South Auckland youth graduate leadership programme

21 December 2011

A dozen carefully selected South Auckland youth have graduated from the second annual AMP’d leadership programme. The young leaders were identified from the AMP’d drop in programme, which provides free sport and recreation for 11 to 17-year-olds after school in local Manukau parks, and have successfully completed the year-long SPARC Growing Leaders course.

Ofeina Ma’afu, Tou Dodds, Shontelle Kereopa, Eddie Elliot, Antonio Levi, Junior Notise, Joy Puepuemai, Eve Piho, Mary Piho, Nuku Tawhiti, Jacinta Kahika and Danny Korewha gathered with friends and family, on 10 December, at Auckland Council’s Manukau Civic Building to be formally recognised as emerging leaders in their communities, graduate the programme, and celebrate their success.

In a colourful ceremony that included drummers, Maori, Cook Island dance, and Samoan and Tongan haka, the graduates each received a certificate, a personalised bag and jacket, and a leadership pack. The leadership pack contains all the basic yet essential tools to enable the youth to gain employment or education, including a letter of reference, curriculum vitae, learners’ drivers license (if successfully completed), basic first aid certificate, personal identification and bank account details.

Delivered by Manukau Leisure, the John Walker ‘Find Your Field of Dreams’ Foundation AMP’d programme is all about getting local youth active and encouraging positive social behaviour. And encouraging youth into sports clubs.

“It started with providing free sport and recreation in local Manukau parks after school but has continued to evolve and has become much more,” says programme manager Peter Caccioppoli, “The parks drop-in programme is just the beginning; it’s the wide end of the funnel. We encourage youth to take ownership of the parks programme and plan, design and deliver various local community events. From there selected youth get the chance to attend team building experiences – because they’re often outdoor pursuits its dubbed AMP’d vs Wild. Then a number get the opportunity to go on and complete our leadership programme, which we call AMP’dified.”

Eleven youth completed this year’s AMP’d vs Wild, which culminated in a five day camp. The youth challenged themselves to kayak, hike, mountain bike and finally abseil the Hunua Falls. From this year’s AMP’d vs Wild participants the 2012 AMP’dified youth have been selected. Amira Hadfield, Xavier Coburn, Schneider Lang - Shin, Jason Dionysiou, Michelle Dionysiou, Nuila Havili, Aramiha Kahika, Winta Lata, Breeze Pouesi, Taone Tutahi will have the opportunity to undertake the SPARC Growing Leaders course next year.

Special awards were presented to recognise outstanding achievements amongst the young graduating leaders. Two awards were given for excellence in sport – one went to volleyball player Ofeina Ma’afu and the other to touch and tag representative Tou Dodds.

For the second year Manukau Institute of Technology has provided a scholarship, which was this year presented to Shontelle Kereopa who sung at the graduation ceremony and will go on to complete a Diploma in Performing Arts.

For the first time an alumni award was presented to a previous AMP’dified graduate. The award went to Taylah Paraha who last year won the AMP’d’ifed Leader of the Year award for turning her life around and has now gone on to represent Alfriston College as a student ambassador, become a member of the Manurewa Youth Council, and attend the Bluelight Lifeskills Camp. Next year Taylah will be attending the MIT Police preparation course and wishes to gain acceptance to the Police College in Porirua thereafter.

The AMP’dified Leader of the Year 2011 was awarded to Eddie Elliot in recognition of exceptional leadership both within and outside of the AMP’d programme. As well as studying full time in his first year of Unitec’s Bachelor of Performing Arts, Eddie has worked as a dance tutor at James Cook High School, choreographed performances, and committed himself to undertaking the leadership programme. A one thousand dollar development grant will contribute to Eddie’s continued studies in the coming year.