PTC Trust collaborated with Waikato University to run our annual event in 2023. The effect of climate change on our planet was widely discussed. Having experienced the widespread, unprecedented flooding in Auckland students were willing to learn about what the implications were for NZ. The Spinoff’s Toby Manhire reported some key statements by NIWA. “We use a variety of tools,” says Sam Dean, the principal climate scientist at Niwa. “We can look at all the observations on what has fallen over the last 100 years. That helps us to understand the rainfall climate of a place.” It only helps up to a point, however. The Auckland deluge on Friday – “what fell in under six hours is just gargantuan for sea level in New Zealand” – was not just exceptional. It was “off the charts”, says Dean”.

As Rotorua Lakes and Te Wharekura o Mauao students experimented, Martina and her team explained the implications, enabling students to grasp how our actions are impacting the planet whether positively or negatively. Students left the workshop with eyes awakened to how they can raise awareness. Simple actions like: how we travel to and from school; how long we shower during the winter months; the foods we consume and the variety of things we purchase can make a difference. And by raising more awareness through these workshops, PTC hopes more rangatahi are empowered as agents of change to make choices toward a more sustainable future.