Te Puni Kōkiri celebrated rangatahi at The Outlook for Someday sustainability film challenge; and Young Enterprise Scheme.

Chief Executive Michelle Hippolite says the Ministry’s continued relationships with these initiatives help our rangatahi to open their eyes to new possibilities, and explore career opportunities.

“In both initiatives, college kids from around the motu showed an innovative spirit consistent with that of their tīpuna,” says Michelle.

“Our tīpuna were scientists and entrepreneurs – our ancestors knew how to read the winds, sea and birds to navigate by, and could build waka – that’s how they found their way across the Pacific to Aotearoa."

Later when others came to Aotearoa, our tīpuna established relationships for trade and developed product. Initiatives like these will tautoko our rangatahi to continue those traditions and art of science, exploration and leadership.

YOUNG ENTERPRISE SCHEME

Te Puni Kōkiri has supported the Award for Māori Business Excellence for seven years. The Young Enterprise Scheme is an experiential business programme where secondary students set up a company, create real products or services, and make real profit or loss.

Ōpōtiki College’s ‘Music is Our Legacy’ company won the 2013 Award for Excellence in Māori Business. The students were inspired by the ‘talented musicians in our student body performing at various events around Ōpōtiki College. These students inspired us to create the opportunity to tell their stories, to promote their skills and talents’.

The young company produced an album ‘Small House Rhythms’ containing nine original songs from Ōpōtiki College students. Songs were in English and te reo Māori. Ōpōtiki College doesn’t offer business studies but has won several awards in the Lion Foundation Young Enterprise Scheme National Awards in recent years.

In 2009, the school won Company of the Year and received the ASB Award for Financial Management for its New Zealand-themed, trivial pursuit-style board game ‘All Around Aotearoa’.

In 2008, it won the Te Puni Kōkiri Award for Best Māori Company and the Quicken Award for Most Profitable Company with its Māori cookbook Kai from the Coast.