To provide an opportunity for innovative teachers to form a network for support and mentoring as they continue to explore ways to enrich the lives and learning of the young people they work with, their whānau and the wider community.
The Manaiakalani Programme has gained national and international credibility as an innovative approach to ensuring the foundation requirements of schooling are being met whilst offering young people the opportunity to learn in an environment which recognises the special character of our children as digital citizens whose world is very different from their teachers at the same age.
Over the ten years of the Manaiakalani Innovative Teacher programme we have had teachers who have taken this opportunity to investigate ways to accelerate learning outcomes for our young people via the Manaiakalani pedagogy. The most successful projects have subsequently become the foundation of classroom implementation for their colleagues within Manaiakalani and around New Zealand. The Manaiakalani Education Trust actively supports teachers who are challenging their own teaching practice through inquiring into innovative ways to meet our cluster goals and provide inspiration to their colleagues. This is a collaborative process using Design Thinking principles to guide us. To quote Michael Fullan 2/11/16, we are looking for "purposeful, focused and disciplined innovation".
Manaiakalani Education Trust has offered 6 innovative teachers from the Manaiakalani Network the opportunity to
design an innovative tool tool to enhance their inquiry into one of the challenges facing Manaiakalani learners in 2025
design and implement this tool within their contexts (two days per term release)
receive ongoing mentoring
form a collegial network (one day per term release)
This group includes teachers from new entrants through to seniors at college and schools in the north and south islands.
use the “Learn Create Share” model in their own journey of innovation
present to Manaiakalani colleagues via the Online Toolkits series
present to their Manaiakalani colleagues at the annual Wānanga 23 October 2025
present to the wider education community in either the
use a public blog for ongoing sharing and reflection
Online Connects: Wednesdays after school (19 Feb, 7 May, 18 Jun, 23 Jul, 17 Sep, 15 Oct)
Kickstart 3-day Hui: Thursday, 6 Mar - Saturday, 8 Mar
Network Meeting Days: Mondays (24 Mar, 26 May, 11 Aug, 17 Nov)
Principals' Wānanga: Thursday, 23 Oct, Friday 25 Oct (*TBA)
Conference: 3-5 days TBA, July or October (School Holidays)
Release Days: Self-organized
Agree to model "Learn Create Share" both in work with learners and throughout the MIT23 year
Outcomes to be publicly available online
Reflections to be available to Manaiakalani Google+ community, PLD team, MET, Principals and research team
Targets to be set and met each term in negotiation with MIT23 leader
Availability to attend and share at agreed hui and conferences - these will include overnight, and one will require a current passport!
Release time each term to attend MIT23 network sessions 1 x day each term
Release from class to focus on project 2 x days each term
Regular Meets online to network and support progress