Congratulations to Head Prefect Te Ariki Te Puni who last night received a ‘Change Maker – Cultural’ award at the 2016 National Youth Week Awards. Te Ariki was presented with his award by Youth Minister, Nikki Kaye, at a ceremony at Parliament. Minister Kaye said “These awards are about recognising some extraordinary young people, but also taking a moment to reflect on the positive contribution that so many young New Zealanders are making.”
The following achievements were highlighted in Te Ariki’s nomination for this award, alongside his significant contribution to Palmerston North Boys’ High School in his role as Head Prefect:
· In September 2015 Te Ariki was judged the winner of the English section of the Nga Manu Korero speech competition. This accomplishment saw Te Ariki named as our Dux Artium for 2015 – the highest achieving student at Palmerston North Boys’ High School in cultural and performing arts activities. Te Ariki has made a personal commitment to spreading the use of Te Reo within the school and to influence our Māori students as a positive role model for them to emulate. As a result of Te Ariki’s success and influence, in 2016 Palmerston North Boys’ High School will be represented by a much larger group of students at the regional Nga Manu Korero speech competition.
· In 2015 Te Ariki was selected to participate in the Fuji-Xerox Next Generation Leaders Programme. A core component of this was for him to complete a ‘purposeful act of leadership’. After identifying a need associated with the stress that young people feel around examinations, Te Ariki tackled a significant project, organising an expo focused on student health and wellbeing that was held in October, shortly before NCEA examinations began. The expo was attended by hundreds of students from local schools, who were able to engage with a range of providers offering support for student health and wellbeing in Palmerston North and the wider Manawatu region. Providers offering support for Māori and Pasifika students were a particular emphasis at the expo. Te Ariki completed all of the organisation on his own, from arranging the various exhibitors, to applying for city council funding to use the Palmerston North Convention Centre as a venue, and arranging free bus transportation so students from a range of city schools were able to attend.
· In December 2015 Te Ariki was the recipient of the Dawson Tamatea Memorial Manaakitanga Award at our annual school prizegiving. This award recognises a young Māori man who displays the qualities of kindness, hospitality, generosity, humility, is respectful towards staff and the wider community, is encouraging of others, has a positive and cheerful attitude, a sense of humour and who displays loyalty; essentially characteristics and personality traits making the recipient a fine role model for other students, which Te Ariki undoubtedly is.
· In March 2016 Te Ariki won the National Race Unity Speech Award with a speech titled ‘Stand up for race unity – don’t be a bystander’. These achievements garnered a large amount of local and national media coverage allowing for his message to be spread far beyond just our school community. Te Ariki’s speech emphasised the importance of cultural understanding in order for New Zealand society to prosper harmoniously for the future.
· During 2016 Te Ariki has been instrumental in influencing a number of young Māori men to become involved with the Tāne Ora Alliance, a Māori Men’s Mental Health programme developed by a group of local community champions, with the assistance of Te Tihi o Ruahine, Mental Health Foundation and Movember. This programme has been endorsed by Sir Mason Durie, a long-time advocate of improving the health statistics and wellbeing of Māori. It is a 14 week programme designed to assist Tāne Māori to develop an understanding for the catalysts to good Māori health. The Tāne Ora Alliance programme is based on the Whare Tapa Whā framework – Mahi Tinana, Mahi Hinengaro, Mahi Wairua and Mahi Whānau. Expert facilitators spend time each week with our boys to weave in key messages for good Māori health, and to connect Tāne to this whenua with the ultimate outcome being an understanding of their own identity/whenua. Kia eke panuku, eke Tangaroa - Through effort, we achieve. This emphasis on mental health is new for the school, and Te Ariki’s leadership amongst his peers has been central to its success to date.
