'Level Up' is about connecting with communities

A free programme for year nine students in South Auckland led by Waipapa Taumata Rau, the University of Auckland, has once again proven to be a success at engaging communities and learners.

Level Up is a two-day programme where Pacific high school students spend time at the University's Te Tai Tonga campus and the city campus over both days.

The event is an opportunity for the University to engage with South Auckland communities and learners. The project lead, Sara Toleafoa, says this initiative was a chance to motivate and inspire young Pacific learners within the community.

“The concept of Level Up comes from a popular saying amongst youth. It encourages young people to be determined and desire the best when setting their future goals and aspirations.

"Our programme is focused on three areas where students will reflect on how to apply this concept of level up. The first, is the importance of Pacific identity, the second is leveling up as a Pacific navigator and the final is your Pacific future.”

This year the team hosted ten schools with a total of 92 students.

Salome Wright, the schools' liaison, worked with deans and career advisers to choose students who they believed could benefit from the programme.

The connection with schools and the relationships that are built with them means that the team is able to follow up on the journeys of the students who participate. It's a team effort that Sara says she is grateful to have, with many people working alongside her to make the initiative successful.

“I was blessed to have an amazing team who were the core foundation of making these two days a success. The team who supported and helped with the process were, the Office of the Pro Vice-Chancellor Pacific, Salome Wright, our amazing admin coordinator who communicated with the schools, and Joe Falefatu and Vaa Koale who helped ensure the program was running smoothly. We also had our amazing MC Susana Vunipola, who is the Pacific adviser from the school and community engagement team.”

The students took part in interactive learning sessions that followed the three Level Up themes. These learning sessions had different activities that linked the themes of the initiative with the students' goals and aspirations.

The programme gave students a taste of life on campus, the facilities the University offers and an understanding of how to navigate tertiary spaces.

The feedback from both students and staff has been promising and the team is looking forward to the next iteration of Level Up and its continued success.