Welcome to our programme!
IMPORTANT NOTICE!
Sorry!!! Registrations have already filled up for this programme.
Please fill the RSVP form if you wish to go on the waiting list or if you would like to register interest for our program during the July school holidays and we will contact you again to let you know what dates these will be.
The Quest is a two-day learning programme for youth aged 15-21, designed to provide them positive support and help them craft their life vision.
The programme engages young people in their life planning to increase positive learning and life outcomes. It coaches them to:
Identify their unique strengths and how they come into play in their lives.
Co-design their planning to formulate a personal vision that inspires them
Develop their vision into goals.
Unpack goals into smaller achievable steps to build their confidence in goal setting and goal achieving.
An exciting opportunity to spend school holidays in a supportive environment with peers that encourages young people to take action and thrive.
2 day workshop - Monday 14 April and Tuesday 15 April
When: from 9am to 2pm
Where: The University of Waikato (specific directions will be provided after registration)
Unfortunately, our workshop space filled up.
Please register here to go on our waiting list for the next school holidays.
Young people from ages 15 to 21 seeking positive support and guidance in formulating a life vision.
Youth with ASD/neurodiversity, cognitive/learning disabilities and ADHD.
The programme is not yet suitable for youth with visual and hearing impairment - it is being adapted towards future (2026) enrolments.
Participants will:
Develop knowledge and experience about the visioning and planning process and its connection to wellbeing. The output is an inspirational vision board filled with goals. Participants prioritise one long-term goal for each category and learn to implement strategies to achieve them.
Unpack their goals from long to short-term, experiment completing them by taking small achievable steps by utilising our bespoke ‘Goal 2 Action’ tool and building capacity to take control of their own progress.
Have the option to explore simple, effective mindfulness techniques to support their overall wellbeing.
This graph shows increases (*) in participants' Empowerment, Hope, Wellbeing and Life Satisfaction.
(*) statistically significant
Scroll below for a description of the 4 levels of the game
Based on the research from University of Pennsylvania Prof. Martin Seligman who identified the different strengths that make each of us unique, participants get a chance to create their individual strength profile. They peel off (reusable) stickers from their base and put them on their backpack for their journey.
Participants look at the goal cards and choose the ones that they consider personal goals.
Participants place their goals on their Vision Board according to level of importance of the goal and a time-frame.
Participants prioritise two goals that they want to start working on. They can use this board or design their own to build confidence in goal setting. Reflecting about each chosen goal, they think about which of their strengths they can use to achieve it.
Participants can use our bespoke Goal to Action tool or design their own to unpack goals into small, achievable steps. The Signature strengths that they identify earlier go into the left column to start achieving their goals from a strength perspective.
Participants learn about the different elements that make up a good life according to Simon Duffy's model. They get a chance to reflect on stories and think about specific examples that relate to their lives.
Our co-design participants integrated Simon Duffy's Keys To Citizenship (more on this framework here) as a quick review process in the form of a 'goal passport'.
As participants work on their goals, they enter achievements in their Goal Passport. This ensures that they are well connected with the Keys to Citizenship model. They may decide to concentrate on specific keys at first. All achievements and world views are supported.
What participants learn is that there are several crucial areas that need to be considered and that they can choose goals in each at their own pace and keep tabs on areas of life that need addressing.
The process supports participants designing their personal outcome categories and measures.
Attendees plan their future goals and how to achieve them, by identifying:
The strengths they will use
The keys for their good life that they will focus on
The people who will support them to achieve their goals.
This map can be shared with those who can support progress in meaningful ways: family, friends, educators or support people.
Action boards are magnetised and most participants choose to display them on their fridge so they can be reminded of their commitments.
Goals achieved are celebrated and new goals are formulated to keep the momentum going.
This programme is funded by the Ministry of Youth Development.
