Growing the Puna
What is Growing the Puna?
Growing the Puna is an internship programme for ākonga Māori enrolled in a degree or postgraduate level in hauora, sports, physical activity, or nutrition. It is aimed at those who are genuinely interested in growing their skill set, developing their skills, knowledge, and networks to contribute meaningfully to whānau, hapū, iwi and sectors in the realm of sport, nutrition, exercise, and physical activity.
The internships aim to provide opportunities for students to participate in the development of an innovative approach to physical activity and nutrition in a project that has reciprocal benefits to both the student and the health sector.
Growing the Puna grew out of the desire to fill an identified gap between students (who have a particular focus on physical activity and/or nutrition) and both Māori communities and the health sector. Additionally, conversations in communities highlighted the necessity to strengthen the connections between knowledge creators and knowledge users recognising that all three – communities, tertiary providers, and the health sector – play roles as both creators and users.
What kind of projects do our Puna work on?
Growing the Puna is a kaupapa grounded in nurturing the next generation of Māori leaders, thinkers, and creators within hauora. Through this internship, ākonga are supported to explore their own passions and bring them to life in ways that are meaningful to their whānau, hapū, iwi, and communities.
Each project is unique, shaped by the lived experiences, identities, and aspirations of the intern. What connects them is a shared commitment to kaupapa Māori approaches, centering whakapapa, strengthening whanaungatanga, and contributing to collective wellbeing. These projects are expressions of identity, acts of service, and seeds for ongoing change.
Wikitoria Tahuparae (GTP 2025/26) - Te Heketanga o te Tohorā
Wikitoria’s project centres the often-unspoken transition into kaumātuatanga, acknowledging both the wisdom of kaumātua and the complexities of ageing such as identity shifts, physical change, and questions of purpose. Through a six-week wānanga grounded in Te Whare Tapa Whā, Wikitoria created a guided wellbeing journal specifically for kaumatua. From this emerged Te Heketanga o te Tohorā – A Kaumātua Wellbeing Framework, a kaupapa grounded in aroha, whānau, and the belief that caring for our elders is a shared, intergenerational responsibility.
Read Article
Kaahurere MacKay (GTP 2025/26) - Water Safety Content Creator
As the Growing the Puna Water Safety Content Creator, Kaahu used photography, video, and digital storytelling to capture the energy, learning, and wairua fortwo water safety kaupapa Toi Tangata were involved with. Through visual documentation and engaging Instagram reels, Kaahurere translated important water safety messaging into accessible, relatable content for whānau and rangatahi.
Read Article
Cameron McCausland-Taylor (GTP 2025/26) - Tāngata o Tākaro
As the Growing the Puna Water Safety Content Creator, Kaahu used photography, video, and digital storytelling to capture the energy, learning, and wairua fortwo water safety kaupapa Toi Tangata were involved with. Through visual documentation and engaging Instagram reels, Kaahurere translated important water safety messaging into accessible, relatable content for whānau and rangatahi.
Read Article
Nicole Ratima (GTP 2025/26) - Ngā Uara o Kurungaituku
Nicola Ratima’s project, Ngā Uara o Kurungaituku, re-centres Raukawa ways of knowing within Tākaro and Health and Physical Education by amplifying the voices of kaumātua, pakeke, and rangatahi. Through intergenerational interviews and the analytical lens of the Kurungaituku pūrākau, she explores Tākaro as a practice deeply connected to taiao, identity, and manawaroa. The resulting digital platform shares these insights through reflections, interviews, and infographics, offering a resource that restores Raukawa narratives and encourages space for Indigenous knowledge within movement and wellbeing spaces.