Youth Development Approach

Youth development means growing and developing the skills and connections young people need to take part in society and reach their potential.

Youth development is about young people gaining a:

• sense of contributing something of value to society
• feeling of connectedness to others and to society
• belief that they have choices about their future

• feeling of being positive and comfortable with their own identity.

It's about building strong connections and active involvement in all areas of life including:

• family and whānau
• schools, training institutions and workplaces
• communities (sports, church, cultural groups)
• peer groups.

It's also about young people being involved and having a say in decisions that affect them, their family, their community, and their country and putting into practice and reviewing those decisions.

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MYD supports the use of Mana Taiohi. Developed by AraTaiohi external, Mana Taiohi is a Te Ao Māori informed, principle-based framework informing the way people who work with young people work in Aotearoa New Zealand. It has evolved from the principles of youth development previously expressed in the Youth Development Strategy of Aotearoa (2002). You can read more about the development of Mana Taiohi on the Ara Taiohi website external.

With Mana as its overarching principle, Mana Taiohi incorporates an additional eight interconnected and holistic principles representing the inherent mana young people have and how this mana can be supported through youth development. These are:

The mana young people have:

Mauri

Mauri is the life spark inherent in all young people, including their values, beliefs, skills, and talents. Fuelling this means young people are seen, recognised, and valued for who they are and enabled to stand in their own truth.

Whakapapa

By understanding and affirming their whakapapa, young people are supported to embrace the journey to find their turangawaewae (their place to stand). Whakapapa acknowledges our shared histories, the impact of colonisation, and the influence of history on young people’s lives now.

Hononga

Hononga is about recognising and supporting all the connected relationships in a young person’s world, including to people, land/whenua, resources, spirituality, the digital world, and the environment. Strengthening hononga means recognising the connection between young people’s wellbeing and that of their social and natural environment.

Te Ao

Te Ao Taiohi is about supporting the world of the young person. Impacted by big picture influences such as social and economic contexts and dominant cultural values, awareness of Te Ao Taiohi means understanding the systemic influences that affect young people and supporting them to engage with the dynamics in their changing world.

How youth development can support mana:

Whanaungatanga

The principle of whanaungatanga is about taking time to build and sustain quality relationships with young people. This looks like investing in high-trust relationships that are reciprocal, genuine, authentic, and intentional, supporting young people to build a strong foundation of belonging.

Manaakitanga

Uploading and extending Manaakitanga enables young people to have a safe and empowering space whilst feeling accepted, included, and valued. Manaakitanga is about expressing kindness, respect, responsibility, and reciprocity, creating accountability for those who care for young people.

Whai Wāhitanga

Acknowledging mana, whai wāhitanga recognises young people as valued contributors to society, giving them space to participate, assume agency and take responsibility. When we allow them to navigate and participate in the world, young people are empowered to participate and engage in decisions that affect them.

Mātauranga

Mātauranga refers to knowledge, wisdom, understanding, and skill, and can be strengthened by weaving together different forms of knowledge and making them relevant to the decisions facing young people and their whānau.