FYD Waikato operates all three of FYD's school-based programmes - Kiwi Can, Stars and Project K.

The Trust was incorporated  in 2005 and is based in Hamilton, Waikato.

Craig McBeth has been a trustee since 2011 and was appointted Chair in 2013.

In 2013, FYD Waikato is working with approximately 1700 young people across Huntly, Hamilton,Whakamaru and Tokoroa.  

If anyone can…a Kiwi can!

Welcome to Ohinewai School in Huntly, the newest school to join the Waikato Kiwi Can family in term three.

“There is a strong link between Ohinewai School’s values and vision and those of the Kiwi Can programme. It’s fitting that Ohinewai School is the latest school to take on a Foundation for Youth Development programme”says Nathan Hight, FYD Waikato Regional Manager. “We are excited to work with the awesome team at Ohinewai School”.

Ohinewai School Principal Nathan Leith is also looking forward to the introduction of Kiwi Can to the school’s curriculum seeing the programme as a valuable add-on to Ohinewai students learning outcomes.

“The program offered aligns very closely with our school's vision and is another opportunity to help our students become successful 21st Century Learners” explains Leith “The students, staff and parents of Ohinewai School are very excited to be part of the Kiwi Can programme for the remainder of 2012”.

Students will be learning about the value of resilience this term which is appropriate with the Olympics running throughout the term.

Kiwi Can Leaders Hone and Teini are thrilled at the expansion andwill be delivering lessons around the value of Respect for Term three atOhinewai School. Each classroom will receive a 45 minute lesson each Tuesday.

Stars Career Expo

Stars Students got a taste of the working world in Term two with the Stars Careers Expo. Local business people,  tradies and training facilities from around the South Waikato came along to a question/answer session for the Stars students at Tokoroa High School.

Students were able to ask the guests questions about how they got to where they are today, what their line of work really involves and what they need to do at school to create their own career paths. The key messages from all the visitors to the students was to stick it out at school and do some kind of extra education in the future, be it a training college, University or apprenticeship.

It's never to early for young people to start thinking about what they might like to do after they finish school, and if they are aware of the path they need to take for it early on they can start taking actions towards that and part of the Stars programme is to get the students thinking about their futures and set goals to achieve their dreams.

Tokoroa Student Wins at National FYD Excellence Awards 

Tokoroa High School student Melissa Appel has been recognized for her outstanding contribution to the Stars programme at Tokoroa High School. Melissa was nominated by Stars Coordinator Tony Jones who describes Melissa as an outstanding young women who has strong leadership skills. Melissa is the person who other mentors turn to for support and ideas when sessions are finishing too quickly or if the students are not fully engaged" Tony says. "She has the ability to encourage her fellow mentors and to support them to get their students back on track, Melissa has role modeled the mentor position better than I ever imagine was possible for someone so young". Melissa will go on to Waikato University in 2012 to begin her studies for primary school teaching. All the best Melissa and congratulations! 

Stars Schools

Tokoroa High School

Project K Students Give Back to Community

Project K students have now completed their two week community challenge phase of the Project K programme.

Students designed their own Big Give projects to give back to select groups in the community they wanted to help. This included helping families from Nawton School, the Children’s ward at Waikato Hospital and the Hamilton Night Shelter.

The group helping out Nawton School families have secured, with the help of Office Products Depot Hamilton, ten stationary packs to be donated each term for new-entrant students of the school. "It’s a huge help and we are grateful for the generosity of these Project K students and Office Products Depot." says Nawton School Principal, Rubina Wheeler. "These stationery packs will see students owning the right equipment (removing additional pressures on the families), empowering them to succeed.”

A donation of canned goods and cereal was gifted to the Hamilton Night Shelter in another Big Give and will help people who are transitioning into permanent accommodation with some food to add to their start-up kits. The group also assisted with a community lunch at St Mary’s Church in Hamilton Eastand student Kelly Sunderland-Wells says it was a good experience and she enjoyed meeting the people involved. “It was a different experience, rewarding and interesting meeting the people we were helping. It made me realise that it’s not just about giving money or things, it’s also about spending time with people.”

Children and families in the Children’s wards at Waikato Hospital received gift bags containing essential toiletries to help get them through their unexpected stay in hospital. Student Zoey Pointon says that that giving back to these families made her feel like she’s doing something helpful. “I know what it’s like to be in or have loved ones in hospital and seeing the smiles of appreciation on these families faces was heart warming, I hope we helped to brighten their day”.

Project K Graduates Inspiring Young People

Eleven young people from Fraser High School have graduated from the 2011-2012 Project K programme. The graduation ceremony was held at the Wintec Bill Gallagher Hub in July with nearly 100 guests attending.

Students shared their inspirational stories of achievements and personal changes in their attitudes and confidence with their family, friends, mentors and supporters of FYD Waikato and Project K.

Graduates Alisha Apiti and TeTawhero Williams showed everyone just how confident they have become over the past 14 months taking the role as co-master of ceremony for the evening and nailing it! It was amazing to see the ease of confidence these two young people had.

The speeches were largely around the students experience with their mentor of 12 months, the highlight of many of the students three part Project K programme which also includes a Wilderness Adventure and Community Challenge, whom they have now become close friends with.

Congratulations to our graduates and a BIG thank you to our mentors who supported our Project K students.