Youth Services

1st Apr 2020

Young people work with community-based providers (us!) who give guidance, support and encouragement to help them find the education, training or work-based learning that works. Youth Service offers guidance and practical support to young people. It is about stepping in early to help build potential through education, training or work-based learning, to gain the skills to find a job and have an independent future.

Some young people will work with a Youth Service provider as part of getting financial support from Work and Income. This includes young people who are receiving Youth Payment, Young Parent Payment or are a young partner receiving a main Work and Income benefit.

Youth Coach

Mani Columbus is the main Youth Coach for Kaikōura. Mani is passionate about young people, their potential and wellbeing. Mani is available on 027 644 6144 or email mani@kaikoura.link 

Youth Service is for:

• 16 and 17 year olds (and some 15 year olds) who are not engaged in employment, education or training (NEET), or young people who are at risk of moving into this category
• 16 to 19 year-old young parents
• 16 and 17 year olds who can’t live with their parents or guardians, or be supported by them or anyone else
• 16 or 17 years old, who have no dependent children and are the partner of a main Work and income beneficiary
• 16 to 19 years old, who have a dependent child or children and are the partner of a main Work and income beneficiary.

If you are a young person not in work, education or training, and not on a benefit:

Youth Service providers can offer you coaching and mentoring to help you into education, training or work-based learning. They can also offer you guidance and support towards an independent future.

If you are a young person needing financial support:

You may be eligible for the Youth Payment. Youth Payment is a payment to young people aged 16 or 17 who do not have dependent children, and are in need of financial assistance.

For example, if you are single, you may qualify for Youth Payment if you can’t live with your parents or guardian or get financial support from them or anyone.

Young Parent Payment is a weekly payment for 16 to 19 year old parents who have dependent children, and are in need of financial assistance.

For example, to qualify for Young Parent Payment you may be:

• 16 or 17 years old, living with your parents/ guardian, and they are eligible for Family Tax Credit, or
• 16 or 17 years old and can’t live with your parents/ guardian or get financial support from anyone, or 
• 18 to 19 years old with no partner.

As a condition of receiving these payments you need to be working with a Youth Service provider and meeting a number of obligations.

Further information about Youth Services can be found here 

Entrepreneurship Evening

20th Mar 2020

18 young people took the opportunity to spend a couple of hours with some of our local entrepreneurs, listening to stories about how they got started and interviewing them while exploring highlights and challenges involved with being in self employment.

A huge thanks to our local legends and entrepreneurs who shared their stories and provided inspiration to our rangatahi. Gus, Genevieve, Becs, Corinna, Miriama, Bob and Korey, you were all amazing and it was so heartening to see the kindness and willingness to awhi our young people in their journeys that you were able to offer. We are absolutely sure that there were some great conversations and thoughts following your presentations and conversations.

Corinna and the team at the Beach House - an awesome venue and amazing kai - thank you!

Petra and Rocco from Kaikoura Youth council - thanks a heap for the great MCing - you guys rock.

And a big thanks to the Ministry of Youth Development for supporting this with funding.

We were planning our next session to be a trip to Chch, but in the current climate we will have a re-think and get back to you all about next steps - possibly we will go digital with our next session - any suggestions are welcome!

Special FX and Stage Makeup

15th Mar 2020

The incredibly talented Laura Hewetson (https://thisislaurasusan.wordpress.com/) spent a weekend supporting some of our young people to learn some special effects makeup and stage makeup skills. 

As you'll see from the photos, a ton of fun was had while learning to make injuries, paint day of the dead faces (sugar skulls), different effects to create shadow, shape and textures. 

This workshop was supported with funding from the Ministry of Youth Development and is part of our 'Ko Wai Au' project - a series of mini projects designed to help young people explore what motivates, excites and inspires them, allowing them to develop a deeper sense of identity - Who Am I?

Hit the Wall!

7th Mar 2020

Matt Moriarty from Canyon Creative collaborated with 9 young people to create this very cool mural outside of Te Hā o Mātauranga.

The young people designed a series of sketches which were digitised, plotter cut, laminated and installed. We absolutely love the finished design!

At the official opening of the mural, each young person talked about a design they created, why they created this and what it meant to them as a young person living in Kaikōura. 

Matt used a restricted process for the mural. Creatives sometimes have too many options. Using restrictions can limit these. He talked about the brief being restricted to identity - how does this design relate to them as kiwi's, as Kaikōura people. The process was restricted to a contour/line drawing. There was digital restriction - 8 colours, using a digital plotter. This allowed creativity to thrive in restricted parameters. Musicians and writers often use this sort of process too.

Numbers and words

10th Feb 2020

Monday Maths - 3pm (ish!) until 4.30pm

With school back and settled in, we have restarted our weekly maths group. On Monday's after school we meet for kai and connection then kick into some learning using games and small groups. We've got quite a wide range of ages and abilities coming along which fosters tuakana-teina relationships - learning from peers.

Fun with words - Thursday's 3pm ish until 4.30pm

A new programme we are starting is a literacy based group. Exploring language and learning through fun and games, we encourage anyone interested in supporting their child to come and have a look at this. If whanau are able to join in with these weekly groups we really encourage this; you can cement the learning by repeating the games/rhymes/songs etc at home.

Youth Coach Vacancy!

30th Jan 2020

We are looking for an amazing person to provide part time Youth Services for Youth Payment, Young Parent Payment and NEET clients in Kaikōura! 

We have a great opportunity for a Youth Coach to work with both 16 -19 year olds who are working towards NCEA Qualifications and require training, employment and career pathway support, and with 16 -17 year olds who are not in education, employment or training. You will help them towards achieving NCEA Qualifications and the required training, employment and career pathway support they will need. If you are keen to make a difference in the community; have a passion and want to work with young people; demonstrate a positive and enthusiastic attitude with high energy levels; have a high level of literacy and numeracy; have strong administration skills; have a full drivers licence and will pass a Vulnerable Children’s Safety check, we would love to hear from you. The role is for 16 hours per week between 9am - 5pm weekdays, with exact times of work to be negotiated.

We are looking for someone with the following attributes: 

• Appropriate qualifications and/or experience

• Ability to speak to groups and profile programmes/services

• Proven ability to achieve outcomes

• Proven employer and/or training networks (or the ability to demonstrate how these can be developed)

• Proven ability in the Youth Sector

• Ability to run workshops and organise events

• Ability to work as part of a team

• Open and honest communication skills

• Able to work unsupervised

• Planning & organisation skills

• Ability to be flexible and responsive to the organisation’s needs

Applicants for this position should have NZ residency or a valid NZ work visa.  If you are up for helping young people to reach their goals and to develop a career and education path apply today!

Download a job description here  and an application form here and send applications to vicki@kaikoura.link by 21 February 2020

Girls Outdoor Adventures

20th Jan 2020

Coming up - Term 1 of school - for girls aged 12 - 18!!!

Renee is running an introduction to the outdoors for girls in our community. Full details of what happens will be worked out with the group - however some adventurous possibilities include:

• Tramping
• Orienteering
• Team building / Adventure based learning
• Camping
• Mountain biking
• Outdoor cooking
• Sea kayaking

All are welcome - pop into Te Hā if you are interested or after more info!

Hit the wall

9th Jan 2020

We have a big blank wall outside Te Hā...

We are teaming up with Matt Moriarty from Canyon Creative to create a new and exciting mural for our wall - and we want your help! We are asking for young people with an interest in graphic design or art or anyone with a keen eye to come along to a workshop to put together a design for the mural. More info will be released later in the month - if you are interested or want to know more then get in touch :)