Maori and Pasifika Education  

The story so far

In 2006, ASB Community Trust embarked on an ambitious and unchartered philanthropic journey in search of innovative proposals to address the serious problem of educational underachievement among Maori and Pasifika youth.

The aim was to lift their educational outcomes by a significant percentage over a five year period of focused intervention. Three years later, the Trust has committed in excess of $10 million to its Maori & Pasifika Education Initiative (MPEI) and will invest substantial funds through further grant-making. The total financial investment is greater than any amount the Trust has ever committed to a single initiative.

Authour Frances Hancock has been commissioned to write the story of the seven groups involved with MPEI. Each story follows the unique journey so far

C-Me Mentoring TrustC-Me Mentoring Foundation

In September 2010, C-Me Mentoring Foundation Trust (C-Me) launched its flagship Trades At School Programme with a heartwarming graduation of its first 14 students.

In the presence of over 150 guests, including students and their families, programme partners, and government, philanthropic, educational, industry and community leaders, the Trust firmly established its emerging leadership role in tackling the troubling problem of educational underachievement among Pacific and Maori youth.

C-Me is one of the seven successful recipients of the ASB Community Trust Māori and Pasifika Education
Initiative, which is exploring a new philanthropic approach to addressing this troubling problem and offers substantial multi-year funding and consultancy support.

Rise UP Trust storyRise UP Trust

Rising up for such a time as this to lift the educational achievement of Maori and Pacific children

Rise UP Trust began life in a garage, as Auntie Sita’s Home School. Today, it is a thriving charitable trust with a strong organisational culture and a pool of talented people, compromising six board members, three fulltime staff and a number of willing volunteers.

Registered with the Charities Commission and currently located in offices in the Pacific Business Trust premises in Otahuhu, Auckland, Rise UP Trust is determined to lift the educational achievement of Māori and Pacific children in South Auckland communities, and eventually to reach others further afield through replicable programmes.

Sylvia Park School

Mutukaroa: A School and Community Learning Partnership Raising Student Achievement

At Sylvia Park School, the board, management and staff are committed to raising student achievement and ensuring that all children leave school with good educational outcomes.

Sylvia Park School story

In 2009, our culturally diverse east Auckland primary school received funding from ASB Community Trust through its Māori and Pasifika Education Initiative to implement a School and Community Learning Partnership, which we call Mutukaroa.

Mutukaroa aims to shift the emphasis from the school to the child and their learning, focusing on student achievement and fostering the active engagement of parents through a learning partnership. This story provides a snapshot of the early stages of project development, the difference Mutukaroa is already making, lessons learned to date and next steps.