Working with Children
About Puketāpapa Local Board Children’s Panel
The Children’s Panel is an educational initiative established and funded by Puketāpapa Local Board in 2016 and is being implemented by Roskill Together Trust. The aim is to provide opportunities for children and youth to participate in civic engagements in the local board area and to have a voice in their community. Participating schools use a range of student leadership models to select their panel participants including Student Enviro Council’s, class leaders, or undertook an expression of interest process. All schools have a cross section of students that include ethnic and gender diversity, student leaders and students.
Each year, a survey is distributed to the participating local schools where students will answer some questions explored a community themes. Participants are asked to communicate their responses in a few ways, including drawings, comments on post it notes, writing descriptive sentences and participating in a panel discussion. The responses are analyzed for common themes, and opportunities by Roskill Together then shared with the schools and the Local Board. Feedback sessions are held with all participating schools. Feedback sessions demonstrated how the children could put their ideas into action.
The children’s panel has enabled the Puketāpapa Local Board to be more responsive to young people. It has also helped to inform Local Board work programmes and budget allocation as part of annual financial planning. The panel also helps to socialise young people’s ideas and responses to community topics of interest to the wider local board, Auckland Council departments and community stakeholders.
