What is Puāwai DIY?

Puāwai DIY is a project that aims to support communities around Aotearoa to develop and strengthen their work alongside rangatahi in their community.  Leadership Lab has designed and implemented the Puāwai programme for 6 years – during this time we have learnt a huge amount about working with rangatahi with a focus on strengthening identity.  The vision of Puāwai DIY is to share this learning with other communities and rangatahi focussed programmes- ie DIY Do it yourself:)

Puāwai DIY supports communities by offering a series of Regional training workshops based on our learnings in Puāwai. We are also available to provide mentoring for community leaders to assist them to develop and enhance their own programmes. 

What is Puāwai?

Puāwai is a three-month experience for approximately 40 rangatahi/young people aged 15-18 designed to connect and develop a diverse network of “potential leaders, innovators, disruptors, drivers” and help them develop real skills, knowledge. The focus of Puāwai is to;
• Connect with others to network, innovate and create change
• Develop real skills, knowledge and confidence with a focus on strengths and knowing who you are
• Provide opportunities for rangatahi from diverse communities, informed by kaupapa Māori principles

Puāwai Expressions of Interest Flyer

Rangitahi who join the programme will be supported by a tuākana (mentor) from their own community

Tell me about the Puāwai DIY workshops

“Who we are is how we lead” Workshop#1-Whāngarei (SAMPLE) 

Registration & Information about upcoming events here

Purpose: 

• “Who we are is how we lead” Workshop- Building identity in the rangatahi we work alongside
• Extending the story telling we have already done at Festival of the Future, Allyshift and Involve Conference, 

Format: 

• 1 day workshop x 1 or 2
• Maybe sign up for 1st workshop and then follow up another 1 day workshop later 
• Or offer two x 1 day workshops with mahi in between? Could also be online pre-sessions and online sessions between workshops
• Hosted by local youth network partners in each centre

Venues and partners: 

• Core partner: Ara Taiohi- consider offering this in second half of 2026 after the Ara Taiohi roadtip in completed 
• Whāngarei (with Northland Te Ora Hou)
• Tāmaki Makaurau (with 
• Kirikiriroa (with Seeds Waikato)
• Ahururi/Hastings or Gisborne (with Gwyn?)
• Poneke (with ?)
• Whakatū/Nelson (with ?)
• Ōtautahi (with Rerenga Awa) 
• Otepoti (with ?)

Audience

• Professionals working with rangatahi – youth workers, teachers, community workers, health professionals, social workers, coaches, etc etc 
• Young people themselves – potential tuakana 

Content

• Puāwai whakapapa (how it was birthed? What’s unique about it? What have we learnt over 6 years of implementation?)
• Identity and intersectionality (Ko wai au? Poetry, window to our world etc) 
• Power and privilege wheel (both Ara Taiohi journal version and rangatahi version) 
• Strength coaching with rangatahi (adapting this approach to connect and validate rangatahi) 
• Standing strong in our kawa – boundaries and inclusion (ethics, boundaries, psychological safety, managing risk) 
• Facilitation of safe and engaging sessions (Facilitation Flow, Paulo Freire, weaving stories) 
• Designing rangatahi-led activator events (Puāwai activators, scaffolding and poutama, co-design with rangatahi etc) 
• Leadership development of tuakana (dual outcomes ie rangatahi and tuakana, providing pathways for alumni and tuakana to repeat with more responsibility etc) 
• Mosaic tool (Ara Taiohi) and practice note update re polarisation focus