Programme

Beat the crowds and collect your name badge and bag the day before!

Rāapa 06 Ākuhata
Wednesday 06 August
3pm - 6pm

Rāpare 07 Ākuhata
Thursday 07 August

8.00am

REGISTRATION OPEN

MIHI WHAKATAU AND WELCOME
MORNING PLENARY SESSION including Dr Claire Achmad, Matua Ruru Hona

*Note music will be apart of the session

9.00am

10.30am

PARAMANAWA / MORNING TEA

11.00am

CONCURRENT SESSION A | Click on the down arrow for more session information

  • Auditorium

    with Dr Claire Achmad Chief Children’s Commissioner, Josiah Tualamali'i, Arena Williams MP and Vanessa Weenink MP, facilitated by Jane Zintl

  • Room: Conway 1(upstairs)

    Inati - Pasifika sharing of resources
    Henio Koloi, Ake Pereira Vibe - Hutt Valley Youth Health Trust

    Loto Tele - Be of good courage
    A creative, musical presentation by local Pasifika youth workers and practitioners in Ōtautahi.
    Sela Faletolu-Fasi, Ielua Taula

  • Room: Conway 2 (upstairs)

    Creating a world without barriers for young disabled people
    Wendy Preston, Meg Lyster, Olivia Trass, Jack Harwood, Taylah Rasmussen, Hannah Butson, Izadine Ahmat Abdallah I.Lead

  • Room: Conway 3 (upstairs)

    Autonomy is an action: Supporting youth agency in mentoring relationships
    Dr Hilary Dutton University of Auckland

    Together we thrive: The impact of youth development programmes which unite neuro-diverse youth with peers and local communities
    Leonie King Duke of Edinburgh's Hillary Award

    Restorative justice in the youth sector: Supporting young people through healing and accountability
    Ari Nicholson The Collaborative Trust for Research & Training in Youth Health & Development

  • Room: Conway 4 (upstairs)

    Words weaving, from writer to witness: Building lasting connections through spoken word
    Ramon Narayan, Ken Arkind, Talia Stanley, Sheldon Rua, Eric Soakai, Koromiko Jacob-Williams Action Education

  • Room: Conway 5 (upstairs)

    Brief intervention tool for working with youth with alcohol and drug use
    Jo Claridge Whāraurau

  • Room: Bealey 1 (downstairs)

    Mahi Tuturu
    Ara Taiohi & AUT

  • Room: Bealey 2(downstairs)

    How Microsoft forms and power BI revolutionised our reporting game!
    Tarannah Poletti-vette, Terry Watts Mahitahi Hauora

    ‘Better together: Measuring impact as a collective'
    Shaz Reece Te Rourou-One Foundation

    Hands for impact™: Telling the story of youth work in Aotearoa with Social Return on Investment (SROI)
    Claudia Wace, Dr Marie Nissanka Hands for Impact™

  • Room: Bealey 3 (downstairs)

    Hosted by Ember Innovations and The Kings Trust

    Un-conferencing is a participant-led session format that flips the traditional conference model—attendees set the agenda, spark the discussion, and shape the outcomes. It’s an open, flexible space to explore shared interests, dive deeper into topics, and connect through spontaneous conversation and collaboration.

  • Room: Bealey 4&5 (downstairs)

    Mō Āpōpō future-makers: Equipping rangatahi to shape a better tomorrow
    Amy Knudsen Tokona Te Raki

12.15pm

WĀ TINA / LUNCH

1.15pm

CONCURRENT SESSION B | Click on the down arrow for more session information

  • Auditorium

    To age or not to age - That is not the question. How do we create space for safety online for young people
    Terryann Clark, Lola Fisher, Kate Whitaker, Vince Nathan, facilitated by Vira Paky

  • Room: Conway 1(upstairs)

    Passion-powered careers: A cohesive model for youth skills development and employer engagement
    Jigna Desai, Kings Trust Australia

    25 Years of Kotahitanga: The Mayors Taskforce for Jobs and the future of youth employment
    Tammie Metcalfe Mayors Taskforce for Jobs

    Youth consumer, peer support, and lived experience workforce 
    Eden Grimwood, Liam Teichmann Whāraurau

  • Room: Conway 2 (upstairs)

    Intersectionality 101 in youth work
    Amy Knudsen, Tokona te Raki, Mau te Rangimarie Clark, University of Otago, Melissa Lama, Ministry for Pacific Peoples

  • Room: Conway 3 (upstairs)

    The changing landscape of primary youth mental health in Aotearoa: Increasing risk,complexity, and youth-led solutions
    Liz Hosking-Clement Youthline

    Rooted in connection: Planting seeds of mental wellbeing with Potplant Studio
    Joshua Peauafi Potplant Studio

    Understanding Non-Suicidal Self-Injury (NSSI): A compassionate approach
    Dr Kirsty Fraser Dr Kirsty Coaching

    Working together to achieve improved youth mental health and wellbeing in Aotearoa
    Dr Ella Cullen, Katie Sherriff Te Hiringa Mahara (Mental Health and Wellbeing Commission)

  • Room: Conway 4 (upstairs)

    Unity in action: Trans inclusion in an age of disinformation
    Mason and Lara InsideOUT, Jen Shields Qtopia

  • Room: Conway 5 (upstairs)

    Eco-ethics climate justice and youth workshop
    Tim Corney Victoria University, Australia

  • Room: Bealey 1 (downstairs)

    Faith it ‘till we make it - Mana at the centre of faith-based youth work
    Lizzie Pringle Praxis, Richard Bell Youth Work Wellington

  • Room: Bealey 2 (downstairs)

    Showing up when it matters
    Agnes Napia, Mike Tsang, Blair Nathan, Diako Abdullazada Te Hā Oranga

  • Room: Bealey 3(downstairs)

    Hosted by Ember Innovations and The Kings Trust

    Un-conferencing is a participant-led session format that flips the traditional conference model—attendees set the agenda, spark the discussion, and shape the outcomes. It’s an open, flexible space to explore shared interests, dive deeper into topics, and connect through spontaneous conversation and collaboration.

  • Room: Bealey 4&5 (downstairs)

    Pou Pasifika workshop

2.30pm

PARAMANAWA / AFTERNOON TEA

AFTERNOON PLENARY SESSION
including Dr MahMah Timoteo, Tyler Ngatai, and Andre Afamasaga

*Note music will be apart of the session

3.00pm

4.15pm

Day one of INVOLVE concludes 

We will have a special guest of our Youth Minister, James Meager.

Non-alcoholic drinks and nibbles provided. Cash bar avaliable if you choose to purchase a beverage.

Head out to the Exhibition space for Happy Hour till 5.30pm!

Whanaketanga i Aotearoa: Ngā Tahuhu Kōrero A History of Youth Work in Aotearoa by John Harrington. Click HERE to register

John Harringtons Book release 5.30pm-7pm

Rāmere 08 Ākuhata
Friday 08 August


WELCOME TO DAY TWO
MORNING PLENARY SESSION
including Eru Kapa-Kingi and Riana Te Ngahue

*Note music will be apart of the session

9.00am

10.30am

PARAMANAWA / MORNING TEA

11.00am

CONCURRENT SESSION C | Click on the down arrow for more session information

  • Auditorium

    with Andy Coster, Claudia Wace, Shaz Reece, and Sarah Finlay Robinson facilitated by Chillion Sanerivi

  • Room: Conway 1(upstairs)

    Connecting Youth Workers to Strengthen Support for Rainbow Rangatahi
    Lara Moses InsideOUT Kōaro

    Joy in Community: Highlights from the Ōtautahi Rainbow Rangatahi Expo
    Mace Malcolm InsideOUT Kōaro

    Advocating for rainbow rangatahi in the wider world
    Jennifer Shields Qtopia

    Presentation title to be confirmed
    Kiwa Kahukura Denton Mana Tipua

  • Room: Conway 2(upstairs)

    STOP, BLOCK & TALK® Digital wellbeing & safety workshop
    Neysa Koizumi Collaborative Trust

  • Room: Conway 3(upstairs)

    The world tried to bury us - little did they know we were seeds. Youth speak on the impact of parental incarceration & what needs to change
    Corrina Thompson Pillars, Youth Members of Ngā Rangatira Mō Apōpō

    “Not these questions, again!” How (and why) we wrote a reportabout the experiences of rangatahi without asking them to tell us their stories
    Ihorangi Reweti Peters, Lisa McLaren, Kirsten Smith VOYCE - Whakarongo Mai 

    Centring young people’s development in Whai Wāhitanga
    Hannah Dunlop, ReVision and Sarah Finlay-Robinson, InCommonNZ

    Mai World, My World - Mana Mokopuna sharing on the United Nations Convention Rights of the Child
    Mana Mokopuna Children and Young Person’s Commission

  • Room: Conway 4(upstairs)

    Casting light in the shadows - Extending youth work to young people in adult prisons
    Ashley Shearar Young Adult Justice Expert

  • Room: Conway 5(upstairs)

    Reconnect with Mixit mahi - straight up and real
    Wendy Preston, Izadine Ahmat Abdallah, Kaviesha Abeysinghe-Perera,Oscar Arnold,Sajal Taneja
    The Mixit Charitable Trust

  • Room: Bealey 1 (downstairs)

    Valentine Tauamiti The Youth Impact Foundation

  • Room: Bealey 2(downstairs)

    Building NightWise: Creating safety without fear or blame
    Jules Puckle, Sylvia Bellingham Rape Prevention Education

    Evaluation of the first phase of the Youth Hub CHCH
    Harriet Fraser University of Canterbury

    Learnings from Auckland’s largest youth centre
    Conin Bowker Shore Junction

    Young people are diverse, and they need diverse housing options
    Danielle Marra Waipuna Young Parents Development team. Rachel Taege Christchurch Methodist Mission Youth Hub Housing. Tania Smith Christchurch Methodist Mission Youth Housing

  • Room: Bealey 3(downstairs)

    Hosted by Ember Innovations and The Kings Trust

    Un-conferencing is a participant-led session format that flips the traditional conference model—attendees set the agenda, spark the discussion, and shape the outcomes. It’s an open, flexible space to explore shared interests, dive deeper into topics, and connect through spontaneous conversation and collaboration.

  • Room: Bealey 4&5 (downstairs)

12.15pm

WĀ TINA / LUNCH

1.15pm

Concurrent session D | Click on the down arrow for more session information

  • Room: Conway 1(upstairs)

    “It’s about no shame, no blame – just support” Māngai Whakatipu
    Lucia Campbell-Reeves, Pado Reid, Society of Youth Health Professionals Aotearoa (SYHPANZ)

    Supporting Rangatahi Impacted by cancer
    Sasha Finlay Canteen Aotearoa

    Empowering futures: Exploring the role of school nurses and rangatahi wellbeing in New Zealand 
    Lara Wall University of Waikato

    Presentation to be confirmed

  • Room: Conway 2 (upstairs)

    The new digital sexual landscape – Equipping the youth workforce 
    Nikki Denholm The Light Project

    Starting early: The role of RSE in addressing harmful online sexual material with rangatahi Pip Merhtens – The Collaborative

    From wolf whistles to catfishing!  Responding to the shifting landscape of sexualised behaviour in 2025
    Rebekah Fraser, Lyn Jansen Stop Services

    Sexting, nudes, and sextortion: Helping young people stay safe online Neysa Koizumi,  The Collaborative Trust & Youth Development Champions Project

  • Room: Conway 3 (upstairs)

    Tou Ake Mana: Whirinaki ka eke ki runga 
    Justina Webster, Sharn Webster, Jordan Pahina, Aria Webster-Pahina School of Social Work

    Focus on young women’s wellbeing
    Zeta Mohn YWCA of Hamilton

    All bodies and all desires: Sexual wellbeing Aotearoa’s new programme for people with intellectual disabilities
    Leah Rothman Sexual Wellbeing Aotearoa

    Ko Au, Whanau, Whanaungatanga, Whakawhanaungatanga – Creating FASD supports through connections
    Tania Henderson, The Collaborative Trust & Youth Development Champions Project

  • Room: Conway 4(upstairs)

    This workshop offers an opportunity to address a critical issue facing our young people and communities. Collaboratively facilitated by a working group of experienced youth workers, we invite you to engage with a crucial new resource designed to support young people. Drawing on lessons learned and as a positive, proactive response ongoing pervasive radicalisation, we will delve into understanding the evolving faces of white supremacy and introduce the 'radicalisation funnel'. This is not just a presentation, it's a call to action and we need your insights. Review the draft resource, offer your invaluable input, and help us refine this tool for other youth workers.  Ara Taiohi

  • Room: Conway 5(upstairs)

    Youth development within a Hawaiiki Hou workshop

  • Room: Bealey 1 (downstairs)

    Practical applications of intersectionality workshop
    Elbie Burnett Northwest Anglican Parish

  • Room: Bealey 2 (downstairs)

  • Room: Bealey 3(downstairs)

    Hosted by Ember Innovations and The Kings Trust

    Un-conferencing is a participant-led session format that flips the traditional conference model—attendees set the agenda, spark the discussion, and shape the outcomes. It’s an open, flexible space to explore shared interests, dive deeper into topics, and connect through spontaneous conversation and collaboration.

  • Room: Bealey 4&5 (downstairs)

    Strengths-based practice and mana in positive youth development workshop
    Penny Prescott, Angelina Tivalu Youth Development Champions Project

2.45pm

PARAMANAWA / AFTERNOON TEA - GRAB AND GO, with a gelato

AFTERNOON PLENARY SESSION
including Chris Jansen

*Note music will be apart of the session

3.05pm

4.05pm

INVOLVE 2025 finishes

 

Find out about more events happening around INVOLVE!