Porirua Community of Practice for Climate Action

Porirua Community of Practice for Climate Action

Kaiako, taiohi, tamariki and rangatahi from Porirua who work in relationship with Te Runanga o Ngāti Toa Iwi, Porirua City Council, Enviroschools, Papa Taiao Earthcare, Future Unity, NZAEE, local experts and the wider community. Our overarching goal is to understand our relationship with the environment and take action for the future where the mauri of te taiao is thriving and so are we!

Who are we?
In February and March 2025 a successful rangatahi wānanga and Citizens Assembly were held in Porirua to discuss how our community can connect and respond as our climate changes. Read more here.

Two of the six key recommendations from that Assembly were:

• Action, education and awareness To guarantee equitable access to educate ourselves, understand our part to play, connect to the taiao (our environment), and act.
• Rangatahi  To intentionally include, inform, enable and empower our rangatahi to participate meaningfully and equitably in design, 
decision-making and implementation.
  
  

Our Mahi 2026 

Events have come from the need of taiohi and tamariki to have learning that is within their community, in the taiao, supported by tuakana/teina systems and are culturally -centred.

February 27th: Professional Development day for Porirua Kaiako

We gathered to set up the Kaiako Community of Practice. This invite was extended to ECE, primary and secondary sectors. 

The key whainga/intentions were for:

• Kaiako to “walk the talk” in their commitment to the Porirua Assembly on Climate Vision
• Kaiako to feed into the Porirua Community of Practice (CoP) that supports the Porirua Assembly on climate vision
• Kaiako to be empowered to share the Porirua Assembly on Climate Vision with their school community
• Kaiako and their senior leadership commit to supporting rangatahi to be involved with the Future Unity rangatahi rōpū

45 kaiako attended: 8 ECE represented, 20 primary schools, 1 Intermediate and 5 secondary schools.  Kaiako worked in groups to make connections to the kaupapa from their school community perspectives and to identify ideas for engaging with this further. They left the hui with a Padlet of resources collated by Amanda Dobson.

May 20th: Youth Week Activity

‍As part of Youth Week 2026, 77 rangatahi from nine Porirua CoP  kura, and Te Awakairangi region came together at Battle Hill Regional Park – Horokiri Valley for Ko Au Te Taiao, a youth-led day of learning, connection, and exploration in te taiao.