1 September 2004

Manukau City Council is proud to announce Highland Park Community House has won the Innovative Provider award for Adult Learners' Week, He Tangata Matauranga. The award is across all community and adult education in Auckland and is supported by the Tertiary Education Commission.

Community houses have been established to provide a space where people can meet and also take part in classes and activities developed to meet the needs of the community.

Highland Park Co-ordinator, Sandy Ryan is ecstatic about the win saying, "Adult Learners Week is about promoting the importance of adult learning and encouraging more adults to continue with study throughout their lives. The range of activities at the Highland Park Community House has always been designed to reflect and meet the recreational, social, spiritual and educational needs of the diverse community of the Howick and Pakuranga areas. This award, which we will proudly receive at an Adult Learners Breakfast next week, reflects we are achieving our goals.

"Manukau has a culturally diverse population which includes high numbers of new immigrants and, in particular, those of Asian ethnicity living in Pakuranga. We have tailored our range of classes to help them and other cultural groups, to integrate more easily into the New Zealand way of life.

"Furthermore as a response to Manukau City Council's New Settlers' Policy, the House started a programme called 'Kiwi-Life'. The programme which is free of charge to participants and covers five main issues with additional 'one-off' monthly information workshops has been well attended. Also on offer are English conversation classes catering for different abilities and homework classes for English as Second Language students.

"Other classes and groups run by user groups range from Craft Drop-in, Special Olympics Support, Breast Cancer Support, Japanese classes, an Engineers Club, a Writers' Club and the Howick Herb Society, to name just a few."

New classes coming up for term four include make a book for a toddler and a free first aid course. These will be run along with the many other courses available including the perennially popular patchwork and yogalates, a mix of yoga and pilates.

A copy of the full programme for term four can be obtained from Highland Park Community House, phone 534 5584 or Manukau Libraries, Recreation Centres, Howick Information Service, Citizens Advice Bureaux and the Council website www.manukau.govt.nz

ENDS

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