Vayuu, 12, told the Herald the workshop has “helpedme understand others more and made me want to reach out and get to know different people”.
Vice-principal Jacob Allison said their school saw the workshop “as a valuable opportunity to invest in our student leaders by equipping them with the tools they need to thrive in their roles”.
“Students have said they’ve found the workshops really uplifting and positive.”
The initiative, Champions for Compassion, is being led by Birkenhead local Marty Smith’s registered charity Chefs for Compassion.
Glenfield Intermediate hosted the Champions for Compassion workshop on May 1.
It hosted another workshop at Rosmini College on Friday, and plans more in the future.
“When I started Chefs for Compassion, I thought about what I truly wanted my kids to learn - not just how to pass tests, but how to be decent, grounded people,” Smith said.
“That‘s where compassion came in. We‘re growing something that should be shared with as many students across the country as possible.”
Founded in 2010, it provides extracurricular programmes for students, teaching them how to be compassionate through work in fast-paced, high-pressure environments and ways to give back to those less fortunate.
The Champions for Compassion one-day workshops are organised by the charity and run by Auckland University’s Dr Selina Tusitala Marsh, a distinguished Pasifika poet who was the New Zealand Poet Laureate from 2017 to 2019.
The programme engages the “Relationships With Other People” strand of the school curriculum to ensure the skills students are taught aid in their learning development.
Vayuu said it was crucial for kids to learn how to be compassionate because it applies to all aspects of one’s life.
Dr Selina Tusitala Marsh was New Zealand's Poet Laureate from 2017 to 2019. Photo / Duncan Brown
“If you’re ever unsure about how to act or what to say, you can think back to what you’ve learned and use that to help guide you.”
Since taking part in the workshop, Vayuu said it’s been easier to connect with others.
“I‘ve started to notice more when someone’s feeling left out or not being treated kindly. It’s made me think more about how others might be feeling on the inside.”
Allison said that Glenfield Intermediate was attracted to the programme‘s focus on service and giving back to the community, which aligned closely with the school‘s values.
“The theme of staying compassionate under pressure really resonated with us, it‘s a quality that benefits not just leaders, but all of us, especially when navigating challenging situations.”
Students were given practical tools to help them steer their thoughts and actions from a place of kindness, with the importance of altruism, self-compassion and creating positive habits listed among the workshop’s key takeaways.
Rosmini College students participating in a compassion workshop on Friday.
Allison acknowledged that the chance to meet and connect with role models like Marsh also gave students an opportunity that their school couldn’t pass on.
“They’ve enjoyed how Selina runs the sessions and makes sure there‘s plenty of collaboration with students from other schools.”
The workshop’s hands-on, reflective activities were also a highlight, Allison said.
“Students stay really engaged and love how fun and meaningful the sessions are.”
William, 12, praised the inclusion of biscuits at day’s end the most, but agreed with Allison in how the tasks helped him consider the world differently.
