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Yachting New Zealand's RŪNĀ schools engagement framework has reached another significant milestone, with more than 7,000 students taking part in the programme over the past season.
Now in its fourth year, RŪNĀ has recorded 7,162 students engaging in sailing activities, marking the first time the programme has exceeded the 7,000-participant threshold.
The latest figure represents a notable increase from the previous year's total of 5,877 students, and a substantial rise from the programme's inaugural year, which saw just over 2000 students involved.
According to Alisa Torgersen, Yachting New Zealand's education lead, the success reflects the growing momentum behind RŪNĀ, which aims to inspire young New Zealanders through a unique combination of sailing and integrated learning modules.
"It's encouraging to see more students than ever engaging with sailing through RŪNĀ and how the programme continues to be embraced by schools and teachers across the country," Torgersen said. "It's a testament to the dedication of the clubs and educators who bring the programme to life."
The RŪNĀ programme comprises three learning modules: Kōrinorino, which explores local history and settlement stories; Kōkōkaha, focusing on harnessing wind energy through science and engineering; and Moanamana, which centres on marine ecosystem restoration. These modules are designed for students in Years 4 to 10 and combine classroom learning with hands-on sailing experiences, culminating in student-led actions to apply their learning in real-world contexts.
Building on the success of the longstanding ‘Have a Go’ programme, RŪNĀ was launched in late 2021 as a new way to integrate boating and yacht clubs into their wider community, and to connect a broader and more diverse range of young New Zealanders with the sport.
The most recent module, Moanamana, was introduced in March 2023 to provide quality physical activity experiences for tamariki and rangatahi and is aimed at encouraging schools and local communities to understand and get involved in setting up local marine restoration projects to help build New Zealand's Blue Belt.
Over 7000 students engaged in sailing activities through the RŪNĀ programme during the past season.
Torgersen said 20 clubs are now delivering RŪNĀ programmes nationwide, with 816 teachers actively using the RŪNĀ online platform.
One such educator, Sarah Johns from Nelson Intermediate, recently praised the programme's versatility and its impact on student learning.
"What we enjoy most about being connected to the sailing club is the opportunity it gives our learners to try something new. With the RŪNĀ modules, there's now a deeper, real-world connection that extends into multiple areas of the curriculum, making learning more engaging," Johns said.
"The flexibility of the RŪNĀ programme is one of its greatest strengths. You can tailor it to your learners' needs and your school's context, using the resources to plan lessons leading up to the sailing experience, choose land-based activities at the club, and design follow-up tasks back at school."
Yachting New Zealand is currently gathering feedback from participating clubs through its end-of-season survey.
"The survey explores how RŪNĀ is administered at each club, their relationships with local communities, highlights of the season, opportunities for improvement, and future goals," Torgesen said.
"The findings will inform ongoing development of the programme and will be featured in a forthcoming issue of Yachting New Zealand’s digital magazine YBQ."
For more information on how your club can get involved, click here or email Torgersen at alisa@yachtingnz.org.nz.
