Bay of Plenty Times
  • Bay of Plenty Times home
  • Latest news
  • Business
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
  • Property
  • Sport
  • Video
  • Death notices
  • Classifieds

Subscriptions

  • Herald Premium
  • Viva Premium
  • The Listener
  • BusinessDesk

Sections

  • Latest news
  • On The Up
  • Business
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
  • Property
    • All Property
    • Residential property listings
  • Rural
    • All Rural
    • Dairy farming
    • Sheep & beef farming
    • Horticulture
    • Animal health
    • Rural business
    • Rural life
    • Rural technology
  • Sport

Locations

  • Coromandel & Hauraki
  • Katikati
  • Tauranga
  • Mount Maunganui
  • Pāpāmoa
  • Te Puke
  • Whakatāne
  • Rotorua

Media

  • Video
  • Photo galleries
  • Today's Paper - E-Editions
  • Photo sales
  • Classifieds

Weather

  • Thames
  • Tauranga
  • Whakatāne
  • Rotorua

NZME Network

  • Advertise with NZME
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • BusinessDesk
  • Newstalk ZB
  • Sunlive
  • ZM
  • The Hits
  • Coast
  • Radio Hauraki
  • The Alternative Commentary Collective
  • Gold
  • Flava
  • iHeart Radio
  • Hokonui
  • Radio Wanaka
  • iHeartCountry New Zealand
  • Restaurant Hub
  • NZME Events

SubscribeSign In
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Home / Bay of Plenty Times

Tauranga programme teaching young girls life skills launches with big ambitions

Jean Bell
By Jean Bell
Multimedia journalist·Bay of Plenty Times·
27 Jun, 2019 11:43 PM3 mins to read

Subscribe to listen

Access to Herald Premium articles require a Premium subscription. Subscribe now to listen.
Already a subscriber?  Sign in here

Listening to articles is free for open-access content—explore other articles or learn more about text-to-speech.
‌
Save

    Share this article

Claire Henry, Stuart Caldwell and Prue Caldwell from Tipu Skills for Life. Photo / Supplied

Claire Henry, Stuart Caldwell and Prue Caldwell from Tipu Skills for Life. Photo / Supplied

A Tauranga after-school mentoring programme working with disadvantaged young girls is officially launching today, with hopes of running in schools throughout the Bay of Plenty.

The Tipu Skills for Life programme works with girls aged 8 to 11 years old, teaching them about life skills, identifying emotions, self-worth, healthy relationships and setting life goals.

It has been developed over the past eight years and so far students from Greerton Village, Arataki, Gate Pa and Merivale Primary schools have participated so far.

Labour MP and former Merivale Primary School principal Jan Tinetti has endorsed the programme and will be attending the launch.

The launch also marks the beginning of its partnership with Auckland-based mentoring organisation Brothers In Arms, which buddies up a young person with an adult mentor.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

The course participants were referred to the course by school staff and some came from disadvantaged backgrounds and struggled with anger problems, difficulties forming friendships or other social problems.

The two-part programme involved an intensive eight-week segment where a group of about six girls and programme facilitators met for two-and-a-half hours every week.

This was followed by a second phase consisting of weekly meetings, mentoring and ongoing support services for both children and whānau.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

The course was kicked off and finished up with a whānau hui, where students, parents and school staff met and shared dinner.

National programme developer and school social worker Claire Henry developed the course with national director Stuart Caldwell after she came across young girls smoking at school due to family peer pressure.

Aside from teaching the girls basic life skills and building character through a strengths-focused approach, Henry said the course also explored the girls' future dreams and life ambitions.

"They have a vision for the future."

Discover more

Tauranga rates rise set at 3.9 per cent

27 Jun 04:44 AM

Part of Elizabeth St closed this weekend

27 Jun 01:02 AM

Fly, my pretty! Albino turkey on the loose in Pāpāmoa

27 Jun 07:25 AM

Luuka Jones home training and celebrating in the Bay

28 Jun 12:18 AM

She said improved leadership skills and better anger management were standout changes she saw in participants.

Caldwell said the girls had often never been exposed to the ideas and skills the programme covered.

"We ask them, 'If anything was possible, what would you like your future to look like'?" Caldwell said.

"Often that's a new concept because no one had ever asked them that question.

"They soak it up like a sponge."

The Tipu Skills for Life course is set to branch out into Fairhaven School and Te Puke Primary next term and has received expressions of interest from schools in the wider Bay of Plenty.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

It has received funding from Bay Trust and private donors.

Save

    Share this article

Latest from Bay of Plenty Times

Bay of Plenty Times

'The man I once trusted violently raped me': Man jailed for attacking ex-wife next to sleeping child

07 Jul 08:00 AM
Bay of Plenty Times

'Do it now, run him over'. Teen who ran over mother's partner twice can finally be named

07 Jul 07:00 AM
Bay of Plenty Times

Hunter who feeds the hungry named Volunteer of the Year

07 Jul 06:56 AM

From early mornings to easy living

sponsored
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Latest from Bay of Plenty Times

'The man I once trusted violently raped me': Man jailed for attacking ex-wife next to sleeping child

'The man I once trusted violently raped me': Man jailed for attacking ex-wife next to sleeping child

07 Jul 08:00 AM

The man apologised to his victim, but pleaded not guilty.

'Do it now, run him over'. Teen who ran over mother's partner twice can finally be named

'Do it now, run him over'. Teen who ran over mother's partner twice can finally be named

07 Jul 07:00 AM
Hunter who feeds the hungry named Volunteer of the Year

Hunter who feeds the hungry named Volunteer of the Year

07 Jul 06:56 AM
Downhill mountain bikers impress on world stage

Downhill mountain bikers impress on world stage

07 Jul 06:38 AM
Solar bat monitors uncover secrets of Auckland’s night sky
sponsored

Solar bat monitors uncover secrets of Auckland’s night sky

NZ Herald
  • About NZ Herald
  • Meet the journalists
  • Newsletters
  • Classifieds
  • Help & support
  • Contact us
  • House rules
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of use
  • Competition terms & conditions
  • Our use of AI
Subscriber Services
  • Bay of Plenty Times e-edition
  • Manage your print subscription
  • Manage your digital subscription
  • Subscribe to Herald Premium
  • Subscribe to the Bay of Plenty Times
  • Gift a subscription
  • Subscriber FAQs
  • Subscription terms & conditions
  • Promotions and subscriber benefits
NZME Network
  • Bay of Plenty Times
  • The New Zealand Herald
  • The Northland Age
  • The Northern Advocate
  • Waikato Herald
  • Rotorua Daily Post
  • Hawke's Bay Today
  • Whanganui Chronicle
  • Viva
  • NZ Listener
  • Newstalk ZB
  • BusinessDesk
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • iHeart Radio
  • Restaurant Hub
NZME
  • About NZME
  • NZME careers
  • Advertise with NZME
  • Digital self-service advertising
  • Book your classified ad
  • Photo sales
  • NZME Events
  • © Copyright 2025 NZME Publishing Limited
TOP