Embedded Files
Over five months, local youth will learn to identify plastic waste problems in schools and community areas, carry out simple plastic counts, and lead practical activities such as promoting reusable items and running awareness events. Progress will be tracked using repeat plastic counts, photos, and youth records, and the results will be shared with the community and reported to the PMU. Lead Organisation: GROW Aitutaki
Funded by: POLP Plastics Small Grant
Taunga o te Moana: Water Guardians is a 2026 planned learning programme for students of Araura College, combining classroom lessons with hands on lagoon activities. In partnership with local experts and Cook Islands NGOs, students will learn about coral care, turtles, seabirds, and whales through lagoon trips, monitoring, and conservation sessions. Reaching around 60 students, the programme will build knowledge, practical skills, and cultural connections, empowering Aitutaki youth to become future guardians of the ocean.
Lead Organisation: GROW Aitutaki
Funding approved by New Zealand High Commission, November 2025
GROW Aitutaki, in collaboration with Aitutaki Coral Restoration and Eco Tours, is leading the Kōi Taramea Project to protect Aitutaki's lagoon and outer reef by removing Crown-of-Thorns Starfish (Taramea). Through hands-on conservation activities, local children and youth work alongside experienced mentors to learn about reef ecosystems, marine stewardship, and safe ocean practices. By helping control taramea populations, we are protecting our coral reefs, supporting marine biodiversity, and inspiring the next generation of environmental guardians. Together, we are caring for the ocean that sustains our island community.
Lead Organisation: GROW Aitutaki
A hands on coral gardening programme for Aitutaki youth aged 12–16, helping them learn how to care for the lagoon and protect marine life. Tamariki will work with local mentors to grow and plant coral using coral tables, lines, clips, and fragments. They will help build and look after coral gardens in the lagoon, while learning why coral is important for ocean health.
This programme teaches youth to respect the sea, share what they learn, and take pride in looking after their island environment.
Lead Organisation: GROW Aitutaki working alongside Aitutaki Coral Restoration, PRA REEF Revival and Richard Story
JULY photographY
JULY photographY
with Raquel
GROW Aitutaki, in collaboration with Australian photographer Raquel, will deliver a one week Photography Workshop for local children and youth. Participants will develop their photography and storytelling skills through hands on experience using instant cameras, underwater cameras, and digital cameras. The workshop will also cover photography techniques, photo editing, and printing, giving each young photographer the opportunity to refine their creative vision and share stories from their unique Aitutaki perspective. Together, we are empowering young people to capture, celebrate, and document the beauty, culture, and environment of our island.
Lead Organisation: Raquel Trejo
A planting programme for Aitutaki youth aged 5–16 that teaches tamariki how to grow, care for, and plant native trees. Youth will collect seeds, learn seed propagation, and take part in planting along coastal areas to help reduce erosion and restore the environment. Guided by local experts and elders, they’ll learn about traditional knowledge, the role of plants in island life, and how regenerative planting supports a healthy future.
This programme helps young people care for nature and keep Aitutaki green and strong.
Lead Organisation: GROW Aitutaki
A fun and hands-on marine programme for Aitutaki youth aged 9–13, focused on learning about turtles and how to protect them. Tamariki will explore the lagoon with local guides and a turtle expert from Hawai‘i, helping to spot, identify, and learn about the turtles that live in our waters. They will also learn why turtles are important, how to care for the ocean, and ways we can all help protect marine life.
This programme helps young people grow their knowledge and love for the lagoon and the ocean.
Lead Organisation: Te Ipukarea Society and George Balazs (Hawai‘i)
An exciting week long cultural exchange programme where Aitutaki youth will travel alongside Rarotonga ‘Ātui’anga ki te Tango (AKTT) youth to Mauke in July 2026. This inter island experience gives young people the opportunity to build friendships, share cultural knowledge, and strengthen their connection to culture, land, and ocean. The programme includes storytelling, traditional skills workshops, environmental activities, and place based learning experiences across both land and marine environments. The exchange fosters cultural pride, encourages peer-to-peer learning, and strengthens relationships between the three islands, while inspiring young people to value their identity and their role as guardians of their environment.
Lead Organisation: Kōrero o te ‘Ōrau
AUSTRALIA MARINE LEARNING PATHWAY
AN EDUCATIONAL AND COMMUNITY EXCHANGE OPPORTUNITY
Focus: An experiential learning program with a focus of practical reef and lagoon science, climate change, and community led conservation, with learning that directly connects back to the Aitutaki lagoon and can be embedded into school programmes and shared across the community. A group of 10 students will travel to Townsville, Australia, for a week long interactive program to learn more about caring for the lagoon and our environment.
Lead Organisation: Reef Guardian School, Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority
An exciting cultural exchange programme bringing together Aitutaki youth and ‘Ātui’anga ki te Tango (AKTT) students in Rarotonga in January 2026. This inter island visit gives young people the opportunity to build friendships, share cultural knowledge, and strengthen their connection to culture, land, and lagoon. The programme includes storytelling, traditional skills workshops, and place-based learning experiences across both land and marine environments. The exchange supports cultural pride, peer-to-peer learning, and strong relationships between islands, while encouraging young people to value their identity and role as guardians of their environment.
Lead Organisation: Kōrero o te ‘Ōrau
An exciting learning trip for Aitutaki youth aged 9 –13, combining technology, culture, and the environment. Tamariki will take part in a daily robotics and coding programme with the Centre of Excellence and Information Technology (CEIT) Code Avengers, learning new skills in coding, problem solving, and innovation. Each afternoon, they will visit key places around Rarotonga to explore conservation, sustainability, and Cook Islands culture. Outings include Te Ipukarea Society + Ocean Toa, an aviation hangar tour with Air Rarotonga, Korero o te Orau, and coral gardening with Te Ara o te Akau Inc.
This adventure helps young people grow in confidence, connect with the wider world, and be proud of who they are.
'ATUI'ANGA KI TE TANGO (AKTT)
'ATUI'ANGA KI TE TANGO (AKTT)
YOUTH CULTURAL EXCHANGE - OCTOBER 2025
An exciting cultural exchange programme bringing together Aitutaki youth and the ‘Ātui’anga ki te Tango (AKTT) students from Rarotonga. Held in October, this inter island visit gives young people the chance to build connections, share cultural knowledge, and explore shared values around environmental stewardship and identity. The exchange includes storytelling, traditional skills workshops, and place-based learning in both lagoon and land environments.
This programme supports cultural pride, peer-to-peer learning, and strong relationships between islands.
Lead Organisation: Kōrero o te ‘Ōrau
SWIM SAFE
SWIM SAFE
WATER CONFIDENCE AND OCEAN SAFETY
GROW Aitutaki, in collaboration with the Aitutaki Aquatics Club, aim to deliver a Swim Safe Project to teach local children and youth vital swimming and water safety skills. Surrounded by the lagoon and ocean, our community benefits from tamariki gaining confidence, competence, and respect for the marine environment. Through supportive lessons with trained instructors, we aim to prevent accidents, build lifelong skills, and create pathways into activities like diving, marine conservation, and tourism. Together, we are making Aitutaki a safer, more water smart island.
Lead Organisation: Aitutaki Aquatics Club
PARURU NO TE TUA MOANA
PARURU NO TE TUA MOANA
PROTECTORS OF THE OCEAN REALM - 2026
GROW Aitutaki, in collaboration with Bubbles Below, aims to equip Araura College students (aged from 12 years) through to adults of Aitutaki with internationally recognised scuba certification to engage in marine conservation. By training and certifying divers, we will build local capacity to monitor reefs, collect scientific data, and assist with restoration projects. The skills gained will not only strengthen community led environmental stewardship but also open pathways for education, employment, and eco tourism opportunities. The wider community will benefit through improved lagoon management, greater awareness of marine protection, and future generations empowered to care for their environment.
Lead Organisation: Bubbles Below
TO'ORA
TO'ORA
WHALE WATCHING EDUCATION
A fun and hands on whale education programme for Aitutaki youth aged 10–16. Run during whale season (August–October), it gives tamariki the chance to go whale watching, learn about whale behaviour and migration, and hear local stories about their cultural importance. Young people will take photos, listen to whale sounds, and map where whales travel.
This programme helps tamariki connect with the ocean, care for marine life, and share what they learn with their community.
Lead Organisation: GROW Aitutaki
PROJECT KAVEINGA KI TE PEU
PROJECT KAVEINGA KI TE PEU
VISUAL ARTS & CULTURE
This creative project connects youth with Aitutaki’s cultural identity through traditional and contemporary visual arts. Led by local artists and knowledge holders, tamariki will explore techniques such as tie dying pareu, rolled pareu board printing, carving, tivaevae, and painting that reflect Aitutaki’s heritage, environment, and stories.
Lead Organisation: GROW Aitutaki
NGAPUARIKI
NGAPUARIKI
VOYAGING AND NAVAGATING AITUTAKI
A fun and hands-on voyaging and navigation programme for Aitutaki youth aged 10–16. Run in partnership with vaka experts and local elders, it gives tamariki the chance to learn traditional wayfinding skills, explore ancestral migration routes, and experience sailing on a vaka. Young people will learn to read stars, swells, and wind, and hear stories passed down through generations about Aitutaki’s proud voyaging heritage.
This programme helps tamariki connect with their culture, develop confidence on the ocean, and celebrate the wisdom of their tūpuna.
Lead Organisation: Te Puna Marama Voyaging Foundation
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