Last night, Albany Senior High School (ASHS) proudly hosted its annual Impact Project Celebration of Learning Showcase, marking the conclusion of Impact Projects for 2025. The event brought together whānau, friends, staff, and community to celebrate the creativity, courage, and passion of our rangatahi.

Guest Speaker Coco King.

The evening was filled with highlights, including inspiring live performances from the Music hub, the announcement of our Top Impact Projects, and a powerful address from guest speaker Coco King (Class of 2020 and former Head Student). Coco reflected on the lasting influence Impact Projects had on shaping her own career path, encouraging students to embrace curiosity, take risks, and trust the value of their mahi.

The Prizegiving section was expertly hosted by 2025 Head Students, Heather and Damdini, who brought energy and mana to the stage as they acknowledged the outstanding projects of the year.

Deputy Principal and Leader of Impact Projects, Cristina Casey, summed up the spirit of the evening:

“By engaging in Impact Projects, our vision for our rangatahi is to be confident, connected and leave Albany Senior High School with a sense of purpose. We want them to explore their world, their talents, their identities and their affinities. And this is what Impact Projects provide – a space where students can solve problems in authentic contexts and follow their passions and curiosity. Impact Projects are special and something that we can all feel really proud of in our school community.”

Impact Projects are a unique and defining feature of the ASHS curriculum. They give students the opportunity to explore their passions, identities, and interests in meaningful, real-world contexts – developing purpose, confidence, and connection along the way.

In 2025, Impact Legacy was also introduced – a new initiative for Year 13 students to lead Leadership and Legacy Projects, leaving their mark on ASHS and the wider community.

The process of selecting this year’s Top Impact Projects was no small task. With 43 nominations and over 100 interviews conducted, the Impact Project Leadership team was inspired by the insight, pride, and creativity that students demonstrated in talking about their journeys.

Congratulations to the following Top Projects of 2025:

• Collaborative Art (Zuriel Boanerges, Lee Osborne, Naiarah Peiris, Bibi Neves)
• Design for Good (Zac Stillwell, Emily Jamieson, Lily Nice, Lilly Herman)
• Gateway (Nirvana Fairey-Foster)
• Junior Mathex (Nyah Ng)
• Kōrero Hour (Spix Brunton, Hunter Glen-Wood, Isabella Green, Jacob Hitchcock, Geet Jain – but nineteen overall contributors)
• Let’s Go (Julia Rowe, Hayden Kelly, Zalea Southern Vasey, Penny Lovell, Grace Borton, Kamdyn Copeland, Cinamyn de Souza, Nick Lodge, Jessica Taylor, Annika Hougger Mearns William Chamberlain)
• Oh My Chicken (Michelle Nonato, Damdini Manadi Pathirennehelage, Wako Fukata)
• Sparkplug (Ethan Davidson, Scott Donaldson, Finn Wright, Logan Woods, Samuel Luong)
• Staysurfsafe (TJ Muller, Phia Hearley Chloe Oliver)
• Stitch: Dog Coats (Grayson Schliebe, Neve Melville, Karenza Taljaard)
• Tamariki: Playkitchen (Anya Kotze, Ruby Weber, Taylor Rawbone, Amelie Nielsen, Alesha Khalil)
• Toi (Phebe Duffy, Scarlette Long, Charlotte Catty)
• Tūmanako (Jeslie Ilali, Gurleen Virk, Sameer Khatri, Saleena Khatri, Cherishglyz Pacana)
• Wave Goodbye To The Shoreline (Amanda Inohara Kawasaki)
• Winton (Jingshu Yu)
• Wonkies (Beatrice Gatchalian, Natalie Limberger)
• Young Leaders (Charlotte Dugmore)

This year, Tūmanako received the People’s Choice Award for their inspiring mahi as peace ambassadors. Their project played a key role in Tūmanako 2025: Nothing is More Precious than Peace – Art by Young People, an initiative encouraging rangatahi to use creativity as a voice for peace. Working with 45 schools, running workshops in four local schools, and gathering 123 artworks for exhibition at the Culture Centre in Ellerslie, Tūmanako has shown how hope (tūmanako in te reo Māori) can grow into a movement. Their work demonstrates that every small action contributes to peace – and their achievement is a source of immense pride for our school. 

We are immensely proud of all our students for their dedication, passion, and the positive impact they have created. Their mahi reminds us that Impact Projects are not only about learning – they are about shaping futures, leaving legacies, and making a real difference in the world.

Tūmanako, Winners of a Top Project and People’s Choice Award.