Wai means water and according to te ao Māori (Māori worldview), Waitī is a star within the Matariki star cluster that is connected to fresh water and all the creatures that live in rivers, streams, lakes and wetlands, while Waitā is the star within the cluster that is associated with the sea and marine life. This worldview is at the heart of our Kura Waitī ki Kura Waitā programme.
Kura Waitī ki Kura Waitā is designed for rangatahi to advance their knowledge and understanding of mātauranga Māori by utilising both traditional and contemporary approaches to environmental education and learning.
Launched in 2022, Kura Waitī ki Kura Waitā helps build the confidence of rangatahi and their sense of connection to te taiao (environment) while fostering te reo, tikanga and mātauranga Māori.
Hei whakamanawa i ngā kaitiaki o āpōpō | Encouraging custodians of the future
Kura Waitī ki Kura Waitā encourages future kaitiaki through an intergenerational approach in which whakapapa, pūrākau (story telling), whānau and iwi all play critical roles.
This approach, which utilises waka tētē (canoe), waka hourua (double-hulled seafaring canoe) and waka ama (outrigger canoe), helps rangatahi to understand their place in te taiao and how they can make a difference in protecting, restoring and revitalising our environment and addressing the impacts of climate change.
“Ka whakaakona te hunga rangatahi ki ētehi o ngā tikanga tawhito, ki ngā kōrero tuku iho hoki mō te awa me te taiao, ki te tiakitanga o te awa, me ngā mahi tūpuna ki te awa.”
“We connect our rangatahi with some of the traditional ways of doing things, with traditional kōrero of the awa and the environment, how to look after it, and what our tupuna used to do with the awa.”
– Hoturoa Barclay-Kerr, Te Toki Voyaging Trust
Ngā kura | Participating schools
Twenty kura from across the Waikato rohe (region) have participated in Kura Waitī ki Kura Waitā so far with the expectation that the programme will continue to grow over time.
| Te Wharekura o Manaia | Te Wharekura o Whakarewa ki te reo o Tūwharetoa |
| Te Wharekura o Te Kaokaoroa o Pātētere | Tai Wānanga |
| Te Kura Kaupapa Māori o Whakawātea | Te Wharekura o Hirangi |
| Te Wharekura o Ngā Purapura o te Aroha | Te Kura Kaupapa Māori o Te Pūaha o Waikato |
| Te Wharekura o Ngāti Maniapoto | Te Kura Kaupapa Māori o Bernard Fergusson |
| Te Wharekura o Te Rau Aroha | Te Kōpuku High |
| Te Wharekura o Hiringa | Tōku Māpihi Maurea Kura Kaupapa Māori |
| Te Wharekura o Rākaumangamanga | Te Wharekura o Kirikiriroa |
| Te Kura Kaupapa Māori o Rangiriri | Te Wharekura o Ngā Taiātea |
| Te Kura Kaupapa Māori o Waitahanui | |
| Te Kura Kaupapa Māori o Ngāti Hauā |
He Waka Hiringa | Spirit of Adventure Voyage
Introduced in 2025, He Waka Hiringa is an extension of the Kura Waitī ki Kura Waitā programme, taking rangatahi from the awa (river) to the moana (sea) to build further on their knowledge, skills and confidence.
The Spirit of Adventure voyage is run over five days with rangatahi staying onboard a barquentine or three-masted tall ship that is in the traditional style of a 17th century European vessel as it sails the Hauraki Gulf. While onboard rangatahi learn old-time sailing skills and how they compare to traditional Māori methods of navigation.
“The Spirit of Adventure voyage follows a traditional waka hourua voyage that focused on Māori open ocean voyaging, utilising traditional methods of navigation, giving rangatahi a unique opportunity to compare the proud nautical heritage, sailing techniques and environmental knowledge of two cultures”
“We’re giving the kids that feeling of belonging to something good; it’s having a place where the vibe is positive. And it’s something that brings a connection to our past – our history and our kōrero as people of the Pacific, it’s all a part of who we are so being able to do it in this age, that’s real awesome.”
– Arna Solomon-Banks, Waikato Regional Council Kaihāpai Hotaka Mātauranga
Ka Hura Tangata ki Tai | Open Ocean Water Safety
Ka Hura Tangata ki Tai is a new educational programme being delivered by Waikato Regional Council and Aotearoa Water Patrol. Launched in 2024, the programme is about equipping school-aged children with the necessary skills to stay safe in and around water while fostering caution and respect for ocean environments.
So far, four schools have participated in the kaupapa delivered in Whāingaroa (Raglan) – Tōku Māpihi Maurea Kura Kaupapa Māori, Te Wharekura o Kirikiriroa, Te Wharekura o Te Kaokaoroa o Pātetere me and Te Wharekura o Manaia.
“Ko te whāinga nui, ko te whakamanawa i ngā tamariki kia noho haumaru i te wai, ahakoa kei te taha moana, te taha awa, te taha roto rānei. Mā te whakaatu, ka mōhio; mā te haratau, ka mātau; mā te mātau, ka ora.”
“Ka Hura Tangata ki Tai is about building water safety confidence and awareness, whether it’s the ocean, river or lake, by engaging our tamariki in fun ways, hands on and in the water.”
– Mark Haimona, Aotearoa Water Patrol
Ngā karere | News and links
Ngā karere pāho | In the news
Ki te hoe! | Get involved!
Ki te hiahia rā koe ki te whakauru i tō kura ki Kura Waitī Ki Kura Waitā, ki ngā kōrero whakamārama rānei
If you’d like to get your kura involved in Kura Waitī Ki Kura Waitā or learn more.
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