MY STORY
Nikky Tauranga
I’ve been part of the education sector since 2004, a period marked by enormous shifts in how we understand children, learning, and the environments that truly support them. Across those years, one truth has become impossible to ignore: children need meaningful access to the outdoors, opportunities for real‑world, age‑appropriate risk, and relationships grounded in trust. When educators work within compassionate, honest teams, we create spaces where children don’t just cope, they flourish.
Alongside my professional life, I’ve raised two children as a solo parent from their earliest years. Both are on the ASD spectrum, and their journeys have shaped me just as deeply as my work has. That lived experience gives me a unique lens for supporting parents and teachers, one rooted in empathy, advocacy and a genuine understanding of the complexities families navigate. It’s strengthened my belief that when we honour each child’s individuality and surround them with attuned adults, we lay the foundation for lifelong wellbeing and learning.
For more than twenty years I’ve worked as a teacher, with the last twelve immersed in nature‑based education. That time has only deepened my belief in what children instinctively show us every day; they need real connection with the natural world and they thrive when given space for meaningful, age‑appropriate risk. My experience with a one‑day‑a‑week forest school programme made this even clearer. Children who had rich early experiences outdoors (climbing, exploring, problem‑solving, getting muddy, testing their limits), carried those strengths confidently into their school journey. Their resilience, curiosity and sense of capability were unmistakable. These years have affirmed for me that nature isn’t an “extra” in education; it’s a foundation for lifelong learning, wellbeing, and growth.
Ehara taku toa,i te toa takitahi,engari he toa takitini.
My success should not be bestowed onto me alone, as it was not individual success, but success of a collective. Cooperation of many can bring best results.