The William Pike Challenge Award - Growing Young Mentors and Leaders

The WPCA is a structured, specialist year-long programme designed for teachers to foster personal development in Year 7, 8 and 9 students. The team at WPCA provides schools with local resources, practical guides and support to deliver purposeful Education Outside the Classroom. Rangatahi engage in five Outdoor Activities, 20 hours of Community Service and 20 hours of Passion Projects over the course of 12 months.

MYD provided funding that has enabled the WPCA programme to be introduced to around 100 young people in Whakatane Intermediate and Tikipunga High School. The initial reports are really positive – this is what a Whakatane Intermediate teacher had to say:

"William Pike Challenge Award students have been participating in community service recently. After a brainstorming session about how we could help the community, the students were really keen on helping younger students. We set out a strategic plan for what we could do and then contacted the principal at the local primary school.”

“The students set up a meeting with the principal and asked permission to help the new entrant students with their reading. The principal and classroom teacher were very excited about the initiative. Our goal was for them to enjoy books and reading. During our lunchtime, we troop across the road and the little readers love when their intermediate buddies come to visit them.”

“Since starting the partnership with James Street School, our young leaders have read to our buddies, practised writing their names and stories, as well as taken PE lessons. It has been such a success we are going to develop our partnership with James Street School and have student mentors with other year levels."

William Pike, Founder of the WPCA, is passionate about providing positive youth development opportunities to rangatahi.

“Students who participate in the WPCA are given opportunities to develop vital universal skills to be successful 21st century kids. In our rapidly evolving world, our youth need support to become confident and connected, especially as they enter young adulthood. Developing relationships with peers, whānau and the local community; taking risks to build resilience and leadership; and strengthening students' roots within their value system, are all critical to building universal skills. These three R’s – developing Relationships, taking Risks and strengthening Roots, are the most positive outcomes for the young people involved,” says William.  

WPCA is certainly making a difference and increasing its impact. The programme has been delivered in 70-plus schools across Aotearoa New Zealand, with over 2,392 students participating in 2018. Overall, this has involved more than 350 Outdoor Activities and 80,000-plus hours of Community Service and Passion Projects. Check out this video from some of the recent participants and hear what they have to say about taking part.

There are big ambitions for the future.

“The William Pike Challenge Award has a vision to grow a world of young explorers. We have set ourselves a lofty goal of partnering with 100 schools around New Zealand in 2019. We are predicting increasing school growth and student impact year-on-year and eventually want to see the William Pike Challenge Award as part of every school's curriculum. Thanks to the support from MYD for 2019, we're looking forward to working with low socio-economic communities who will really benefit from the WPCA. For 2019, we're inviting all low decile schools (1-4) to apply for funding to participate in the WPCA. Schools can apply here or email sally@williampike.co.nz to learn more,” says William.