‘Rangatira’ is comprised of two Maori words – Raranga (meaning to weave) and tira (meaning a group of people). Rangatira translates to the word leader – someone who can bring people together towards a common goal.

Rangatira is an opportunity to gather and develop the finest young leaders from across the North Island.

Students return from the conference:

• Empowered with a stronger sense of self-awareness, self-worth & self-belief

• Prepared with essential skills & tools to effectively lead

• Motivated to make a difference in their school & community

• Equipped with clear goals & action plans

• Connected to a powerful network of young leaders from across New Zealand

Rangatira will be held in Rotorua over three days. Accomodation is included in the investment and will be supervised by yLead.

When: Sunday 3rd October – Tuesday 5th October, 2021
Where: Hosted by Rotorua Boys’ High School, Rotorua

In January 2012, three Rotorua Boys’ High School Year 12 students – Kelsey Crew, Liam Hae Hae and Shaquille Graham attended the yLead Australian Student Leadership Conference in Brisbane, QLD, Australia. During the conference they developed a vision to bring the experience to aspiring young leaders in New Zealand and ensure they felt confident and well equipped to lead their schools. Later that year, in partnership with the Super 8 schools, we launched ‘Rangatira’ in Rotorua which continues to be held annually.

2021 marks 10 years of Rangatira in Rotorua. Here at yLead we are so proud of the impact that Rangatira has had on the students and we’re really excited to announce that we’ll be bringing the much anticipated leadership experience back to the North Island and we’re inviting you to join us in continuing the Rangatira tradition by offering your students this unique opportunity.

Anaru Palmer was a participant of Rangatira in 2017 – he was inspired to express what Rangatira meant to him below.

We are yLead.

This is Rangatira.

How do I register my students?
To register your students for this unique opportunity, please complete the registration form.  Once registered, you will receive a confirmation email with a request for students to provide dietary, medical and other personal information closer to the event.

Who will be looking after the students?
The yLead team will supervise students throughout the entire conference experience.  Males and females will be housed in separate supervised accommodation overnight. Students requiring leave from the conference will need to provide written permission from their parent/guardian.

As a staff member, am I required to attend?
School staff are not required to attend the event.  However, we are more than happy to welcome you throughout the conference.  We are also able to arrange a meals and accommodation package if required. We strongly encourage you or other appropriate staff member/s to attend Rangatira on Day 3 (Tuesday 5th October). Conference participants will be led through a vision and goal setting workshop. It is a great opportunity for you to sit down with their students and work together on building a strong 12-month leadership vision for your school.

Can I send students that have not yet been elected to leadership positions?
Yes! Rangatira is an incredible experience for all senior students. The conference will suit students considering applying for leadership roles, stepping up to leadership or wanting to expand their personal leadership skills.

Do names of students need to be known at time of registration?
No. You can register a certain number of students once registration opens; specific names are due Monday 30th August and personalised student details are due on Monday 13th September 2021.

Is there a maximum or minimum number of students I can register?
No. It is a great conference for a number of student leaders to experience together. Schools send anywhere from 4 elected leaders to a pool of 14 students applying for leadership positions. When a group of students experience Rangatira together, they become a more united team that has a greater ability to implement their ideas and share their knowledge with others.

What if students have a distance to travel?
We appreciate that some students may like to make travel arrangements and arrive the night before. yLead does offer supervised accommodation the night before Rangatira. There is an additional charge of just $60 per person, which includes pizza dinner organised by yLead, accommodation, and breakfast the next morning. Please make us aware if you wish to take up this offering.

Does yLead have a COVID Safe plan in place?
The safety of all students and staff is always yLead’s main priority. yLead’s COVID safe plan aligns with government recommendations and works closely with conference venues to be adaptable to any changes and updates. All attending students, guest speakers and yLead Team members will be required to fill out a health declaration prior to their onsite registration. Each venue currently has restrictions on capacity, we recommend being swift in confirming your registration so you don’t miss out. If you wish to peruse our COVID Safe Plan please contact us.

What happens if the conference gets cancelled due to government restrictions?
If the conference does need to be cancelled due to government restrictions, yLead will provide an alternative experience (be it online or otherwise). Details on how to participate in this event will be communicated to students and educators via email and sms.