Alternative Education Hui
"I was a part of Humans of Hendo Book 2. This project taught me many things. It taught me that I’m a visual learner. It taught me that I am an important and valuable member of the community. It taught me that I’m a better person than I thought I was. It taught me that I am able to contribute towards society. It taught me that if it isn’t worth finishing, then it isn’t worth starting. It taught me that there are a lot of good people in the world with their own personal struggles that still do well with good support, and I am one of them. I hope that more kids have this opportunity to shine like we did."
- Project participant speaking at the Alternative Education Hui
Accepting the Arts Access Aotearoa Community Partnership Award at parliament was huge recognition, not only for our rangatahi but also for the successful mahi of Humans of Hendo. In the following months, those who had seen us at parliament invited us back to Wellington to speak at the Alternative Education Hui (2018).
Rangatahi created a presentation and confidently spoke to 500+ people who are involved in alternative education in NZ. Using the opportunity to reflect upon their own alternative education experiences, they described how creativity had become important to them as an antidote to negative feelings associated with ‘rejection’ from school - the one place other than home that all children and adolescents are supposed to belong. Rangatahi wanted to inform listeners of the true, lived reality of a life in Aoateroas alternative education system. These considerations, along with the contrasting positive experiences felt via creative connections through Humans of Hendo, were then presented back to the hui's attendants. Humans of Hendo youth felt seen and heard. Wishes for the future of alternative education were discussed, written down and displayed, to inform policy-makers of the needs and hopes of this sector.
Alternative Education Hui is a partnership with Tindalls Next Gen, Waitakere Alternative Education Consortium, Target Alternative Education.