Māpuna for Saturday 25 November 2023

Social work award winner mentoring young Maori to success

Florence Tamehana is a student engagement adviser at MIT in Manukau. Two months ago, she won the Tangata-ō te whenua Practice Award at the Social Work Awards 2023.  She works with troubled rangatahi to steer them towards educational success and has a wide breadth of personal experience to draw upon, 13 years in the army and her own traumatic experiences at high school in Taranaki. 

Florence Tamehana won Tangata o te Whenua Social Practice Award at the recent Aotearoa NZ Association of Social Workers. Photo: SUPPLIED

Maori musician's drive to attract young talent to Otago

Musician David Harrison is keen to attract young Maori to Otago University's School of Performing Arts where he's a teaching fellow and mentor to emerging talent. He says the school has an outreach committee to try to lure more Maori students to the deep south. David Harrison says modern Maori music is in a good place, but he feels that popularity on social media to gain exposure means that some talent is being overlooked.  

Photo: Supplied