Empowering Communities
— Whakamana Hapori Whānui
Providing opportunities
— Te whakarato whai waahi
We provide guidance and assistance to anyone interested in or in charge of delivering or providing materials/information required for children’s play. We empower communities by providing opportunities and access to varied high-quality play experiences, and we exchange ideas through connecting and networking to improve community skills.
At its simplest, empowering communities refers to measures designed to increase the degree of autonomy and self-determination in people and communities to enable them to represent their interests responsibly while acting on their own authority.
Community ownership
Empowering communities refers to the process of enabling communities to take the lead to increase play in their environments.
Empowering refers to the process by which people take the lead over the factors and decisions that shape their lives. It is the process by which they increase their ability to champion play and gain access to opportunities, partners, networks and/or a voice to take ownership.
Communities are groups of people who may or may not be locally connected but share common interests, concerns or identities. These communities could be local or national, with a passion for increasing play for tamariki and rangatahi in their environments.
Providing experiences
Empowering communities is more than the involvement, participation or engagement of communities. It implies community ownership. It addresses the social, cultural, political and economic factors that underpin the right to play for tamariki and rangatahi and seeks to build partnerships with others for increased play.
We support communities and organisations to collaborate, celebrate connection and social responsibility, and make their own decisions. This requires genuine engagement with local communities that gets people involved in play at a grassroots level.
Our work
Awareness
— Hinengaro
Play Aotearoa enhances awareness about the essential nature of play in accordance with Article 31 of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child.
Education
— Kuranga
We deliver workshops, educational courses and innovative programmes to share our expert knowledge to support those who wish to learn and grow in the play sector.
Good Practice
— Hanga
We promote the need for outstanding practice at all levels of decision-making and encourage ethical behaviour and inclusions where children and play are involved.
