Engaging young people at ASB Polyfest 2019

Le Va was out in full force again this year at #ASBPolyFest2019 with a team of volunteers to help ignite our communities and create that change.  It was also an opportunity to engage with Pasifika young people and offer a variety of Le Va’s latest wellbeing resources. Of particular focus was the I AM eLearning module from ATU-MAI, Le Va’s Violence Prevention programme.  The I AM module which was co-designed with over 60 Pasifika young people, aims to strengthen Pasifika young people’s self-worth through culture. We know that cultural identity is important for wellbeing for Pasifika young people, but there aren’t many practical resources or tools out there for young people that are specifically tailored to help them discover and strengthen their cultural identity – the I AM module is one way to meet this need… and it is in high demand!

Engaging children and tweens
Day 1 of ASB Polyfest 2019 was officially opened with a dawn flag-raising ceremony and special karakia by the local iwi. This was followed by a Powhiri led by the host schools of ASB Polyfest 2019 before commencing with the Schools Day programme. This opening day of Polyfest was targeted at primary and intermediate schools, years 4 – 8, with up to 1000 students from schools all over Auckland excited to get a taste of what Polyfest is all about.
Le Va was chosen to be one of the 10-minute rotation pods spread over the Niuean stage and Diversity stage.  

        
Going digital for polyfest
This year, we had a focus on creating a digital activation space.  Being able to provide this digital space meant that people could come and see us, connect to free WiFi and complete the I AM module with the support of our team on site. It also meant a more environmentally friendly approach, with minimal paper or plastic waste – looking after our environment as part of wellbeing too!
   
Our full programme of activation included social media, pre-Polyfest face-to-face engagements with cultural leaders from each school, and CollaborAction with Pacific Media Network. This resulted in positive conversations with large crowds of Pasifika young people learning more about cultural identity and wellbeing.

ASB Polyfest 2019 was a celebration of Pasifika cultural performance and a true reflection of the cultural diversity within our communities!  It was awesome to witness Pasifika young people immersed in their culture and proud of their identity! The team is already looking forward to ASB Polyfest 2020!!