Hapori Community of Practice Award
听
One of the primary areas of Lisa鈥檚 role is to support the Master of M膩ori and Indigenous Leadership (MMIL) programme, which has a mini传媒 group of 膩konga, many of whom are adult learners who have come to UC through alternative entry pathways as distance learners across New Zealand, and around half of whom enter postgraduate study without an undergraduate qualification.听 Moreover, they have a wide range of roles and interests within their communities.听 Whether they work in local or national government roles, for iwi, and for private organisations, each student develops a research project that focus on a key project within their community 鈥 often related to key areas of social development such as health, education, social work, housing, or policing.
Lisa鈥檚 approach to this challenge is to meet students where they are 鈥 quite literally! 鈥 by attending w膩nanga with students across New Zealand and forming relationships with students in the programme kanohi-ki-te-kanohi.听 In this way, she builds trust with students, one of whom notes that 鈥渉er compassion and understanding [make] you feel safe to share.鈥澨 While the distance nature of the two-year degree programme means that zoom sessions are essential as students鈥 study progresses, these relationships formed in person help students to open up, and feel comfortable calling on Lisa鈥檚 expertise. 听Through all her interactions with 膩konga, her diligence, warmth, and intellect shine through 鈥 her students note that 鈥淟isa is an inspirational person,鈥 that 鈥淸she] is exceptional in her role,鈥 that 鈥渘othing is too much or too hard for [her] in her support of us,鈥 and that she 鈥渃onsistently shows the values of aroha, manaakitanga, whanauangatanga and wairuatanga.鈥
The skills that Lisa teaches focus on enabling students to access research and apply it, both in their own research projects and in their engagement with their communities.听 Whether she is teaching information literacy, referencing, or essential technology skills, the success of the support she offers can be seen not only in how many students are supported to succeed in the MMIL programme, but also in how many have gained the confidence to progress to further study at UC, such as doctoral research. 听In the words of her nominator, Prof. Carl Mika, 鈥渟he demonstrates the truth of the whakatauk墨 "Poipoia te k膩kano kia pu膩wai 鈥 nurture the seed and it will blossom."鈥
