Ara Taiohi is committed to improving the quality, consistency and connectivity of New Zealand’s youth development (helping young people to take up active membership of our communities, democracy and the economy). It does this by pulling together 119 organisations in the sector, representing over 1000 members across the country.
Under the Family focus area, The Tindall Foundation (TTF) has funded Ara Taiohi through a direct donation of $480,000 since 2012. The contribution centres around the following areas:
- Connecting the youth development sector by fostering a nationwide movement of people and organisations who work with young people, actively promoting and enabling greater collaboration within the sector.
- Working to raise the standards, level of support and accountability of those who work with young people.
- Championing youth development through effective leadership and a cohesive voice on youth development issues.
TTF’s support has been vital in helping Ara Taiohi achieve its vision of Te Puawaitanga Taiohi o Aotearoa (‘that the young people of Aotearoa flourish’). As Chief Executive Jane Zintl says, “It’s helped us grow and develop many tools and programmes supporting this sector including running Involve, a national conference that gathered over 800 young people and those who work with them and establishing Korowai Tupu, the professional association for youth work in Aotearoa.”
Moving forward, Ara Taiohi aims to enhance its services and programmes for young people, as well as outcomes for young people’s education, employment and wellbeing. “Our strategic goals are to connect the sector, raise standards, champion youth development and promote sustainability,” Jane explains. “The tools and general services supported by TTF absolutely align with these goals.”
Working with Ara Taiohi has met a number of TTF goals including ensuring that rangatahi/young people are resilient, connected, able to participate, have a strong sense of self and focus on long-term solutions.