The Moko Foundation

03/09/2026

He Takere Waka Nui Specialised Pathways Programme – Hospitality

Our tauira had the opportunity to spend a day in the kitchen with Whaea Desley Austen, getting a hands-on look into the world of hospitality.

Throughout the day, tauira learnt the ins and outs of working in a kitchen, including knife skills, food health and safety, and preparing a range of different meals.

A special part of the day was being able to share the kai our tauira created with the kuia and kaumātua next door. ❤️

Ngā mihi Whaea Desley for sharing your time, knowledge and experience with our tauira and giving them an awesome insight into the hospitality industry.

28/08/2026

He Takere Waka Nui x Moko Kauri 🎨🌿
Mahi Toi Specialised Pathways Programme

Last week, our tauira had the privilege of spending the day with the talented team at Moko Kauri, creating their very own kōwhaiwhai panels.

From designing and preparing their panels through to cutting, painting and seeing their mahi come to life, our tauira loved every step of the process. It was also an awesome opportunity to hear from Māori artists working within the mahi toi space and learn more about the pathways, creativity and mahi behind their craft.

A huge ngā mihi to Raniera, Marley and Maikio for welcoming our tauira, sharing your knowledge and creating such an awesome experience for them.

05/08/2026

Our He Takere Waka Nui 2026 Specialised Pathways are well underway!

This year, our Year 12 tauira have been connecting with local industries, exploring future career pathways, and gaining real-world experiences.

So far, we've delivered pathways in:
💈 Beauty & Barbering
🚧 Construction
🏃 Sport & Recreation

And we have only just started, coming up we have:
💻 Information Technology
🍽️ Hospitality
🪵 Mahi Toi
🌿 Taiao / Environment
🩺 Health & Sciences

Through these experiences, our tauira are developing practical skills, building confidence, connecting with industry professionals, and discovering the many opportunities available right here in Te Hiku and beyond.

A huge mihi to all of our incredible partners who continue to open their doors, share their knowledge, and invest in the next generation. We couldn't do this without you.

E kore e ngaro, he tākere waka nui. 💚

29/07/2026

He Takere Waka Nui – Specialised Pathways Programme 🌊
Sport & Recreation SPP🏋️

This week, our Year 12 tauira had the awesome opportunity to dive into the exciting world of Sport & Recreation alongside the amazing team at Safe Performance - Claudia and Whiria Meltzer.

Throughout the workshop, our tauira explored personal branding, nutrition, movement, and performance while gaining a real insight into the many career pathways available within the industry. The day was packed with hands-on learning, great conversations, and plenty of laughs, giving our rangatahi a taste of what a future in this space could look like.

Another highlight of the day was hearing from our guest speakers, Rawinia Everitt and Billy Proctor, who shared their personal journeys, the challenges they’ve overcome, and the lessons they’ve learnt along the way. Your kōrero reminded our rangatahi that success isn’t always a straight path, and that hard work, resilience, and backing yourself can take you a long way.

Ngā mihi nui to Clauds and Fidz for your passion, energy, and commitment to inspiring our rangatahi. Thank you for creating a space where our tauira felt encouraged to learn, ask questions, and challenge themselves.

To Rawinia and Billy, thank you for giving your time so generously despite your busy schedules. Your willingness to share your experiences and encourage the next generation is something our tauira will remember for years to come.

Our Specialised Pathways Programme is all about exposing rangatahi to real people, real industries, and real opportunities so they can make informed decisions about their futures 🌟

27/07/2026

Haramai te pai o tēnei tauira! Hokianga ki te ao taketake.

Great to be passing on these opportunities.

Congratulations to our Year 11 student, Lucas Fenton! Lucas has been selected by the Moko Foundation to represent Te Hiku at the 2026 NRL Indigenous Summit in Dharawal Country, South-Western Sydney next month. Through the Foundation's partnership with ONE NZ and the Warriors Foundation, he will participate in leadership, cultural exchange, and wellbeing workshops alongside Māori, Aboriginal, and Torres Strait Islander rangatahi. Here is a link to a story written on the 2025 summit:

https://www.nrl.com/news/2025/08/13/young-leaders-shine-at-2025-nrl-indigenous-youth-summit/

08/07/2026

He Takere Waka Nui Specialised Pathways 🌊

Our first Specialised Pathways Programme (SPP) for 2026 was a huge success!

We were privileged to work alongside Tame x Barbers and Evolution Beauty to bring this opportunity to life for our rangatahi.

21 Year 12 tauira interested in beauty and barbering pathways were able to gain hands-on experience, learn more about the industries, and explore the many opportunities and career pathways available to them.

A huge ngā mihi to Adrianne and Tame for sharing your time, knowledge, and support with our students.

Looking forward to our SPP next week, where we will be taking a look at Trades and construction! 🧱🔨

30/06/2026

Nau mai, haere mai

Noah McBirney Warnes (Ngāti Kahungunu, Ngāti Whātua)

Noah grew up in the Far North and alongside his studies has had the opportunity to work across local government, youth advocacy, and environmental initiatives including with UNESCO and the UN Ocean Decade.

Growing up in Te Tai Tokerau, Noah has seen first-hand how geography can limit access to education, leadership, and support. Noah is passionate about ensuring rangatahi have equal access to opportunities, no matter where they grow up.

"Too often, decisions are made about young people without young people being part of the conversation. When rangatahi are genuinely included, we don't just identify problems, we bring practical ideas and energy to help solve them."

Noah, like other rangatahi, brings fresh thinking, creativity, and lived experience to the mahi we do and we are excited to have him on board as our rangatahi representative at the table.

To other rangatahi thinking about stepping into leadership, he says: "Don't wait until you think you're ready, because you'll probably never feel completely ready. Say yes to opportunities, ask questions, back yourself, and remember that your voice matters."

12/05/2026

He Takere Waka Nui – Year 11 Haerenga 2026 🚍✨

From exploring the campuses at University of Auckland, Auckland University of Technology, and Manukau Institute of Technology, to learning about pathways with the New Zealand Warriors Foundation, our tauira were able to see what opportunities exist beyond school.

We also had the chance to visit Auckland War Memorial Museum, explore trades and hands-on learning at New Zealand Management Academies, gain insight into media and broadcasting at TVNZ, and discover engineering and future-focused careers with Beca.

A huge 4 days filled with learning, laughter, whakawhanaungatanga, and future aspirations. Proud of the way our Year 11 rangatahi represented themselves, their whānau, and their kura throughout the haerenga.

Ngā mihi Kaitaia College and Taipa Area school for coming along with us 👏