Yachting New Zealand is working with local teachers to align its RŪNĀ schools education programme with the refreshed New Zealand curriculum, with water safety and outdoor learning presenting new opportunities to reach more young people.
The work was discussed during a recent visit to the Boat & Beach Wise Education Centre at Worser Bay, where Yachting New Zealand’s Education Lead Alisa Torgersen met with teachers to explore how the programme’s existing resources could support the updated curriculum, which begins coming into effect from Term 1 next year.
The response was encouraging, with teachers indicating that relatively little work would be needed to align RŪNĀ’s existing Science, Technology and Social Sciences resources with the refreshed curriculum. Schools also showed strong support for proposed new amenities to support education at Worser Bay.
Of particular interest were opportunities within the refreshed Health and Physical Education curriculum, which explicitly includes water safety and Education Outside the Classroom (EOTC) for the first time.
“The changes create opportunities for RŪNĀ to build on its established approach to combining sailing with practical learning, particularly for students in Years 4 to 10,” Torgersen said.
“Teachers have told us they want to see how RŪNĀ can support what they’re already teaching, rather than add to their workload. That’s an important focus as we align the programme with the refreshed curriculum, particularly given the rich, practical learning environment a yacht club provides.”
Yachting New Zealand will develop a resource to help schools and teachers identify how RŪNĀ activities align with learning objectives for each year level, Torgersen said.
Founded in 2021, RŪNĀ uses sailing as an entry point for environmental education, combining classroom learning, hands-on sailing and real-world investigation. Delivered through partnerships with schools, sailing clubs, iwi and research organisations, the programme incorporates marine science, renewable energy and mātauranga Māori to help young people develop a deeper understanding of their local coastal environments.
RŪNĀ has reached more than 25,500 students and 830 teachers through 21 sailing clubs, and recently won the Education and Training Award at the 2026 Sport Positive Awards, providing international recognition for its approach to environmental education through sport.
The curriculum discussions also looked ahead to further opportunities in outdoor education, with work on the senior EOTC curriculum expected to begin later this year when Education Outdoors New Zealand hosts a workshop at the Boat & Beach Wise Education Centre.
Originally published by Yachting New Zealand.
