Seminar 6: Bridget Glasgow, Anaru Hetaraka, & Rachel Bolstad (Auckland Council) – Empowering learners through Mana Ora: Students decarbonising schools project
Mana Ora speaks to the mana (prestige/power) we have as ira tangata (people) to do right by our taiao/tupuna (environment/ancestor) by enhancing the mauri (life force) and ora (health) of our taiao (environment). This project aimed to enable students, with support, to plan and implement action projects linked to decarbonisation within their schools and kura. In this seminar we discuss the successes and challenges for sustaining climate action learning in schools in Tāmaki Makaurau.
Eighteen Mana Ora projects were implemented in early childhood, primary, and secondary schools with support from Sustainable Schools advisors from Auckland Council. Although the decarbonising impacts of the projects were modest, an evaluation found that students felt "empowered" seeing ways they could take action on climate change and sustainability issues through making a change in their own school. As a result, many students were able to explain new understandings they had developed about climate change and/or decarbonisation, and teachers felt they benefited from the support they received.
The evaluation findings align with other research that demonstrates the benefits of learners having opportunities to engage in climate action projects, to build climate knowledge, a sense of personal connection, and power to make change. Videos from Māori medium schools captured an indigenous voice on climate action and relationship with te taiao. The support mechanisms we identified that helped to build knowledge and confidence in taking action will be shared nationally. As a result, we hope to grow capability and challenge systems, inspiring teachers and young people to join a growing network of change agents. We argue that models such as Mana Ora, present ways to work with, or around, the limitations of what schools may be able to offer by themselves, due to constraints of time, space, funding, or expertise in climate education.
Speaker biographies:
Bridget Glasgow is Kaiwhakahaere (Team Leader) with Sustainable Schools Team at Te Kaunihera o Tāmaki Makaurau, Auckland Council. She has been involved in sustainability education for over 20 years. She and her team now deliver support for English and Māori medium schools through formal education with the aim to enable young people to learn and act sustainably and participate in building regenerative communities. Originally a secondary teacher she has worked in national and local government and with tertiary organisations to grow the capability of effective education for sustainability in NZ schools. The team received funding for the project through grants from Westpac, NZ Government Innovation Fund and the Ministry for the Environment.
Anaru Hetaraka. Ko Ngātiwai, Ngāi Te Rangi, Ngāti Whātua, Ngāti Hine, Ngāti Kahu, me Ngāti Maniapoto ngā iwi. Anaru is the Kaupapa Māori Sustainable Schools Advisor at Auckland Council within Ngā Ratonga Taiao – Environmental Services. He works alongside Kura Kaupapa Māori and Kōhanga Reo across Tāmaki Makaurau, as well as providing support for our English medium schools around the Mana Ora programme. Prior to his appointment at Auckland Council, he was a teacher for 10 years working within the Primary and High school sectors.
Rachel Bolstad is a Kaihautū Rangahau (Chief Researcher) at NZCER. She leads research on educational policy and practice in response to climate change and worked with Auckland Council to evaluate Mana Ora in 2023.
