At Albany Senior High School (ASHS), environmental education isn’t just taught – it’s lived.
Every Wednesday, students step out of the traditional classroom model and into Impact Projects – deep, inquiry-based learning focused on real-world issues. Through hubs like Blue Nature and Enviro 101, our ākonga (students) become scientists, innovators, and leaders tackling Aotearoa’s most pressing environmental challenges.
Whether exploring phage therapy to clean waterways, prototyping biodegradable bait, or researching mangrove-based erosion control, these projects reflect not only academic rigour but deep kaitiakitanga (guardianship). Students collaborate with experts and organisations like NIWA, Goat Island Marine Discovery Centre, and Blue Nature Aotearoa – partnerships that empower rangatahi to step confidently into the role of kaitiaki and shape the conversation around marine protection.
Melissa White, Director of SeaKeepers South Pacific, has seen this leadership firsthand, describing the students as “more than just participants – they’re emerging as genuine leaders”. Similarly, Ayla Lunn, Programme Lead at Blue Nature Aotearoa, reflects on their “maturity, clarity of thought, and innovative thinking as not only refreshing, but absolutely essential in today’s world”.
That spirit of leadership isn’t limited to marine spaces. In our Enviro 101 Hub, students are restoring bush areas, managing pest species, building public awareness campaigns, and regenerating native biodiversity right here on campus. In 2025 alone, they’ve led butterfly habitat restoration, launched stream conservation efforts, and reinstated a rat and stoat trapline with community partners.
Importantly, this mahi contributes to NCEA credits and often leads to further study in Environmental Science, Engineering, and Biology. But more than that, it gives ākonga the tools, confidence, and conviction to lead change well beyond school.
At ASHS, environmental education is more than content in a curriculum – it’s a belief in the power of young people to lead. And when you see them in action, there’s no doubt: they’re already doing just that.
Enrol at Albany Senior High School!
In zone and out of zone enrolments for 2026 now open!
Are you ready to experience the future of education? Don’t miss out – seize the opportunity to enrol today and let your rangatahi embark on a journey of limitless possibilities.
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