

Source: Eastern Institute of Technology – Tairāwhiti

4 mins ago

Alisha Stanford, 18, is currently in her first year of the Bachelor of Nursing at EIT Hawke’s Bay.

Driven by compassion, a Hawke’s Bay student is motivated to pursue her ambition of becoming a nurse by studying at EIT.

Alisha Stanford, 18, who went to Napier Girls’ High School, was also attracted to studying the Bachelor of Nursing at EIT by the Year 13 scholarship on offer.

The Year 13 Scholarship, which is offered annually by EIT, covers one year of tuition fees. The Scholarship supports school leavers across the Hawke’s Bay and Tairāwhiti regions to study any one of EIT’s degrees or selected level 5  diploma programmes that lead into a degree by providing one year FREE study. Students who live outside the region may be eligible for the scholarship in some programmes that are available nationwide.

“I’ve had family members go through EIT, including nursing and they enjoyed their studies, all fulfilling their carer pathways now. I’ve always wanted to do nursing and see where it takes me.”

“I also chose EIT for the convenience of staying local and because EIT offered me everything that I needed.”

Currently in her first year at the EIT Hawke’s Bay Campus, Alisha is enjoying learning more about her chosen craft, and especially enjoyed her first year placement, which was at a Napier rest home. She will soon be going on her second placement at Te Whata Ora in Hastings.

She says that she is hoping to eventually become a paediatric nurse at some stage, but was keeping her options open.

“It’s all on the table. I’m very open-minded to where this nursing could take me, offering me endless opportunities, which I think is an attraction to nursing.”

“I enjoy being in the lab and hearing the experiences of our lecturers. I’ve always been interested in how the body works and that side of biology.”

EIT Bachelor of Nursing Lecturer Abby Davis says: “Alisha is a student of mine currently on her placement, and she has been absolutely fantastic, thoroughly enjoying her clinical time in the hospital.”

“The nurses have genuinely appreciated working with her, noting her enthusiastic approach and dedication to her learning. She is hardworking and consistently ensures her patients receive the best nursing care.”

“She has a passion for nursing encouraging other students with her positive attitude, leadership qualities and relationships with her classmates. Alisha is an excellent student, and I eagerly anticipate her bright future in nursing.”

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Protecting and preserving EIT Hawke’s Bay’s outdoor learning sanctuary | EIT Hawke’s Bay and Tairāwhiti

Source: Eastern Institute of Technology – Tairāwhiti

3 hours ago

A recent Ōtātara Outdoor Learning Centre (ŌOLC) staff meeting on the EIT Hawke’s Bay Campus.

Protecting and preserving an EIT Hawke’s Bay campus outdoor learning sanctuary is important environmentally and culturally for the future, says EIT new kaitiaki (guardian) of the Ōtātara Outdoor Learning Centre (ŌOLC).

Gerard Henry, a tutor in EIT’s School of Primary Industries, takes up the role while maintaining his teaching duties in EIT’s environmental management and horticulture programmes.  Gerard will be supported by the wider Primary Industries team.   

The ŌOLC has been inspirational for students and staff across numerous EIT Schools as well as local schools and organisations, and Gerard believes it can play an even greater role in connecting the campus with nature.  “There are many opportunities for programmes to utilise this special space as part of their delivery, enriching the learning experience for ākonga”.

Initially the ŌOLC was established as the base for the Learning in Nature (LIN) education initiative, an innovative collaboration between EIT, Ngāti Pārau (the mana whenua hapū for Ōtātara), Te Papa Atawhai (the Department of Conservation), Hawke’s Bay Regional Council, and local environmental groups.  Financial support from the Air New Zealand Environment Trust helped get the OOLC underway. In 2021, EIT won the Benefiting Society Category of the prestigious Australasian Green Gown Awards for its ‘Ko au te taiao, ko te taiao ko au: I am nature, nature is me’ project.

Gerard Henry is the new kaitiaki (guardian) of the Ōtātara Outdoor Learning Centre (ŌOLC) on the EIT Hawke’s Bay Campus.

The ŌOLC has a steady stream of local school children and community groups utilising the facility.  The team recently hosted ākonga from seven Ōtatāra Kāhui kura where children participated in various outdoor activities and enjoyed helping to organise some planting “Part of my role is to liaise with different community groups so that they can enjoy what ŌOLC has to offer” says Gerard.

Students and staff from a wide range of EIT programmes are invested in the space and work collaboratively on various projects to improve and celebrate the spaces and the amazing resource we have.

Gerard says “it was at the first planting project at ŌOLC in 2018 with a Sustainability cohort that he understood the meaning the place will have for ākonga, kaimahi and visitors”.  EIT are privileged to be connected with “Ōtātara, one of the most outstanding Pa sites in New Zealand”.  Kaitiakitanga and Mātauranga Māori will be guiding principles in leading the development of ŌOLC into the future.

Paul Keats, the Assistant Head of School for Primary Industries, said the ŌOLC is a perfect fit with our School and as well as benefiting our teaching, it’s an asset for the community.

It is important for people to know that the ŌOLC is now fully functional after the cyclone for EIT and community use. For inquiries, contact the team at OtataraOutdoorLearningCentre@eit.ac.nz

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Challenging but rewarding Bachelor of Teaching (Primary) journey coming to an end for EIT student | EIT Hawke’s Bay and Tairāwhiti

Source: Eastern Institute of Technology – Tairāwhiti

3 hours ago

Lizzie Somerville has enjoyed studying for the Bachelor of Teaching (Primary) at EIT.

A challenging but rewarding Bachelor of Teaching (Primary) journey is coming to an end for an EIT student as she finishes up the final weeks of her degree.

Lizzie Somerville, 20, says that she has loved the degree, especially the placements with local schools, but there were also challenges like Covid-19, Cyclone Gabrielle and breaking a leg during rugby training that required her to have surgery.

Lizzie, who comes from a sheep and beef farm near the small coastal community of Pongoroa in the Tararua District, says that although she is pākehā, she grew up in a te ao Māori world. She says that this saw her spend a lot of time at the local marae, Te Hika O Pāpauma.

Lizzie was earmarked for success when she completed her schooling at Solway College in Masterton. Not only did she receive a Year 13 Scholarship to attend EIT, but she also won a Prime Minister’s Vocational Excellence Award from the then Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern. This was a further scholarship that would help with her tertiary tuition.

She says that she had not always wanted to be a teacher.

“Originally I wanted to join the police service because I love helping people, but then in high school I worked with the juniors and did an environmental course and that led to me really wanting to  get into education. And I found that the EIT degree, because it’s so practical, was more appealing to me than going off to university.”

“But it has definitely been a challenge because there was a lot of things happening in our first year with COVID where we had to be off campus and study online. And then in our second year we had Cyclone Gabrielle, which saw us having to study in different places. I also broke my leg last year, which saw me having to get around on a knee scooter.”

“But it has been really rewarding. The lectures at EIT are small and close-knit. It’s a nice feeling being around everyone.”

The high point of the degree for Lizzie has been spending two days per week each year at an EIT partnership school and then going on two five week placements to a school.

In her first year she was placed at Frimley School in Hastings while her second year saw her at Ebbett Park School in Hastings and Arthur Miller School in Napier. This year her school was Reignier Catholic School in Napier, before doing her final placement at Ormond School in Gisborne, where her partner is from.

Lizzie says that she has no hesitation in recommending that people study the Bachelor of Teaching (Primary) at EIT.

“It’s not actually that big and scary. You feel so comfortable at EIT. And in regard to the teaching degree, it is so practical and it sets you up really well for wanting to get a teaching career because of how practical it is.”

“You also get a lot of support on campus and from the school you are at.”

Lizzie says that while she enjoys Hawke’s Bay, she is hoping to start her teaching career in the Gisborne region.

Associate Professor Emily Nelson, Programme Coordinator for EIT’s Bachelor of Teaching (Primary), said: “In addition to being a fully committed Candidate Teacher over the three years of her study, Lizzie has served as a Candidate Teacher Rep, taking on a leadership role for her cohort with the degree teaching team.”

“This leadership experience as well as the resilience she has gained from studying through adversity, and her calm and caring personality, makes me really excited for her future in the teaching profession.”