Athens Education Centre
The Athens Education Centre delivers Alternative Education to young people in the community between the ages of 13-16 years who are excluded and disengaged from the mainstream schools. Our educational model is based on the NZ Curriculum which encourages educational achievement and it is delivered in an inclusive, safe and welcoming environment for all learners. We pride ourselves in co-constructing our curriculum with our learners and empowering them to gain educational progress. These efforts lead to achievements in NCEA Level 1 and 2 credits in various subjects including:
Literacy
Vocational Pathways
Social Studies
Drama
Cultural and Languages Studies
Numeracy
Physical Education & Health
Life-skills
ASPIRE Transitions Program
The ASPIRE Transition Program is an intensive program aimed at reintegrating young people whom have been out of education for prolonged periods of time and need to be put back into a learning environment. Generally young people who are referred to the ASPIRE program have been out of education for prolonged periods of time due to behaviour, anger and disengagement issues as well as high levels of involvement with the youth court system. The design of the program is a model that is founded on the key competencies of the NZ Curriculum document. Competencies such as managing-self, relating to others, participating and contributing and thinking are all transferable skills that young people need to successfully integrate into a range of environments. This is further supplemented by academic, intra and inter personal activities designed to build self-confidence and communication skills for young people who are engaged in the ASPIRE Transitions Program.
Inspire2Activate Networks
Inspire2Activate is an integrated model that delivers both individualised and intertwined programs to support individuals, families and groups.
Programs;
Mentoring Programs
Mentoring programs are usually conducted within 18 to 30 sessions or more depending on the mentoring requirements of the mentees.
Academic Mentoring
The academic program has various components that include both mentoring and teacher-aide support. For young people who require academic and educational support, our teacher-aides work alongside them on a one-on-one basis in a variety of different settings to support them in achieving key areas of their academic goals.
For young people who are unsure of how to engage in programs which will lead them onto a career path which will align with their goals, our youth workers will work alongside them to set career goals and to find programs that align with their aspirations.
Vocational Mentoring
Our youth workers and career coaches work alongside young people to get them employment ready and to bridge the transition to either part-time or full-time work. Giving young people tangible skills such as: developing self-confidence, communication, job search skills, self-management skills and developing an up-to-date curriculum vitae. These skills will make young people an asset to employers.
Social and Life-Skills Mentoring
Generally young people are referred to our social and life-skills mentoring program for variety of reasons. At the initial meeting, our youth workers meet with them and their caregivers, parents or support people to develop a ‘going forward plan’. The mentoring plan is not restrictive and it is heavily dependent on the issues identified in the initial meeting. Once a plan has been developed, the youth worker and the young person will meet regularly to work through the plan by utilising youth centered activities to support the intended outcomes of the mentoring plan.
Advocacy
Our youth workers work alongside young people and their families to support and advocate for them in a variety of situations. They may include but not restricted to: advocating in housing matters, social support, transition into the community, court related requirements, family group conferences and accessing health services.
Talanoa Anger Management Program
Talanoa Anger Management Program is a 12 week program that utilises the traditional Tongan village tool of problem solving through conversations. Talanoa is a medium that village elders utilise to facilitate conversations that lead to the development of solutions and strategies to solve any particular issues in the interest of alleviating unrest. Talanoa as a concept, empowers groups or individuals to safely express their feelings through conversations in an environment that is inclusive and safe and led by elders who hold the best interest of the group at heart. Through the Talanoa model, our youth workers are able to facilitate conversations that build rapport with young people whilst empowering them to feel safe, inclusive and confident enough to freely share and identify areas in their lives that lead to their anger surfacing and taking hold of their behaviour. Talanoa provides both the youth worker (facilitator) and young person with the medium in which a strength based approach can take place to co-construct and implement strategies to support the young person in overcoming their anger tendencies or issues when they arise.
Family Empowerment
The Athens Family Empowerment program is heavily focused on empowering at-risk families by equipping them with strategies to better communicate between family members and positive ways to acknowledge and deal with conflict and problems.
This plan is heavily grounded around the philosophy of oral traditions in which Pasifika and Maori culture are steeped, as many of the families we aim to work with come from these backgrounds.
The focus of the program is to first teach intra-personal skills (how they manage their own self), then inter-personal skills (how they manage their self in relation to others) and then finally building, strengthening and maintaining relationships (which ensures an increased resilience to problems which come between the family).
The Family Empowerment advocates and coaches are people who are trained to facilitate this transition. They are culturally aware of the backgrounds of these families and work on a strength-based approach when delivering the program. They aim to ensure families do not become heavily dependent on further support from external parties but instead are confident in dealing with issues when they arise and also keep good, healthy relationships within themselves.
Foaki Mai Ho Loto: Community Social Meet n Greet for Elderly Tongans
This is a community response established by the Athens Community Trust to address the social isolation that is often prevalent in the Tongan community particularly for elderly and disabled Tongans. The group meets once a week to socialise and engage in a number of cultural activities such as songs and story telling. In addition the group also undertakes various activities such as knitting and sewing, from which the proceeds from their activities are donated to organizations such as Curtain Bank and Starship Hospital. Once a month the group engage in an outing to meet with other similar groups in different parts of Auckland.