EDUCATION & PARTICIPATION

Helping the children of today, the youth of tomorrow .....Respect, Appreciate, Enjoy and Conserve New Zealand’s Marine Environment

New Zealand Sport Fishing  is  committed to developing plans and programmes to encourage the children and youth of New Zealand to more fully appreciate and respect the marine environment and participate in the many opportunities that we are privileged to have access to throughout the country. Being a National Sports Organisation for recreational marine fishers requires that we focus more on the future of the sport and recreation and become more pro active in understanding, developing and providing pathways into fishing for all New Zealanders.

In 2009 New Zealand Sport Fishing developed and implemented an exciting new educational initiative to  assist primary school children's understanding of New Zealand's fisheries and the marine environment. This was produced in a fun way, to make the learning experience more enjoyable, in the form of “Hiwi the Kiwi Goes Fishing”.

There are several subject areas that the programme covers, including sustainable fishing, common inshore fishes and also water safety in all its aspects. Children are our future, now is the time to assist in their education and knowledge on how to manage, protect and preserve our marine environment and introduce them to the fun of fishing.

The health benefits for the children being outdoors and appreciating Kai Moana (Food of the Sea) are well documented and understood throughout the world. Fishing develops many skills both social, technical and psychological.Studies internationally also show that significant personal benefits are achieved by children who fish....especially self confidence.  The leading New Zealand Youth Court Judge, Andrew Beecroft, states that " a kid in sport stays out of court". For male youth,  fishing is a perfect sport for male role models to be found in and for young male teens to associate with where there is perhaps no father figure in their home. 

NZ Sport Fishing partnered with Mark de Lacy, aka "The Minstrel", to develop and produce a humorous and instructive educational programme. Mark travels the country to present the programme to hundreds of schools. Mark and his wife have spent the past ten years travelling the country presenting the Hiwi the Kiwi character to school children and passing on values and messages through the use of humorous stories and songs and are already well known to the children.

To date, over 270 schools have been visited since mid 2009. As of January 2011 a further 47 schools have booked a show already for  the upcoming year.Over 100,000 primary school children will have seen the show by Christmas 2010.  This project is an inspiring programme designed to demonstrate to children the wide-ranging opportunities that fishing provides.

The success to date of Hiwi the Kiwi has inpired the NZSF to plan for a further programme to be presented at middle and secondary schools and colleges. It is hoped that with support from SPARC and Regional Sports Trusts and organisations that a programme which includes shore and boat fishing activities can be developed and implemented. At this time estimated costs for such a programme are approximately $600,000 over 3 years.

The Resource

The ‘Fish for our Future’ educational resource supports the “Hiwi the Kiwi Goes Fishing Show.” This resource, which is fully integrated, has been planned to align with the new curriculum. It provides opportunities for students to explore innovative e-learning activities, develop their problem solving skills, extend their creativity and carry out research using an inquiry based learning model.  The resource covers:

Marine Life

Environmental issues & sustainability
Tikianga linked to the sea
Recreational including water safety
Kai Moana – a source of food
Careers linked to the sea
Plus a CD containing ICT resources.

The resource has been developed and written by Marilyn Small, a Deputy Principal, who has a personal passion for all ‘things’ linked to the sea. Marilyn currently works at the Manaia View School which is in Whangarei.

The entire resource is also planned to be available in Te Reo. Funding for this work is yet to be secured.

The Hiwi the Kiwi Show

The ‘Hiwi the Kiwi Goes Fishing’ Show is a professional, highly interactive, live presentation designed specifically to help satisfy curriculum requirements in Literacy. It includes Music, Dance and Drama and not a little humour … the show has been lauded by teachers, parents  and children alike. The show is suitable for all age groups Year 1 to 8.

Over the past ten years The Minstrel (Mark de Lacy’s) ‘Hiwi the Kiwi’ and ‘Pukeko-eko’ shows have been performed at over 700 primary and intermediate schools throughout New Zealand. His shows are hilarious, educational and interactive.  Schools continue to applaud his ability to inspire and amaze kids and teachers alike.

The all new ‘Hiwi the Kiwi Goes Fishing’ Show features new songs like “Hiwi the Kiwi Goes Fishing’ and ‘Paua for the People’ and story poems like “Hiwi Learns to Fly’.  The songs teach kids about ‘Fishing for the Future’. The lyrics are interwoven into the educational resource and explore areas of vital importance to New Zealanders. How to catch fish for food, what to do with it when caught, how to ensure there will be fish to catch in the future, how to protect the coastline and waterways and all aspects of Kai Moana and water safety guidelines and recommendation.

In support and to sponsor the project, NZ Fishing News have provided a page in their publication every month for the next 3 years. This page includes promoting the sponsors of the project and will update readers on the schedule of schools and appearances planned. 
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To support and provide a unique face for the project NZSF have a Profile 520 trailer boat package that will travel with the Minstrel and be used to promote the total concept to the wider community.