Our work with Pacific educators and learners

On this page:

• Background
• The Ako Aotearoa Pacific Peoples’ Caucus' work programme
• He Taunga Waka 
• News

Background

The Ako Aotearoa Strategic Plan 2014 - 2017 identifies "supporting Pacific Peoples' advancement through tertiary education" as one of its strategic themes.

The organisation is committed to working with tertiary teachers and learners to achieve this.  

The establishment of our Pacific Peoples' Caucus in has brought together a diverse range of Pacific tertiary leaders to guide us on how we prioritise and further our work with this group.

The Ako Aotearoa Pacific Peoples’ Caucus' work programme

The Pacific Peoples' Caucus is developing a strategic work programme to support Pacific staff and learners in tertiary education.

This is not only designed to enhance Pacific achievement in tertiary education, but also recognises that, to make sustainable gains for Pacific people, there is an urgent need to support capability building and the establishment of a critical mass of leadership and research expertise amongst Pacific tertiary educators.

Thus, there are, at present, three strands to this portfolio:

1. Enhancing Pacific leadership in the sector through our involvement with and support of the Pacific leadership development programme.
2. Identifying and sharing case studies in exemplary practice supporting Pacific-learner success in tertiary education. This project is planned to complement Janinka Greenwood and Lynne-Harata Te Aika’s recent project, Hei Tauira, on exemplary practice for Māori. The work will be led by Dr Cherie Chu (Victoria University of Wellington), in collaboration with the Association of Pacific Staff in Tertiary Education (APSTE).
3. Evaluating the impact of successive tertiary education strategies on Pacific achievement in tertiary education. We are currently in the process of evaluating the proposals we have received to undertake this work, and we plan to commission this in November.

• Find out more about the Pacific Peoples' Caucus
• Find out more about our completed projects supporting Pacific educators and learners

He Taunga Waka

The He Taunga Waka project aims to improve literacy and numeracy outcomes for adult Māori and Pasifika learners. 

This project has three key components; designing a new blended professional development programme, engaging with communities and community groups to raise the awareness of the value of literacy and numeracy, and supporting the development of the Tairāwhiti literacy and numeracy hub.

The project, led by Ako Aotearoa is being undertaken in collaboration with the National Centre of Literacy and Numeracy and NZCER.

For 2016, The two He Taunga Waka workshops “Ako, Aro and Whanaungatanga” and “ The Pasifika Wave” (formerly called Teu Le Vā) are  available for tertiary education organisations (TEOs) delivering programmes across the foundation sector. 

  Find out more or book a workshop​

The Pasifika Wave: How to make a difference for your Pasifika adult learners in literacy and numeracy - flipbook out now

We are pleased to present our new interactive online flipbook 'The Pasifika Wave: How to make a difference for your Pasifika adult learners in literacy and numeracy' which was designed to support tertiary educators who wish to enhance their engagement with Pasifika learners, and who seek to expand on their teaching and learning practices based on Pasifika knowledges and practices.

Our interactive flipbook includes:

• Video clips explaining various cultural concepts and practices
• Sound clips giving an authentic tutorial with Pasifika languages
• Map of Te Moana nui a Kiwa showing the Pacific islands
• An explanation and activities about ‘Teu Le Vā’- Sacred space and relating this to the learning space for Pasifika learners
• A graphic explaining the changing face of the Pasifika learner
• Some facts and figures about Pasifika people
• Elements of Api’i-the Pasifika perspective of reciprocal relationship of teaching and learning
• Pacific Voyagers: a three-level guide for a reading activity
• Numeracies and literacies: a guide for thinking, discussion, and writing

 Read the 'The Pasifika Wave: How to make a difference for your Pasifika adult learners in literacy and numeracy' FLIPBOOK

News

The newly published report, Pacific Learner Success in Workplace Settings, focuses on exploring key links, barriers, and solutions leading to higher achievement for Pacific learners in the workplace and was launched at the 2017 Pacific Tertiary Education Forum in Auckland. Tongan support worker Ainise Toupilo was one of several learners to share their experiences about learning as part of the project with The Aucklander and noted "Group study was really helpful for us Islander learners, especially because we could discuss the assessments in our own language and help support and motivate each other to keep going". The research was undetaken by Pacific Perspectives Limited in association with four ITOs and received co-funding from the Ako Aotearoa National Project Fund. You can find out more about the project, read more learner experience stories, and read the report here.
The third Pacific Tertiary Education Forum was held on the  28 and 29 of September 2017   Co-hosted by the Association of Pasifika Staff in Tertiary Education (APSTE) and Ako Aotearoa,  the forum provided an open environment for sharing sector wide approaches to shaping the practices, systems, and policies of those who have a stake and interest in this dimension of tertiary education. The learner-centered programme was based around three stages of a Pacific learner's journey through tertiary education, grouped under the following themes:  Supporting learners to shape and start their educational pathways What can we do to support Pacific learners to shape their education pathway? Supporting learners in their educational pathways What do we do well to respond to Pacific learners? What could we do better?  The outcomes from educational pathways How will we know or system is working for Pacific learners?   Find out more about the 2017 fono
The second Pacific Tertiary Education Forum was held on the 6th and 7th of September 2016.   Co-hosted by the Association of Pasifika Staff in Tertiary Education (APSTE) and Ako Aotearoa, this fono was based on a whole-of-sector approach to enhancing success for Pacific learners.  This means that Pacific success must be the responsibility of the tertiary education sector as a whole – not just that of Pacific organisations or Pacific staff.   Find out more about the 2016 fono
Ako Aotearoa is delighted to again sponsor the Association of Pasifika Staff in Tertiary Education (APSTE) Conference.  APSTE is Aotearoa’s only nationwide mobilised group for Pasifika staff who work in tertiary education. Its mission is to nurture and develop the educational aspirations of Pasifika, while acknowledging our unique cultural heritage and values. 2014 APSTE Conference
Ako Aotearoa's latest commisioned report  Success for Pasifika in tertiary education: Highlights from Ako Aotearoa-supported research has been released (May 2014)
National Project Fund completed project - Pasifika learners and success in tertiary education (June 2013)
National Project Fund completed project - Le So’otaga: Bridging the Divide (December 2012)
National Project Fund completed project – The impact of tertiary education strategies on success for Pacific learners (July 2012)
Good Practice Publication – Training manual for teachers working with Pacific students: Engaging Pacific learners (December 2011)
Southern Hub project – Developing an authentic Samoan lens (December 2011)
Assessing young Samoan children's learning in earlychildhood centres – Ako Aotearoa supports new Pacific Leadership Development Programme (May 2011)

For more information, check out the pages below:

The Resource Centre's Pacific Peoples section for a comprehensive listing of practical resources, including work that Ako Aotearoa has produced or supported.

Also see our Research Register for a listing of research & projects relating to Pacific Peoples