In 2023 Auckland Council’s Sustainable Schools team piloted a project called Mana Ora: Students Decarbonising Schools. This project aimed to empower students, with support, to plan and implement action projects linked to decarbonisation within their schools.Mana Ora was supported by Auckland Council, Westpac NZ Government Innovation Fund, and Ministry for the Environment. A pool of funding for students’ action projects was included in the programme.
The name of the programme is explained below:
“Mana Ora speaks to the mana (prestige/power) we have as ira tangata (people) to do right by our taiao/tupuna (environment/ancestor) by enhancing the mauri (life force) and ora (health) of our taiao (environment)".
Ka ora te taiao, ka ora te tangata (a healthy land is a healthy people)
The Mana Ora programme and evaluation built on what was learned in a 2021 Schools' Carbon Footprint Pilot project with Auckland Council.