Category: EIT Hawke’s Bay

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EIT delegation visits China for meetings and graduation of first cohort of Data Science and Communications programme | EIT Hawke’s Bay and Tairāwhiti

Source: Eastern Institute of Technology – Tairāwhiti

5 mins ago

An EIT delegation has paid a visit to China to hold meetings with its partner Zhejiang Yuexiu University and to attend the very first graduation ceremony of EIT Data Science and Communications College of ZYU students, who started in 2020.

An EIT delegation has just returned from China where it held joint management, teaching and academic meetings to further a partnership with Zhejiang Yuexiu University of Foreign Languages (ZYU); and attending the very first graduation ceremony of EIT Data Science and Communications College of Zhejiang Yuexiu University students.

The joint International College partnership between EIT and ZYU began in 2020. That first year saw 230 students starting on the campus in Shao Xing City, Zhejiang Province, Southeast China.

Approval from the China Ministry of Education and the New Zealand Qualifications Authority (NZQA) paved the way for EIT to deliver its degree programmes in China. The joint venture supports the delivery of two of EIT’s degrees, the Bachelor of Creative Practice and the Bachelor of Computing Systems and , with three majors offered in Information Systems, Intelligent Systems and Digital Media.

The delegation that went to China last month was Philippa Jones, EIT Executive Director International; EIT’s two Executive Deans John West and Helen Ryan-Stewart; and Sue Blackmore, Head of School, Viticulture and Wine Science & IDEAschool. The delegation was joined in China by  Kaylie Tan, Deputy Dean, EIT Data Science and Communications College, China.

The purpose of the visit was twofold – holding joint management, teaching and academic meetings to further the partnership; and attending the very first graduation ceremony of EIT Data Science and Communications College of Zhejiang Yuexiu University students, who started in 2020.

More than 200 students graduated, 56 with an EIT Bachelor Degree in either Bachelor of Computing Systems or Bachelor of Creative Practice, while the other students graduated with the ZYU qualification.

The event was livestreamed across China and received more than 560,000 views. Graduating as top student in their degrees were Ming Tong HU – Bachelor of Computing Systems (Information Systems); Bin GUAN – Bachelor of Computing Systems (Intelligent Systems); and Lequn XU – Bachelor of Creative Practice.

A celebratory dinner for the delegation was hosted by President Gang Xiu, his Executive Vice President Ms Xiaolin WEI; his Vice Presidents (Academic) Mr Wentao Chen, and Vice President (International) Ms Jinling Ge.

The delegation also met with a number of directors and managers of ZYU and EIT Data Science and Communication College. There was also visit to Qi LU University and a meeting with seven institutions as part of the China Center for International People-to-People Exchange (CCIPE).

A group of eight ZYU staff will be visiting EIT’s Hawke’s Bay Campus from July for five weeks as part of a 12-week training programme delivered to upskill ZYU staff both in China and in NZ. A group of 18 ZYU students and a teacher will come on a study tour to EIT Hawke’s Bay Campus in August for two weeks.

Philippa Jones says that the visit was a success as it built on the solid relationship that EIT has with ZYU and also showcased the hard work that had gone into the first graduation.

“We look forward to many more graduations as we continue to see the EIT Data Science and Communications College grow. This is a milestone in our partnership because it is the very first graduation from our ZYU joint education institute partnership.”

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EIT’s new Pouarahi Māori brings passion for mātauranga Māori to role | EIT Hawke’s Bay and Tairāwhiti

Source: Eastern Institute of Technology – Tairāwhiti

3 mins ago

EIT’s new Pouarahi Māori (Executive Director Māori), Layelin Stewart, with his wife Stella.

EIT has a new Pouarahi Māori (Executive Director Māori), Layelin Stewart, who brings a passion for Mātauranga Māori to the role.

Layelin (Rongowhakaata, Ngāi Tūhoe, Ngāti Maniapoto) was welcomed to EIT at a pōwhiri on the Hawke’s Bay Campus yesterday (Monday). He has been one of eight National Ako Directors at Te Pūkenga, responsible for Mātauranga Māori, since April last year.

Layelin says  that he is pleased to be coming back to his East Coast roots.

“One of the really standout things for me when considering my application to the role was how vibrant the mātauranga Māori community is over there on the East Coast and Hawke’s Bay.”

“I think it’s a role of service to supporting and promoting  success for Māori students and  staff, as well as navigating the way in which EIT might support iwi aspirations.”

“Of equal importance is supporting our organisational understanding of Te Tiriti excellence and how we explore what that might look like. It is also about how I serve and support my fellow executive staff members, colleagues, and our broader EIT staff collectives , in their understanding of tikanga Māori and how mātauranga Māori or Māori ways of being, doing and knowing might serve as a bridge towards nationhood, albeit at the EIT local level.”

Layelin, 45, first came to Te Pūkenga as Senior Māori Advisor in the office of the Deputy Chief Executive of Academic Delivery Innovation. Before that he was involved in Māori education for more than 20 years.

His most recent role before Te Pūkenga was as Deputy Principal at Te Wharekura o Ngā Purapura o te Aroha in Te Awamutu from 2017 to Oct 2021. His career has seen him work as Kaiako in Kura Kaupapa Māori, Kura ā-iwi and Wharekura in Gisborne and Waikato, including his hometown of Te Kuiti.

He also had a stint as a radio broadcaster for Iwi Radio Station Te Reo Irirangi o Maniapoto between 2006 and 2009.

Layelin has whakapapa links to Te Kūiti, Ruatoki and Gisborne, but grew up in Gisborne, where he attended Gisborne Boys High, before finishing his last year at Te Awamutu College. He enjoys the outdoor life and spending time with his wife Stella and their blended family of six children and 2 mokopuna.

EIT’s Executive Director Kieran Hewitson welcomed Layelin, saying that he would add value to the Executive Team.

“We are pleased to have Layelin join the Executive team. Layelin brings insights and experience to this role that will advance our relationships with our Tiriti Partners and set the strategic direction for responding to the opportunities to deliver better outcomes for Māori.”

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EIT pilot study into vaping among students extended beyond Hawke’s Bay | EIT Hawke's Bay and Tairāwhiti

Source: Eastern Institute of Technology – Tairāwhiti

4 seconds ago

Left to Right: Melody Khan (Masters Student), Dr Sue Scott-Chapman (Secondary Supervisor), Associate Professor Anita Jagroop-Dearing (Principal Supervisor/Lead Researcher) and Associate Professor Rachel Forrest (Student Mentor).

An EIT research project addressing the epidemic of youth vaping among intermediate and high school students in Hawke’s Bay has been extended outside of the region following interest from a Bay of Plenty High School.

The extended out-of-region study titled ‘Vaping Landscape’ complements an existing study ‘Scoping solutions to address the epidemic of youth vaping in Aotearoa’ which is currently being conducted by a team led by Associate Professor Anita Jagroop-Dearing from EIT.

Vaping Landscape will focus on Pāpāmoa College and is being conducted by EIT Masters of Health Science student Melody Khan, who has been involved in the original study.

It is funded by a second grant from the Health Research Foundation Hawke’s Bay, which adds to the pool of funding for the project including grants from the Health Research Council and EIT.

Both studies hope to capture the stories, experiences and health awareness of e-cigarette vaping by youth. It will also make for a comparison of regional variations in vaping behaviours.

Anita says it will be the first comprehensive investigation into vaping among intermediate and high school students between two areas in New Zealand.

“We are working with a number of schools across Hawke’s Bay and additional funding has enabled the involvement of out-of-region schools.

“Pāpāmoa College approached us to say that they were experiencing issues to do with vaping in their school and that they would like to be a part of our study. After confirming the feasibility, obtaining the necessary ethics approval, and securing funding for an out-of-region school, we included them to conduct comparative studies.”

The college has more than 1700 students, of whom 28 percent are Māori and six percent are Pasifika.

 “Previous data indicated higher vaping rates among Māori and Pacific students compared to their non-Māori and non-Pacific peers. Therefore, we aim to compare the vaping behaviours in this school with those in Hawke’s Bay.”

Anita hypothesises that there may be regional differences between vaping behaviours in youth with distinctions in narrative of experiences and self-awareness.

Melody previously graduated with a Bachelor of Sport and Exercise Science at EIT. After being displaced due to Cyclone Gabrielle, she was able to pivot and extend this study for her masters.

“Initially I started with nutrition. My original masters thesis was nutrition and nutritional labelling, but when this opportunity opened up, I jumped on it because it’s something that’s going to need further research and is becoming more prevalent.”

Pāpāmoa College Deputy Principal (Tumuaki Katiriwā) Ben Ormsby says when they heard about the study, they thought why not reach out and see if they could be a part of it.

“Like most schools, we have been seeing an increase in vaping related incidents. Our rationale was that, while we are trying to find ways to educate students, we might as well volunteer to be part of the study.”

Ben says that the feedback from their community has been really positive about them being involved in the trial.

“We would suspect that whilst schools are struggling with youth vaping, the wider community is also seeing the impacts. The feedback to date would suggest the community is glad we are trying to do something about it.”

They are now looking forward to seeing what comes out of the study.

“If the information our students give forward contributes to something positive to tackle youth vaping, whether that be strategies or messaging then we thought it will be well worth it.”

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EIT says farewell to long-standing research director | EIT Hawke's Bay and Tairāwhiti

Source: Eastern Institute of Technology – Tairāwhiti

14 mins ago

EIT is farewelling its Research Director Associate Professor Jonathan Sibley.

EIT has farewelled its long-standing Research Director, Associate Professor Jonathan Sibley, who has been at the forefront of driving research at the institute.

Jonathan, who joined EIT’s School of Business in 2016 and has headed EIT’s Research and Innovation Centre (RIC) since 2018, is retiring from the role to pursue other interests.

Together with former Executive Dean Natalie Waran, he led the push towards increasing grants for researchers at EIT and encouraging them to participate in the Performance-Based Research Fund (PBRF) process.

Jonathan says that a strong research culture was built at EIT under the direction of former Chief Executive Chris Collins.

“Chris, along with the then Executive Deans Susan Jacobs, Natalie and Professors Bob Marshall and Kay Morris Matthews, ensured that we were very research active in the ITP sector.”

“We built an enviable position for regional polytechnics in research and were able to establish a research centre with Te Kura i Awarua, to engage in research as a principle. Great thanks are owed to Professors David Tipene Leach and Annemarie Gillies for their leadership in the development of the Centre and our rangahau Māori capability.”

Jonathan says despite challenging times during COVID-19 and Cyclone Gabrielle, research has continued.

“We built a really strong, nationally recognised research culture with a number of researchers who had an international reputation.”

“As we move back to independence, we have an excellent platform for further developing our research culture.”

“EIT can also be proud that it hosts the largest number of international postgraduate students among New Zealand polytechnics,” says Jonathan, who also teaches and supervises students in the postgraduate business programmes.

EIT’s Executive Dean, Faculty of Commerce and Technology John West paid tribute to Jonathan for his professionalism and research leadership.

“Jonathan has led the evolution of the School of Business’ postgraduate studies. He has also played an important role in fostering research and mentoring our researchers.”

“We thank him for everything that he has contributed and wish him well in the future.”

Jonathan will continue teaching in the School of Business’ postgraduate programme on a part-time basis.

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Minister for Tertiary Education and Skills meets with regional leaders at EIT | EIT Hawke's Bay and Tairāwhiti

Source: Eastern Institute of Technology – Tairāwhiti

8 mins ago

Hastings Mayor Sandra Hazlehurst (left), Minister for Tertiary Education and Skills Penny Simmonds and Executive Director Region 2 – Te Pūkenga Kieran Hewitson at the EIT Hawke’s Bay Campus in Taradale.

Minister for Tertiary Education and Skills Penny Simmonds met with regional government, business and community leaders at the EIT Hawke’s Bay Campus in Taradale on Wednesday (3 July).

The purpose of the meeting was to hear what the region needed from EIT and to better understand the challenges the region faced.

Minister Simmonds has had a long association with EIT, having previously worked as Chief Executive of Southern Institute of Technology (SIT) for 23 years.

She says EIT has been a successful polytechnic all the way through, and has always had close connections with the community, and industries.

“EIT has been a real shining light in the polytechnic sector, particularly for regional polytechnics. There has been stable, sensible governance and management for not twenty years but decades.”

Hastings Mayor Sandra Hazlehurst said: “We told the Minister that we have been very proud of how EIT has served our regions of Tairāwhiti and Hawke’s Bay over the years, providing quality education pathways under a sustainable financial model”.

“Our region has long faced challenges in reducing the number of youth not in employment, education or training, and the progress we have made has been in part due to the broad range of quality programmes on offer through EIT and their campuses.

“The transition to Te Pūkenga has been very difficult for the leadership and governance team, compounded by the cyclone from which the Taradale campus is still recovering.”

As a region, Hazlehurst says our councils will invest $4b over the next 10 years on infrastructure related to recovery and growth.

“More than ever, we will need a skilled workforce to complete this mahi, and many of these workers are yet to be trained.

They also stressed to Minister Simmonds that given the urgency of our recovery, Tairāwhiti and Hawke’s Bay should be a priority to get a locally governed and led training institute working effectively for our communities.

The ministers visit precedes the start of consultation on the future state of vocational education and training following the post-election decision to disestablish Te Pūkenga. Minister Simmonds encouraged those in attendance to provide feedback to the consultation to ensure the regions education and training needs are best served.

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Napier auto technician completes EIT EV programme to keep up with fast evolving industry | EIT Hawke's Bay and Tairāwhiti

Source: Eastern Institute of Technology – Tairāwhiti

5 days ago

Scott Kyle, an auto-technician with the Notman Motor Group in Napier, has benefited from doing the NZ Certificate in Electric Vehicle Automotive Engineering (Level 5) at EIT.

A Napier auto technician decided to complete an Electric Vehicle programme at EIT as he felt he needed to keep up with an ever-evolving industry.

Scott Kyle, who works for the Notman Motor Group in Napier, has been an auto technician for close to 25 years. He says that he has seen changes in the industry in that time, the most significant being the move to electric vehicles.

“It’s certainly a new style of vehicle to work on, with some big differences. It is not only the motor side of things, but also the systems that run alongside them.”

“I definitely enjoy it as the electrical aspect certainly appealed to me.”

Scott says that he realised that he needed to study further in order to keep up with industry changes.

He said that he was attracted to the NZ Certificate in Electric Vehicle Automotive Engineering (Level 5)  at EIT because he had done his pre-trade qualifications at EIT and he had heard good reports about one of the tutors Scott Cunningham.

“My employer helped me with funding to do the programme, which was a bonus, but you’ve got to keep up with the times and keep learning.”

“Working on electric vehicles every day means that you need to have a solid understanding of what you are working with.”

Scott, who completed the programme at the end of last year, says that attending classes fitted in well with his working schedule. He said he also enjoyed doing the practical block courses during the year.

“They go right back to step one of what you would need to know, you know, the basic electrical principles and then build that up slowly all the way through so you’ve got a really good understanding and a refresher of some of the stuff you probably haven’t looked at for a few years with electrics.”

“The best thing for me was that I went from where we had all these electric cars coming in and feeling that I did not have a full understanding of how all those systems worked, to feeling a confidence in working with them when I finished the programme.”

Scott says that another important part of the programme was learning about the safety aspect of electric vehicles.

He says that he has no hesitation in recommending the EIT programme to anyone who wanted to progress further as an auto-technician.

Automotive Tutor and Level 5 Electric Vehicle Programme Coordinator Scott Cunningham says having technicians like Scott step up to further their knowledge in our ever-changing industry is great to see.

“Electric and hybrid vehicles are here to stay for the foreseeable future. Technicians who are great in their field need to adapt and upskill to be able to safely diagnose and understand this emerging technology. Scott is definitely a student that absolutely exceled in this programme, now putting his newly gained knowledge to use in industry.

“Having developed a year long, part-time programme in conjunction with Otago Polytechnic, we have spent the past four years delivering this programme, adding content and resources each year to keep up with technology. Having our programme gain overseas recognition from America, wishing to implement our programme and training there speaks volume.

“We have even tailored our delivery to meet the demands for students in Rarotonga that have had an influx of EVs on the Island, and have realised they will have to upskill to meet the new demand. If you are considering upskilling in this area like Scott, I highly recommend you get onboard.”

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Indigenous USA Lakota People contingent welcomed to EIT’s Te Ūranga Waka | EIT Hawke's Bay and Tairāwhiti

Source: Eastern Institute of Technology – Tairāwhiti

4 days ago

An Indigenous United States Lakota People contingent was recently welcomed to EIT’s Te Ūranga Waka on the Hawke’s Bay Campus.

An Indigenous United States Lakota People contingent was recently welcomed to EIT’s Te Ūranga Waka to discuss and celebrate te reo Māori.

A pōwhiri was held on Monday, 24 June for the group, which was accompanied by Sir Tīmoti Kāretu KNZM QSO CRSNZ, a leading New Zealand academic of Māori language and performing arts. The contingent visited Aotearoa to learn how te reo Māori has been and continues to be revitalised. They have experienced the breadth and depth of Māori culture during their tour of New Zealand which included visiting Auckland, Rotorua, Taupō and Hawke’s Bay.

Puti Nuku, Pouarataki – Te Ūranga Waka and Te Whatukura, says that it was a privilege of EIT to not only welcome the indigenous contingent, but also Sir Tīmoti, who is one of the country’s foremost proponents of te reo.

“It was a real honour to be included in the itinerary of the Lakota Peoples. We had a wonderful kōrero about the importance of indigenous cultures and languages.”

“They were most interested in hearing about how te reo continues to be revitalised. We were pleased to be about to show them the kaupapa we are involved in at Te Ūranga Waka,” says Puti.

The group left the country at the end of June.

Te Ūranga Waka Senior Kaiwhakaako, Hiria Tumoana, Sir Tīmoti Karetū and EIT Kaumātua, Matiu Eru during the visit by the Lakota People contingent.

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EIT ultramarathon runner takes fundraising mission to notorious Death Valley | EIT Hawke’s Bay and Tairāwhiti

Source: Eastern Institute of Technology – Tairāwhiti

14 seconds ago

EIT tutor Andrew McCrory will run the notorious Death Valley in the United States to raise funds for children with Cerebral Palsy.

In doing so, the 50-year-old Services Pathway Tutor at EIT, and Hawke’s Bay reserve soldier will become just the sixth New Zealander to complete the world’s toughest footrace – the Badwater 135 Ultramarathon – across Death Valley in the USA.

The 135 mile (217km) race has to be completed within 48 hours and entry for the 100 runners is by invitation only.

Andrew has long had the dream to compete at Badwater. Since 2017, when he came across the fundraising page of a young girl named Liv, he has raised thousands and helped 10 children needing Selective Dorsal Rhizotomy Surgery (SDRS) in America.

SDRS is a spinal operation that can give children with cerebral palsy greater walking ability, muscle control and improved balance. Liv’s surgery was $150,000 and wasn’t covered by any government funding.

“It means a lot to me. I’ve seen the difference in the kids from before they’ve gone, to when they’ve come back. They’re more active and they can just do the day-to-day things that we take for granted a whole lot easier after the surgery.”

The road to selection was extensive, with an application that has strict qualifying requirements, and requires extensive details about a runner’s racing history and personal life. They are then selected to run in July of that year via a live Facebook announcement.

The only qualifying race in New Zealand is the Northburn 100 in Cromwell, which Andrew completed last year. He has also completed five ultra marathons over 100 miles, and ran the length of New Zealand – 2,060km – over Christmas and New Year 2021/2022.

“They’ve had people that have applied six, seven years in a row and never got in. And they’ve done far more than I have. But I think for me, why I was selected for one is because I’m from New Zealand and I’m only the sixth Kiwi to ever go and do it.

“And I think with all the fundraising, I’m not out there just collecting medals or ribbons or race numbers like a lot of people do. There’s no ego in it. I’m out there running for a good reason; helping kids.”

Andrew admits he is “pretty excited, but pretty nervous at the same time” ahead of the July 22-24 race.

“I just want to get over there and get it done but at the same time, it’s a lot of kilometres. It really is the heat that I’m sort of worried about. You know I’ve never been at 50 degrees before.”

The past four years has seen Andrew running consistently at the 162km (100 mile) distance.

“I’ve sort of bumped it up since February when I got accepted.”

His training has also consisted of using the Sports Science Lab at the at the EIT Institute of Sport and Health (EIT ISH) where he can run in a hot environment.

“It’s just about getting used to being in the heat and being uncomfortable. Building that mindset because I really hate being on a treadmill. It’s doing things that suck I suppose.”

He is bringing his wife Kathleen, a trained nurse, coach Neil Wagstaff, who crewed at the event in 2008 for Kiwi Lisa Tamati, along with two other mates.

Andrew is thankful to everyone for the support he has received.

EIT has gotten on board as a bronze sponsor, and several community fundraisers have been set up in his honour.

“A huge thank you to everyone that’s come out and supported me. I can’t afford to go and do it by myself. We don’t have that sort of money, and everyone’s just got on board. I’ve had donations coming in left, right and centre which is just amazing. We’ve got some really good sponsors on board as well.”  

For more information and to donate, visit https://givealittle.co.nz/cause/running-badwater-135-for-kids-with-cerebral-palsy

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| EIT Hawke’s Bay and Tairāwhiti

Source: Eastern Institute of Technology – Tairāwhiti

2 mins ago

Aimey Tahu (third from left) with her nan Nanette (left), aunty Clare and Mother Helen.

A new degree offering at EIT has launched Aimey Tahu (Ngāpuhi) into her dream career after becoming the first to graduate earlier this year.

The Bachelor of Applied Science (Biodiversity Management) was first offered by EIT in February 2023, in partnership with Unitec. This program provides Hawke’s Bay locals the opportunity to gain and upskill their environmental knowledge and apply it to various projects across the region.

Aimey completed the degree in November. Upon graduating in April, she was presented with a special Senior Scholar Award for exceptional graduands from Unitec’s undergraduate degree programmes who have achieved a cumulative grade point average of 8.0 during their studies.

“I felt absolute gratitude upon receiving this award, knowing how much effort everyone had put into my education and helping me succeed – the little EIT fish, in the big Unitec pond. Lisa (my devoted program coordinator) supported the nerd in me from day one and had been advocating for me to receive this recognition in the background, from a much larger institution.”

It wasn’t the first award she had received during her studies, having been awarded the Ōtātara Trust Scholarship two years in a row.

“Throughout my studies I was often fascinated by what I was learning that I would spend days on tangents unravelling more layers to the topics than I needed to pass these papers. I started seeing my level of work as synonymous with my understanding of the content for each paper, and I thrived on this deeper level of learning. While I worked part-time for a few years during my study, I applied for scholarships so I could reduce my hours and spend more time learning about our natural world. In my final year I reduced my hours further so I could continue studying at a high level.”

Since April, the 28-year-old has been working as a Catchment Coordinator at Sustainable HB – Centre for Climate and Resilience.

“My role is focused on supporting and empowering catchment and community groups to create positive environmental impacts through education, water quality testing, monitoring and restoration plans to name a few.

“We have a strong focus on sustainability, which means we advocate for collaborative projects and citizen science projects – which reconnect people with nature, encourage kaitiakitanga, and gets the community actively contributing to the body of environmental data so we have a better picture of the state our nature is in, where information gaps are, and what we can do to enact positive changes.”

In the future, she plans to continue working in the environmental and restoration realm, “connecting people back to nature through sharing of knowledge, education, and hands on projects to recloak Papatūānuku”.

“I hope to focus on nature based solutions, primarily restoration of wetland ecosystems.”

EIT Bachelor of Applied Science graduate pictured doing tree surveying with Hawke’s Bay Regional Council as part of her new role working as a Catchment Coordinator at Sustainable HB.

After finishing at Karamū High School, Aimey started studying at Massey University in Palmerston North before moving to Canada, unsure of what career she wanted.

“This was my second round of tertiary education as it took me a while to figure out what I was really passionate about and wanted to do for a career. I was often the youngest in my classes, with classmates ranging from 18 to 50. If you want to study, to change your current path, now is the right age.”

She “absolutely” recommends people study at EIT.

“The wonderful tutors and small class sizes at EIT (compared to class sizes at larger universities), meant that I was getting high quality classes, with tailored information that interested me, a lot of time to ask questions and receive great feedback which motivated and accelerated my learning. Our cohort being of a small size became a really tight group of friends, and we got to know our tutors really well and formed great relationships over the three years.”

She also appreciated the option of completing the degree in steps, following on from the level 5 and 6 Diplomas in Environmental Management.

“Although I intended on completing the degree from the beginning, having the option of taking a break if I needed it, and still having something to show for one or two years of work really appealed to me as an adult learner, as you never know what will happen in life.”

Primary Industries Programme Coordinator Lisa Turnbull says they are all really proud of Aimey and her accomplishments.

“It has been an absolute pleasure to see the way Aimey applied herself to her learning and her continued development throughout her studies.”

“Aimey’s lecturers describe her as a diligent and a meticulous learner that has worked hard and excelled  – a pleasure to teach.”  

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EIT waka ama tutor to coach NZ elite para mixed team at world competition | EIT Hawke’s Bay and Tairāwhiti

Source: Eastern Institute of Technology – Tairāwhiti

51 seconds ago

EIT Level 2 waka am tutor Roni Nuku (Ngāti Maniapoto) (right) will coach the NZ Elite Para Mixed Team at the 2024 World Sprint Champs in Hilo, Hawaii in August this year.

Experienced EIT Level 2 waka am tutor Roni Nuku (Ngāti Maniapoto) is putting her skills to practice by coaching the NZ Elite Para Mixed Team at the 2024 World Sprint Champs in Hilo, Hawaii in August this year.

The former Te Ūranga Waka student who is now a tutor is an experienced waka ama champion, having represented New Zealand for many years. She is set to start tutoring the level 2 waka ama programme in the second semester.

Roni says that she is looking forward to taking the team to Hawaii.

“What makes it more exciting is the people themselves and all the extra challenges they have. They don’t have the same physical abilities that we take for granted, so I enjoy trying to make sure that they all feel like they are competent because they are.”

“They’re competitive and they only want the best and they expect a lot from themselves.”

While the trip to the World Champs is a highlight, it is the day to day waka ama instruction that she enjoys. She is looking forward to tutoring the new programme.

“Now’s a good time for a beginner’s programme because it leads into the sprint season. This is for all those families who are thinking about wanting to compete at the national competition in January.”

“The programme will give them a really good basis of water safety, how to canoe a waka together, how to even hold events, which include tikanga, kupu, karakia and waiata.”

Roni says that the cultural component of the programme is open to anyone and not just Māori.

“On the last programme, about 50 percent of the students were not Māori, and what they loved was not only the reo, but also the history.”

“They were encouraged to learn about a waka, a contemporary waka, and most of them do a little bit of research on takitimi, so that becomes special for them.”

“So we’re learning all the time and gaining an appreciation of navigation and paddling and the whole waka journey and the history and then what that means in contemporary times and what that represents as a whānau being together because the waka ama is essentially an activity that the whānau do as one.”

Roni says that the programme is divided up between time on the water and in the classroom.

She says that last year’s programme went very well with about 14 students enrolled.

“We were able to take them away to a couple of regattas. We volunteered at a regatta in Rotorua to get an understanding of how regattas are, so they were able to go on the support boat and understand the safety aspects and help with registrations and cooking kai and even road management.”

Water safety is an important aspect of the programme.

“Living next to the water means that it is important to know everything there is about water safety.”

“One of the great things about the programme is that it is open to adults of all ages. One of our wahine last year was in her 60s, and she loved it.”

“One of the many things that I love about waka ama is that it’s a sport. So I can race with my children, and I can race with my grandchildren, if they want to race with their old nanny. And there’s regattas that are for all ages.”

Roni is also currently working on a Master in Māori Knowledge from Massey University. Her thesis will be on Māori Women Para-athletes.