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Ara Taiohi is the peak body for youth development in Aotearoa. We are connected to 4,000 people who work with young people every day. Our sector is based on a positive youth development approach which focuses on nurturing young people’s strengths and abilities, fostering their healthy development, and promoting positive engagement with their communities. Ara Taiohi is the peak body for youth development in Aotearoa. We are connected to 4,000 people who work with young people every day. Our sector is based on a positive youth development approach which focuses on nurturing young people’s strengths and abilities, fostering their healthy development, and promoting positive engagement with their communities. Learn More about Youth Work in Aotearoa

Youth Led Events Youth-led events are what make Youth Week come alive. Every year, rangatahi around Aotearoa dream up and run their own celebrations - stuff that reflects who they are and what they care about. We’ve seen everything from epic, once-in-a-lifetime experiences to chill hangouts and sharing kai with the community. Whatever it looks like, Youth Week hits different when it’s led by young people your young people, and that energy is what makes the festival of events so special. Want to build your leadership skills & be part of a team that plans a Youth Week event? Planning a Youth Week event starts with figuring out what you and your crew care about. Think about the kind of vibe you want - something creative, something active, something chill, something that brings people together, or something that uses your voice to spark change. So where do you start? Your idea: What’s the purpose? What do you want people to feel or experience? Your people: Who’s helping? Who’s coming along? Your place: Where will it happen? Your plan: What do you need to make it happen? Think about gear, support, funding, food, music, and transport? Your backup: Who’s there to support you? Is there a youth worker, school, community group, council, or local organisation that can help you with the logistics? Running a public event? Add your event to this year's events calendar to spread the word to rangatahi near you! Add Your Event to the Calendar Find an event near you Choose a date Filter by Region Select Region Filter by Event Type Select Event Type

Korowai Tupu Membership Agreement Personal Details First name* Last name* Name you are known as Phone Address* Email* Alternative Email Name of current employer or education institution Please upload a photo of you ID* Upload File Fees There is a flat application fee of $90 +GST. Please complete the payment below or let us know if you would like us to invoice your organisation. Please email the invoice to: Your membership fee for the remainder of the financial year (starting 1st July) will be invoiced when your membership has been approved. The cost of your membership is linked to your employment status. Which status best describes your current employment status?* Full-time (30+ hours): $150 +GST Part-time (>30 hours): $90 +GST Volunteer or Student: $75 +GST Signature I agree to the terms of membership * Signature* Drawing mode selected. Drawing requires a mouse or touchpad. For keyboard accessibility, select Type or Upload. Submit Pay Application Fee - Card Payment First name Last name Product Application Fee (inc. GST) $103.5 Email receipt to* Pay Now

Add Your Event to the Official Youth Week Calendar If your event is public, tell us all about and spread the word to rangatahi in your rohe! Your Youth Week Event Title of your event * Event Organiser * Event Address* Date* Day Month Year Start Time* Time : Hours Minutes AM Event Type Online Events Health & Sport Games & Kai Art Music & Dance Cultural Educational Youth Market Film Screening Youth Voice Other Short description of your event* Event Image Upload PNG/ JPG Is your event open to the public?* Yes, the more the merrier No, members of our org only Registration Link Target age (click all that apply) 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 Contact email address* Submit

Standing with Rangatahi Youth Week is a reminder to celebrate the young people in your life - not just acknowledge them in passing, but really see them. The rangatahi around you are already doing remarkable things; shaping their friendships with care, navigating a complex world with resilience, and bringing energy and ideas that make your world richer! This week is an invitation to tell them so. It doesn't take a grand gesture - it takes intention. Take a moment to look at the young people in your life and ask yourself what you'd want them to know about the difference they make. Celebrating with intention In your community Check out what Youth Week events are happening in your region, see if they need volunteers, donate prizes, or help spread the word Organise your own celebration at work, in your community, or with your whānau to publicly celebrate rangatahi Use your platform to amplify rangatahi -share their events, art, music, or whakaaro with your networks Download our digital assets to show your support. Add Youth Week to your email signature, print a poster, or share on your socials Advocate for rangatahi, speak up in spaces where decisions are being made that impact them With the rangatahi in your ao Send a message, have a kōrero, and remind them why they matter to you Make space to really listen, be open, curious, and led by rangatahi voices (not just responding, but hearing them) Reflect on your mahi, where do rangatahi show up in your work or spaces? How are you including their voices, and does it truly whakamana them? Celebrate their wins - big or small. Acknowledgement goes a long way in building confidence and connection Grow together Support youth-led ideas even if they’re different to what you would do. Back their leadership and trust their perspective Create opportunities for rangatahi to lead whether that’s at work, in your community, or at home Learn from rangatahi. Listen to youth-led podcasts, follow youth creators, and stay open to new whakaaro and perspectives Resources for Celebrating Youth Week Posters Download Download Customisable Youth Week Posters - Add your own details Edit Edit Edit Edit Customisable Email Signature Edit Customisable Social Media Tiles Edit Edit Edit Edit

Youth Week Aotearoa is a better place because of young people! Youth Week is a nationwide campaign that celebrates this! It brings us all together to recognise the value, awesomeness, and impact of rangatahi, and to champion a society that supports young people to thrive. Celebrating Rangatahi Youth Week is all about celebrating everything that young people contribute to Aotearoa - just by being themselves. Too often, the amazing things young people bring to our communities go unnoticed - Youth Week aims to change that! Youth Week is for everyone. It’s about noticing and valuing the ways young people shape our hapori and world around us. Joining in the celebration means honouring the mana and energy they bring to the world. This year, our focus is all about making sure youth voices are heard. ‘Our Voices Matter, We Deserve to Be Heard’ is a chance for rangatahi to share themselves in the ways that feel right to them - through kōrero, creativity, culture, leadership, and everyday actions. We cannot wait to see how you all interpret the theme! YOUTH - LED EVENTS Planning an amazing event Read More YOUTH WEEK, YOUR WAY Youth Week resources for Rangatahi View More STANDING WITH RANGATAHI Celebrate the young people in your life View More Why celebrate? One in six kiwis are aged between 12-24 - they are our emerging workforce, creators, innovators and leaders Our Youth Week Image This year's amazing image has been designed by Sao May Nguyen, a young multidisciplinary designer and content creator from Vietnam, now based in Auckland. For this year's image, she drew inspiration from a blend of modern design and pop art to reflect how young people express themselves in today’s world: bold, creative, and full of energy! More details The Whakapapa of Youth Week Youth Week began in 1995 with a handful of events scattered throughout Canada. Since then it has gathered momentum and is now celebrated each year in countries all around the world. Aotearoa New Zealand first marked Youth Week in the late 1990s, with NZAAHD weaving the first festivals and later entrusting it’s celebrations to Ara Taiohi in 2010. More details

Your Week Your Way Youth Week is a time to celebrate the value, awesomeness, and impact of rangatahi and to champion a society that genuinely supports young people to thrive. It's a moment for communities, whānau, and organisations to recognise what young people bring to the table: their creativity, their energy, their courage to imagine things differently, and the very real ways they shape the world around them every single day. More than a calendar event, Youth Week is a collective commitment to a society that supports young people to thrive. Hyping Each Other Up For rangatahi, Youth Week is something a little different. It's not about being handed a trophy for being young - it's an invitation to take up space, make noise, and celebrate the world you and your friends are already creating. It's a chance to amplify the things you care about, showcase what you're building, and connect with others who are doing the same. This week belongs to you - own it! Youth Week is your moment to use your voice to celebrate where you and your crew are at, and everything it took to get here. Look around at the people beside you and think about what they've achieved, what they've built, and the ways they show up every day. This is a week to hype your friends, acknowledge your peers, and shout out the people in your world who deserve to be seen. The friendships, the growth, the moments where you all showed up for each other, that's the stuff worth making noise about. And while you're at it, let yourself be celebrated too because every win you've claimed, every skill you've picked up, every time you backed yourself and it paid off, is worth recognising. So this week, celebrate each other loudly and proudly. Our Voice Matters - Ways to Celebrate Go support your mates - turn up to their game, comp, or training and cheer them on Try something new together - whether it's a random sport, a walk, a swim or just moving your body in a fun way Share your sporting story - you never know if might inspire someone else to start their Sport Shout out to your people - the friends who hype you up, the communities that welcomed you or the creators who inspire you! Create a highlight reel - dig out photos and clips that capture you and your mates' journey so far. Host a Youth Week gaming tournament - whatever the game and whatever the skill level. Online Celebrate your creative friends - ask about their work. go to their exhibitions and show them some aroha Plan a creative hangout - paint, draw, design, or make something together Share your mates' work (with permission) to help their voice and creativity reach more people Art Tell your story in public - write a post, record a video or speak at an event about something you've experienced or believe in. Submit your work somewhere new - send your ideas to a publication, a competition or a platform you've never tried before. Speak at something - volunteer to present, perform, or MC Spoken Word Go to your local Youth Week event and join in the performances and open mic nights Back your talented mates - stream their music, attend their shows and hype them up online Create something together - dance, freestyle or jam, Express yourself! Music & Dance Cook & share a meal - gather your friends and whānau for some kai Document the week - appoint yourself the unofficial archivist of your Youth Week and capture everything through photos, journalling or sketching Do something for your community - organise a clean up, create a mural or plant something! Other Resources for Celebrating Youth Week Posters Download Download Customisable Youth Week Posters - Add your own details Edit Edit Edit Edit Customisable Email Signature Edit Customisable Social Media Tiles Edit Edit Edit Edit

Eligibility criteria to become a Korowai Tupu member. Find out more about the process and fees. Becoming a Korowai Tupu Member Interested in Joining? We’d love to kōrero! Please email the team at korowaitupu@arataiohi.org.nz who can connect with you by email, phone or online as required. Who can apply to Korowai Tupu? Korowai Tupu is for youth workers who are already working alongside young people and who view Youth Work as their professional identity. Korowai Tupu is not an education pathway, so it is not the avenue for starting a Youth Work career: individuals entering the field are encouraged to gain some experience or undergo a formal qualification before applying to Korowai Tupu. What do you need to apply to Korowai Tupu? To apply to Korowai Tupu, you need to be able to pass certain criteria and show evidence of your Youth Work understanding and practice. We encourage anyone with previous Youth Work experience or qualifications in youth development or Youth Work to apply. A complete application to Korowai Tupu includes: Undergoing a police vet*, including suppling two forms of ID Provision of references from a supervisor/ manager AND a young person you have worked with, who can speak to how you practice Youth Work An up-to-date CV Copies of any qualifications, professional development or training you have completed that is relevant to your Youth Work practice Responses to each of the Core Competencies for Youth Work which outline your understanding and application of Youth Work; these can be provided in writing or as video/ audio uploads. There are prompts and key questions to help you give comprehensive responses. Once your application has been confirmed as complete, it is assessed by the Korowai Tupu team to determine if you meet the standards of entry to the professional association. *Please note that outcomes of the check don’t necessarily determine eligibility. Where there are any concerns regarding the results of your police check we will contact you to discuss this and what options there are moving forward. If you are aware your police check will reveal convictions and would like to provide additional information about your police check and/or your journey since any conviction received please note it in your application. Who will assess my application? Decisions are made by a Korowai Tupu assessor, who are individuals with strong Youth Work experience and leadership in cultural competency particularly te ao Māori. Assessors are members of Korowai Tupu who work to ensure an inclusive, fair and efficient membership process for Korowai Tupu. Assessors cross-check their application decisions annually to ensure there is consistency in our decision-making. What about qualifications? If you can provide evidence that you have completed one of the following courses after 2018, then we can fast track your application! The Weltec-Whitireia Bachelor or Youth Development The Praxis Diploma of Youth Work Applying outside Aotearoa? No, as a New Zealand-based professional association, we can only accept applications from youth workers living in Aotearoa. If a person becomes a Korowai Tupu Member whilst living in Aotearoa but then moves overseas, they can choose whether to maintain their membership whilst living abroad. What are the fees? There is a one-off application fee of $90 (plus GST). This is charged at the beginning of your application process. If you do not complete your application and later wish to reapply, a new application fee will be charged. Korowai Tupu Members are charged an annual fee, based on their employment status: Full-time (30+ hours): $150 (plus GST) Part-time (less than 30 hours): $90 (plus GST) Volunteer or Student: $75 (plus GST) The annual renewal date is 1 July for membership fees. If you sign up during the year, you pay a percentage according to a pro-rated payment system until you are aligned with the renewal date. Who pays my fees? This is for you to determine alongside any organisations where you serve as a youth worker – whether paid or voluntarily. Currently, approximately half of active Korowai Tupu Members have their fees paid by their workplace, with the remaining half paying their fees directly. If your paid mahi is Youth Work (or closely aligned) we encourage you to chat with your employer to determine if they will cover the application and annual fees. If Korowai Tupu membership is an expectation of your employer, then it would be expected that the organisation cover these costs.

This online library is full of helpful resources including programme planning and group activity ideas. Resources For Youth Workers This online library is full of helpful resources including programme planning and group activity ideas to guidance on capturing youth voice, and more. Resources are listed under each heading. Have a resource that has helped you as a youth worker but don't see it here? Get in touch - we would love to include it. Supervision and Support Healthy youth workers are those who are supported to navigate the diverse challenges of their role. Supervision is a great place to start. EXPLORE OUR SUPERVISOR DATABASE Programme Planning and Facilitation Planning a weekly youth programme or looking for new icebreakers to use at your next workshop? Here are some online resources we have found helpful. - Access 100s of icebreaker, team building, and group activity ideas on Playmeo One of the best things about Playmeo is that you can search by activity type and group size to make your life easier. (Note that there is a paid version but plenty of the activity descriptions are free) - St John Youth have compiled some fantastic icebreakers. - More icebreakers and team activities from Erin Walton Youth Voice and Engagement Whai Wāhitanga is one of our Mana Taiohi principles and but while authentic youth engagement is extremely important, it can sometimes be hard to know where to start. - The Ministry of Youth Development has extensive resources, tools, and reports on how to engage youth voices. - The USA- based ACT for Youth website has some great research and tools for meaningful youth engagement that can be relevant to New Zealand youth workers. Get Qualified There are different pathways to becoming a qualified youth worker here and developing your career in youth development here in Aotearoa. Check out these courses and certifications. Trainings Click here to find out about our upcoming Code of Ethics and Mana Taiohi trainings. Resources to awhina young people Click here to access helpful resources for your young people including crisis helplines. Shop Resources Click here to view our youth development resources including our publication and MOSAIC cards.

Find out about our offerings - Trainings | Products | Downloadable Resources Resources Your place to access resources and training that strengthen your youth development practice, help you support young people, and get you linked up with other amazing kaimahi in the sector. Trainings Attend an upcoming Code of Ethics or Mana Taiohi workshop as an individual or talk with us about delivering a training for your organisation. Find Out More Shop Resources Ara Taiohi has a range of publications and resources designed to guide and support those who work with young people and enhance youth engagement. Find Out More Download Resources Many of our resources are available to download free of charge - supporting youth workers and the wider sector to access tools and insights that strengthen their practice. Find Out More

All things Youth Week! Process overview, terms and conditions. Keen to apply? Start here! Youth Week Grant Agreement By submitting the form below, you agree to accept the offer of a Youth Week Grant from Ara Taiohi and understand that by agreeing you/ your organisation must meet the following criteria: Your event must be held during Youth Week 2026: 18-24 May, 2026. Your event will be alcohol, smoke and drug-free. If your event is a public event, you understand that it will be posted on the Ara Taiohi website as part of the official Youth Week calendar. This information will be drawn from the response you provide below in the Youth Week Grant Agreement . All information relating to the amount and payment of grants will remain private and will not be shared. You will share/tag your event with Ara Taiohi on Facebook and Instagram unless your event is a completely private event. You will include the Youth Week logo or theme image on promotional material. These will be made available on the Ara Taiohi website shortly. Any equipment bought with this grant belongs to your organisation, not an individual. You will complete an evaluation form, outlining how your Youth Week event went. The Ara Taiohi team will share this form with you. It must be completed and returned to Ara Taiohi by 15 June 2026. You agree to distribute a participant survey to the young people engaged in your event. The Ara Taiohi team will share this form with you closer to Youth Week. Youth Week Grant Agreement Title of your event * Event Organiser * Event Address* Event Date* Day Month Year Start Time Time : Hours Minutes AM Event Type Online Events Health & Sport Games & Kai Art Music & Dance Cultural Educational Youth Market Film Screening Youth Voice Other Short description of your event* Event Image Upload File Is your event open to the public?* Yes, the more the merrier No, members of our org only Registration Link Target age (click all that apply) 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 Contact email address* Payment Agreement Are you GST registered?* Yes, we are GST registered. Please upload an invoice with the amount you have been granted PLUS GST. Please make your tax invoice is IRD compliant. No, we are not GST registered. Please upload an invoice with the amount you have been granted WITHOUT GST. Please make your tax invoice is IRD compliant. File upload* Upload invoice for your grant If you are GST registered, please invoice the amount you have been grant PLUS GST. If you are not GST registered, please invoice the amount you have been granted WITHOUT GST. Signature* Drawing mode selected. Drawing requires a mouse or touchpad. For keyboard accessibility, select Type or Upload. Submit

Our acknowledgement of the Mauri, other guiding principles and inspirations that drive our work. Mauri (o te taiohi) We acknowledge the mauri, the inherent life spark and potential of young people, by supporting the development of their identity. Mauri is the life spark inherent in all young people.  It includes their values, beliefs, skills, and talents.  Fuelling that life spark means young people are seen, recognised and valued for who they are.  Young people are supported to follow their interests and passions and to actively construct their own identity.  Linked to their whakapapa, when their mauri is secure/solid, young people stand in their own truth. Mauri mahi, mauri ora - A working soul is a healthy soul Mana Taiohi with JJ and Arohauni Mauri Identity Life Spark In this expert from Kaiparahuarahi (Vol.1, No.2), Dr Sue Bagshaw, explores the concept of Mauri. Sue is a youth worker with a medical degree who was awarded a Dame Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit for her amazing work. Read Kaiparahuarahi Kōrero Cafe: Mana, Mauri & Matekino Mauri and the Code of Ethics Hononga Matua | Primary Relationship Whanonga Matatika | Behaviour Covered by the Code Iho Pūmanawa | Strengths-Based Ngākau Pono | Integrity Whakaaetanga Matatika | Informed Consent Explore Mana Taiohi Click on the images below to explore each principle and see relevant resources.