This project will help 10,000 children in underserved New Zealand schools thrive beyond the traditional classroom by building permanent outdoor classrooms where they can grow food, explore science, and build confidence. Each year, Oke delivers fifteen community-built outdoor classrooms that are used weekly by generations of tamariki, creating lasting spaces where children who struggle inside four walls can finally succeed.
New Zealand Aotearoa ranks near the bottom of OECD countries for child wellbeing and last for youth mental health. One-size-fits-all classrooms do not meet the needs of all learners, leading to disengagement. This disproportionately affects Maori and Pasifika students. Schools lack funding for alternative environments, leaving outdoor spaces underused and limiting opportunities for children to engage, build confidence, and succeed.
Oke works with schools and communities to design and build permanent outdoor classrooms where children learn by doing. Built through community working bees, these spaces are used weekly for hands-on learning that improves wellbeing, confidence, and engagement. This gives schools practical environments to support students who struggle in traditional classrooms. Since 2016, Oke has delivered over 75 outdoor classrooms reaching more than 40,000 children across New Zealand.
Each Oke outdoor classroom is permanent infrastructure used by generations of students. Over time, these spaces improve engagement, wellbeing, and learning outcomes, particularly for students underserved by traditional systems. The long-term impact extends beyond students, strengthening teaching, improving school environments, and building more connected, resilient communities. As more classrooms are built, the impact compounds, creating lasting change for thousands of children!
This project has provided additional documentation in a PDF file (projdoc.pdf).
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