Whakawhanaungatanga suite of activities set ākonga up for success

Wednesday, 22 February 2023

The first weeks of life on campus are all about getting to know people, building new relationships and growing a sense of whānau with your peers while you study. These are all important steps to creating the right environment for learning and setting up a clear pathway to success. Here at Wintec | Te Pūkenga we call this, whakawhanaungatanga and we do this through the Whakawhanaungatanga suite of activities.

The Whakawhanaungatanga suite of activities are intentionally designed events and workshops that help ākonga to feel like part of the whānau here at Wintec | Te Pūkenga and remove obstacles throughout Te Ara Ākonga- the learning journey.

“We know that ākonga are meeting new people and learning about new processes and places in these first weeks and that can be confusing or overwhelming. The Whakawhanaungatanga suite of activities will help our ākonga bypass those feelings and link them in with the right support services at the right time,” says Te Kete Manaaki Interim Director, Kiri Waitai.

This semester is the first time that the full Whakawhanaungatanga suite of activities will be on offer to ākonga and will provide a smorgasbord of opportunities for ākonga to:

Connect to the variety of support services and technology on offer before it's needed
Meet up and connect with other like-minded ākonga, and
Strengthen relationships with kaiako outside of the classroom in a relaxed and encouraging environment.

Facilitated by our Manaaki Te Niho Taniwha team at Te Kete Manaaki, “ākonga can engage with our services through a number of ways ranging from online, kanohi ki te kanohi and in-workshop groups. They can feel supported with friends or share in a more private space,” says Kaiāwhina, Olivia Robinson.

As the semester progresses and timelines draw closer, ākonga experience the pressures of assessment and the impact that study has on life at home.

Whakawhanaungatanga Activities Coordinator, Hera Denton says, “the Whakawhanaungatanga suite of activities will anticipate these shifts and offer workshops, hui and events to reduce those pressures and make the most of time spent online and on campus.”

Wa whakawhanaungatanga - connecting ākonga to support services

Wā Whakawhanaungatanga are the first in the suite of activities to be held each semester. These drop-in sessions are held over the ākonga first four weeks to introduce them to all the learning support services available at Wintec | Te Pūkenga, including academic and pastoral care.

”Wā Whakawhanaungatanga are free to attend and have been held in the Rotokauri Hub every Tuesday and on Wednesdays at our marae, Te Kōpū Mānia o Kirikiriroa, with the last two sessions being held alongside our Orientation days, on Tuesday 28 February at Rotokauri and Wednesday, 1 March in the city.

“With the cancellation of the city pōwhiri, Wā Whakawhanaungatanga are the first experience at our marae for most of our our new ākonga. We have enjoyed introducing them to our marae and welcoming them into the whānau here at Wintec | Te Pūkenga.” Te Kete Manaaki Interim Director, Kiri Waitai.

For the first time this year, ākonga attending the City Campus sessions have also had the chance to meet with local hapū and tribal authorities. Whakawhanaungatanga Coordinator, Hera Denton says “Wā Whakawhanaungatanga is an opportunity for ākonga to connect with Mana Whenua representatives to support connection and promote the services they offer to enhance your learning journey."

Next up in the Whakawhanaungatanga suite of activities is Hei Oranga Mōu which aim to link ākonga with opportunities to avoid the potential barriers to study success.

Find out when the next Whakawhanaungatanga activity is happening.