Thanks to Grants for Good, this small rural school in Hawke’s Bay is helping its students grow a sense of purpose, build confidence and tackle any challenge that comes their way.
Children today are stepping into a rapidly and dramatically changing world. They are faced with a plethora of events outside of their control: earthquakes, floods, economic crises and a global pandemic, to name but a few. So learning to deal with the unexpected is a crucial 21st-century skill. Figuring out what’s important to a young person is also a big step, as is developing leadership, responsibility, social skills and community involvement.
Pukehou School principal, Rob Pratt, recognised this for his students, and wanted to find a way to equip them with the skills they need to face life’s challenges.
“We’re slightly below the EQI [Equity index – the replacement to deciles] average of 489 for our region, so we’re doing okay, but we still want to help our students to get out of their comfort zone and solve problems they never expected,” says Rob.
So with the help of his Board of Trustees, Rob applied for HealthCarePlus’s Grants for Good, with the intention of putting all his Year 7 and 8 students through the William Pike Challenge.
The William Pike Challenge is a programme specifically designed for years 6 and up, whereby they complete outdoor activities, community service and passion projects to develop resilience and positive wellbeing.
Founded by William Pike after his serious accident on Mt Ruapehu in 2007, the programme seeks to create a safe place for students to get used to stepping outside their comfort zone and engaging in new, challenging and rewarding experiences.
William and a friend were descending Mt Ruapehu in September 2007. They sheltered the night in Dome Shelter when Ruapehu erupted, flinging large amounts of rocks, water and mud onto the hut. Almost 24 hours later, William woke up in Waikato Hospital and although he survived, his right leg had to be amputated below the knee, and he faced a long, gruelling rehabilitation.
“We were lucky enough attend the Central Hawkes Bay launch event where William spoke,” says Rob. “He swam in a relay against students, which was pretty special. He also told our students how he learnt to walk again with a prosthetic limb and how when you’re faced with a challenge or change, stepping out of your comfort zone is one of the things that will determine whether you succeed or fail.”
The intention with the Grants for Good funding was to put all Year 7 and 8s through the programme. However, due to a Central Hawkes William Pike Challenge Trust being established for all schools in the Central Hawkes Bay region, it made sense to combine with other schools. Rob says, “The Trust do a fantastic job organising and facilitating the events and activities, as well as coming into the school and mentoring our students. It was on their advice that we focused just on our Year 8s this year.”
“The kids have really enjoyed the physical activities and team-building survival skills,” says Rob. “They’ve been mountain-biking and orienteering, and at the end of the year they will attend a camp, and walk the Sunrise Track in the Ruahine Forest Park.”
Rob is already noticing that the students are building confidence and getting better at taking risks. “I can see a real sense of pride in them when they tell me what they’ve been working on,” says Rob. “Some of the students have just started a breakfast club and are organising all the service aspects of this club.”
In a sense, this programme is planting a seed in these students to foster a sense of adventure. And the knock-on effects have been highly engaged students who learn better.
“I would really recommend applying for a grant,” says Rob. “The application process wasn’t too hard to work through, and it’s been a great way to help the students face adversities.”
Below are some photos that Rob took when students attended the programme:
Grants for Good has three categories of individual grants: study support for hardship, individual professional development and individual small projects. To find out more about whether you are eligible to apply, visit our website here.
Feedback from our Grant's committee
Leave a comment