Award for inspiring teacher's dedication

Whangarei Girls' High School head of commerce Janet Lang won the Sir James Fletcher Award for Outstanding Contribution to Enterprise. Photo / Supplied

A Northland teacher who has been educating students about running businesses for 30 years has won a national award for her dedication.

Whangarei Girls' High School head of commerce Janet Lang won the only teaching award at the 2014 National Awards for The Lion Foundation Young Enterprise Scheme.

Ms Lang said she was "stunned" when she was announced as the winner of the Sir James Fletcher Award for Outstanding Contribution to Enterprise.

Teaching enterprise enabled students to see what they are capable of, she said.

"I bring in strawberries and ice cream for the first lesson and tell the students that we are celebrating because they have chosen to take the best subject."

Three Northland College students, who made up a group called KTNT, were the highest achieving team whose members are of Maori descent.

Kiani Pou, Nathan Tarawa and Te Awhina Kopa won the He Kai Kei Aku Ringa Award for Rangatahi Entrepreneurs.

They created a manuka honey nut brittle, using local ingredients which promoted Hokianga.