About us
Ko te whakatipuranga tenei o te mana rangahau, me nga matauranga katoa e pa ana ki te aoturoa me te taiao
The child learns through active exploration of the environment
At Wild Places both Tim and Michelle, the kaiako, have significant experience in engaging tamariki and whānau with nature, with a love and passion to connect children with the world beyond the centre gate. As a team they venture and shine with all-weather bush excursions, beach adventures and more, with young learners and their whānau. We are actively involved in our community and passionate about seeing tamariki thrive in the outdoors, loving the opportunity’s that exist in the wilds of nature.
We are a non-profit trust and we have Trustees that bring a wealth of knowledge and expertise to Wild Places, from all over the education sector. Within our trustees, we also have representation of local iwi and tanagata whenau from away. What we share is a love of learning, a desire to see tamariki and whānau thrive, with a love of learning passed on. We are also passionate to see te ao Māori embraced, and although on different levels of this journey, we are eager to see Māori feel their culture is embraced, te reo is respected and grown, and that everyone is proud of their heritage.
We believe in the importance of hauora, holistic well being, and as a learning community will foster and unpack an understanding of this with whānau and with tamariki. The four aspects of hauora have strengths in our service; They are seen through the connection to the natural world, the physical nature of our programme, the importance of relationships, and the emotional well being these connections help ensure. We hope to journey to a deeper knowledge of hauora together, for the benefit of whānau and tamariki.
We believe in the diversity of whānau, and also acknowledge the importance of including extended whānau, iwi and community in helping us fulfil our vision. Together we are stronger than if we stand alone. We are a place for all.
We aim to foster manaakitanga, caring for, respecting, and having a generous spirit to our whānau
We aim to embrace kotahitanga, a sense of togetherness, all in the same waka, wanting to support, and see growth in us all, whether kaiako, tamariki or whānau.
Wild Places Education is a Ministry of Education licensed early learning centre, operating out of Paroa Playcentre, in Mawhera. The venture is a kaiako led, whānau co-operative, having shared rostered help with whānau. This enables the rich learning journey, with high ratios of adults to tamariki, experiencing the great outdoors together.
Our kaupapa finds its foundation well aligned Te Whāriki, the New Zealand Early Childhood Curriculum. Our service is free to families with the government-funded 20 hours ECE for 3, 4 and 5 year olds or $6 per hour outside of this funding.