We are honoured and delighted to celebrate the individuals and programmes that have significantly contributed to transforming Aotearoa by fostering thriving communities. We warmly congratulate the following individuals and organisations for their remarkable achievements. It is a privilege to recognise the exceptional work done on behalf of adult learners across Aotearoa.

Our 2024 recipients are:

Educator of the year Tangata Tiriti – Kailash Devan


Jillean Paekau, Kailash Devan and
Ako Aotearoa Director Helen Lomax.


Kailash Devan is an Apprenticeship Advisor, assessing the Mental Health, Peer Support, Diversional Therapy and Youth Work level 4 qualifications in South Auckland for Careerforce.

Kailash is recognised for his ability to create a positive learning environment with critical reflection that acknowledges the learner’s uniqueness. He demonstrates whanaungatanga through his connection with workplaces while simultaneously valuing his relationships with learners.

Kailash shows manaaki through the establishment of positive authentic relationships with the learner and workplaces. He has done an outstanding job teaching and advising on health programmes; he is passionate about the mental health programme and has completed significant work within the diversity space, including the provision of support for Pacific and Kaupapa Māori Health/Mental Health and housing providers. His focus is on ensuring their support workers are trained and qualified to deliver frontline services to the community in South Auckland.

Educator of the year Tangata Whenua – Mako Jones


Ako Aotearoa Director Helen Lomax
with Mako Jones


“Rāranga is a passion that starts from the Pā hārākēkē, a place to imagine the art forms this beautiful plant has to offer with you as the vehicle to create any art form.”

Mako Jones is a community-based weaving tutor who works within her natural environment, her home on the marae, community hubs, halls, churches and institutions. She moves around the community responding to the physical needs of learners. She works with learners from a range of ages, from high school through to the elderly in the community and she focuses on welcoming diverse groups and ethnicities to her classes. Mako especially engages with Taranaki Pasifika ACE communities.

Mako is renowned for her kind and loving manner with her tauira, while still being a straight shooter who says it like it is. She instils leadership through empowerment, using traditional tools of teaching te reo Māori me ōnā Tīkanga and she facilitates tauira to build confidence and lead in their own time and way. Tīkanga Hārākēkē, traditional numeracy and literacy, harvesting, karakia and all rāranga protocols from the harvest to the end product are included in the learning.

Mako is a natural facilitator who develops each tauira with aroha. Individual confidence comes from the growing interconnectedness between tauira and kaiako and from the environment created by this beautiful resource.

Community Based Programme of the Year Tangata Tiriti – Maka Leadership Programme, Barney Wikitera-Kuki


Dylan Atutolu accepting the
Community-based programme Award for
Maka Leadership Programme with
ACE Aotearoa co-chairs, Jay Rupapera
and Kathryn Hazlewood


The Maka Leadership Programme led by Barney Wikitera-Kuki, teaches young men vital life skills not available elsewhere. Things such as navigating anger, expressing feelings, and career planning. Young men are encouraged to join the programme with the provision of kick boxing and/or fitness gathering followed by reflection and team building before sharing kai together.

The Maka Leadership Programme demonstrates many aspects of the ACE Teaching Standards. The values of Manaakitanga, Rangatiratanga and Whanaungatanga are always evident in the caring, inclusive and participatory, approach. Sessions are student centred, active, informative and fun.

A high-trust environment is created by experienced tutors so that every learner is able to discover their unique, personal strengths.

Community Based Programme of the Year Tangata Whenua – Rongoā for Whānau Hauora Programme, Tairawhiti REAP


Atamira Tumarae-Nuku for Tairawhiti REAP
Rongoā for Whānau Hauora Programme
with ACE Aotearoa co-chairs, Kathryn Hazlewood
(left) and Jay Ruapera (right)


The five-week Tairawhiti REAP “Rongoā for Whānau Hauora” course run by Ani Pahuru Huriwai was designed to share knowledge and understanding about the availability of rongoā Māori (traditional Māori medicines) and to enable whānau to make traditional teas, balms and tinctures from the land around them. The programme, held post Cyclone Gabrielle, was designed to drive greater self-sufficiency and bring the community together after a harrowing time of disruption.

Many communities were cut off due to the cyclone and learning about traditional cultural practices restored people’s confidence and sense of community resilience.

Learners gained an understanding about how to use native plants from the bush around them to make salves and tinctures. Many learners lived in isolated areas with limited access to supermarkets and chemist shelves, so the end products helped to save money and ensured access to common products, as well as addressing issues of isolation and loneliness post disaster.

ACE Aotearoa Leader of the Year Tangata Tiriti – Bernie Lepper


Bernie Lepper supported by the Central
Otago REAP team


Bernie Lepper has made a huge contribution to community education in Central Otago. She played a pivotal role in the design and construction of Alexandra Community House, which is a central hub housing 16 social services agencies, local arts and crafts and used by 150 community groups. She chaired the initial set-up board and chaired the permanent board for a further nine years.

As manager of the Central Otago Rural Education Activities Programme (REAP), Bernie implemented a variety of social and education initiatives to support vulnerable people in the community. These included Strengthening Families, an Oranga Tamariki project designed to support families and whānau at risk.

During the Covid-19 pandemic she led several REAP initiatives, including establishing the Ministry of Social Development’s community connector role which supported community cohesion and wellbeing. Under her guidance, REAP also partnered with Otago Polytechnic and Community House to provide a learning hub for people without internet access, as well as courses teaching online skills.

For six years Bernie was involved with REAP Aotearoa, helping grow the organisation and mentoring education leaders throughout New Zealand. She was also a trustee of Central Lakes Trust from 2010 to 2019.

ACE Aotearoa Leader of the Year Tangata Whenua – Te Ataahia Hurihanganui


Te Ataahia Hurihanganui with ACE Aotearoa
co-chairs, Jay Rupapera and
Kathryn Hazlewood


Te Ataahia Hurihanganui (Taahia) is of Ngāti Tahu-Ngāti Whāoa, Tūhourangi, Ngāti Whakaue, Ngāti Te Roro o te Rangi descent. She grounds herself in the lineage of her whānau with a whānau history of being involved in the revitalisation of te reo Māori in Aotearoa. She continues this work through her business Reo Rua Ltd which provides Māori language education, training and consultancy services.

Taahia has a wide variety of experience as an educator, including as a te reo Māori and Italian language tutor for REAP Wairarapa, the provision of te reo Māori facilitation and Matariki online workshops for ACE Aotearoa, community education facilitation for Pēpe Ora and the provision of consultation services through her business Reo Rua Ltd. Taahia is a senior tutor and curriculum designer in Māori language courses, wānanga and marae visits and a mentor and trainer for staff at Wellington High School Community Education Centre. She also has experience as an ESOL educator for Global TESOL College, St Catherine’s Girls’ College and ICIAL, Aydin Margariti Roma, Language and Advisory Studio.

As an educator, Taahia has the ability to quickly identify learner requirements and provide professional development that not only meets the needs of the learners but creates a positive and supportive environment. Taahia’s firm belief is that through ako, (the acknowledgement that the learning relationship is a reciprocal one between the learner and the educator), learners and educators can move through the learning journey together.