Taking learning beyond the classroom: connecting students with te taiao

What happens when the classroom becomes the whenua?

Ngamanawa Incoporation’s Taiao Workshop at Waitaia Lodge gives students the opportunity to step outside the classroom and learn through direct connection with te taiao, whenua and mātauranga Māori.

Designed with Education Outside the Classroom (EOTC) in mind, the workshop provides a hands-on learning experience where students can explore the natural environment, develop an understanding of kaitiakitanga, and consider their relationship with the whenua.

Rather than simply learning about the environment, students are encouraged to experience it, observe it and ask questions about their place within it.

The programme can support learning across a range of curriculum areas, including science, social sciences, environmental education, hauora and mātauranga Māori. Activities can be adapted to suit the age and learning objectives of each group.

For schools, the workshop offers an opportunity to combine curriculum learning with an authentic outdoor experience — creating space for students to learn together, build confidence and develop a deeper connection with the environment around them.

Set at Waitaia Lodge, near Tauranga, the programme provides a distinctive learning environment away from the traditional classroom, with the whenua and taiao becoming part of the learning experience.

Schools and kura interested in bringing their students to Waitaia Lodge for a Taiao Workshop are invited to contact Ngamanawa to discuss a programme suited to their learners and learning goals.