Empower tamariki with the skills they need to thrive in the classroom, the playground, and beyond.
The Empowering Tamariki Programme equips educators with ready-to-use lessons that build confidence, character, and safety across five key wellbeing topics. Simple to deliver, powerful in impact.
Empowering Tamariki Through Life Skills Education!
The Empowering Tamariki Programme is a comprehensive, values-based teaching resource designed to support the social and emotional development of tamariki (children) in a positive, engaging, and age-appropriate way. This programme consists of five individual yet interconnected programmes, each focused on building essential life skills and promoting wellbeing both inside and outside the classroom.
The five core topics include:
âś… Bully Awareness and Prevention
âś… Good Manners and Positive Behaviour
âś… Emotional Regulation
âś… Good Character and Leadership
âś… Stranger Danger Safety
Each module is structured with ready-to-use lesson plans, activities, and supporting resources, making it easy for teachers and support staff to confidently deliver the content. The programme is designed to encourage meaningful discussions, positive behaviour, and self-awareness, empowering tamariki to make respectful and responsible choices in a safe and supportive learning environment.
By embedding these programmes into the school curriculum, educators can help tamariki build resilience, empathy, and leadership skills. Foundations for lifelong success.
Bully Awareness & Prevention
Recognising different forms of bullying, responding with confidence and kindness, and uphold manaakitanga (kindness and respect) to help build a safe, inclusive school environment. Â
Manners & Positive Behaviour
 Teaches tamariki the value of showing respect (whakaute), using manners, kind words and actions, and making positive choices that strengthen relationships.
Coming soon
Emotional Regulation
Supports tamariki to recognise their feelings, use calming strategies, and express emotions in healthy ways that help them build resilience (manawaroa) and emotional wellbeing (oranga hinengaro).
Coming soonÂ
Character Building & Leadership
Helps develop strong values like honesty (pono), responsibility (haepapa), and courage (maia), empowering kids to lead by example and uplift others with integrity and mana.
Coming soon
Stranger Danger Safety
Teaches tamariki how to stay safe around strangers, trust their instincts (whakaaro tūpato), and seek help when needed, building confidence and awareness in everyday situations.
Coming soon
Free Scenario Cards For Teachers
Presenting Practical Strategies and Role-Play Activity
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Our Books
Interested In Fundraising?
Use our beautifully crafted 'Sensei Shane says' Children’s Books as a powerful school fundraiser and help bring the Empowering Tamariki Programme into your School.
It’s a meaningful way to raise funds, while promoting reading, kindness, and resilience. Whether it's our course you're wanting to fund or something else to help your school, we have a fundraising programme for all our children's books. For every book sold through your fundraising your school receive a set amount per book.
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Huirangi School
New Plymouth
"The Empowering Tamariki Programme has been an invaluable asset to our school for the past two years. Initially introduced to address and reduce playground behaviour incidents across the school, it has far exceeded our expectations. The programme has successfully provided our staff, teachers, students, and wider community with a common language, fostering a more cohesive and understanding environment.  We've seen a profoundly positive impact on our students, who are now equipped with diverse strategies for being a good friend and navigating tricky situations where unkindness arises. The inherent physicality and fun embedded in each lesson truly uplift our students; their excitement to participate is always palpable. As Hauora is a huge focus across our school, the Empowering Tamariki Programme aligns perfectly with our holistic approach to well-being. We are committed to continuing this programme for as long as our community and students benefit from its empowering lessons."
- Natalie Looney | Tumuaki
BEd (Teaching), Post Grad. Diploma (Physical Education), Master of Contemporary Education.
St Joesph School
Waitara
"The Empowering Tamariki Programme with Sensei Shane has been running at St Joseph’s School Waitara for over a year now, and we’ve seen a clear, positive impact on student behaviour and wellbeing.
Since introducing the programme, incidents of bullying have reduced, and our wellbeing data shows significant improvements in how our tamariki manage themselves and relate to others.
We’ve found it to be a highly effective, values-based programme, and we fully recommend it to other primary schools looking to strengthen positive behaviour and support student wellbeing."
-Â Rachel Gibbons | Principal
St Joseph School Waitara
"
Puketapu School
Bell Block
"Puketapu School has had the privilege of having the Empowering Tamariki Programme in our school over the last year and the results are amazing!
-Â Katherine Pascoe | Principal
Puketapu School, Bell Block
."