Growing Confident Voices: Puatala and the HIIT910 Journey

Every HIIT910 youth wellbeing programme is different, because every group of tamaiti aʻoga brings their own stories, challenges, and strengths. This term, working with Te Kauwhata College and Ngā Taiatea Wharekura, reinforced just how much potential sits within young people when they are given the space to be heard.

At the start of the programme, many students arrived quiet and unsure, holding back and keeping to themselves. But once we set the tone through whakawhanaungatanga, clear boundaries, and honest kōrero, something shifted. This wasn’t a classroom or a lecture — it was a school-based youth wellbeing programme where their voices mattered.

As the weeks progressed, confidence grew in ways that were raw and real. Students spoke openly about conflict at school, the pressures of social media, and moments when they didn’t feel safe. These weren’t small conversations. They were the kinds of experiences many young people carry quietly, without the confidence or language to share them.

Through the programme, students learned to listen to one another, support each other, and understand what sits beneath their reactions and emotions. These moments of reflection are a core part of effective youth development programmes, helping students build emotional awareness, resilience, and self-belief.

By the time we reached public speaking, the transformation was clear. The same students who whispered in the early sessions were now standing confidently, sharing their stories, and backing themselves. This growth in communication and self-confidence is a key outcome of student confidence building programmes like HIIT910.

Our final celebration with whānau and the Puatala team was emotional. Certificates were handed out, ula lole were shared, and the room was filled with pride. But the real achievement wasn’t the paper — it was the belief these students now carry within themselves.

HIIT910 is more than a programme. It’s a youth confidence and wellbeing journey, supporting rangatahi to recognise that they are capable, worthy, and powerful — in school and beyond.