An establishment committee which comprised of SLT and board members from Tamaki College decided they needed to make a bold move to support students, their families and the wider local community. This bold move is called Project RISE.

A Strategy Session was held with Tamaki College SLT facilitated by Ina Michael, Strategic Advisor for TRC at the time.

One of the recommendations in the Strategy session is the formation of a Social Innovation Agency that supports Tamaki College's Education regime. The Principal (Soana Pamaka) & Chair (DJ Tuaru Temu) asked Ina Michael to drive Project RISE as its CEO, on secondment from TRC of which TRC approved.

Tamaki Connect Trust is formed to drive Project RISE.

Additional personnel are co-opted in with the employment of Natasha Audi to cover literacy and youth work programmes and Russel Dunn (Deputy Principal) to support pathways and partnership between Tamaki College and Rise Group.

Land for Student Accomodation & Hauora Clinic development is approved by TRC.

To ensure Project RISE reflected and responded to the needs of its students, families and the local community, a robust co-design process was instigated in the latter part of 2021.

Auckland Literacy Tamaki Association (ALTA) grants funding for Literacy project as a pilot to test local literacy service needs in the local Tamaki community.

After 9 months (albeit during COVID-19), Project RISE Co-design process is wrapped up with a Co-design Day undertake in April 2022. This Co-design and playback completed by Kerry Topp alongside Rise Group Exec qualifies the needs of stakeholders and subsequently various Project RISE initiatives are prepared for activation.

One of the first initiatives established was WAYFYNDERS, a Youth Consulting Agency. In last quarter, MSD grants catalyst funding for WAYFYNDERS.

Additional smaller contracts are awarded by Ministry of Education and Ministry for Pacific People.

Project RISE is presented to MSD and is hailed as one of the best proposal and solutions presented to the Ministry for over 20 years. MSD contracts team subsequently present to Regional Commissioners and thereon opportunities for funding are subsequently lined up...

First major public contract is secured with MSD to deliver a Youth Employment Pathways programme that is called Te Ara Maranga, the 'path to rise.'

As a bi-product of the MSD contract, the first of two Social Enterprises are established in that Soulfood & Friends and ROOSTA. Moves are made to collaborate with Tamaki College's School Lunches team to share a commercial kitchen together.

ALTA extends funding to deliver literacy services, Tamaki Ako Hub is established as a result.

In June, the first youth exec of WAYFYNDERS travel to Wellington to attend the Festival for the Future. For the majority of the youth, this would be their first trip out outside of Auckland.

In the latter part of 2023, Soulfood & Friends collaborates with Everybody Eats & Line Road Cafe to form Tatou. A Collective of operators sharing space at the newly renovated TRC development on 133 Line Road, Glen Innes. This acts as a catalyst for the Good Food Project and this bodes well in terms of looking at collaborating with Everybody Eats in particular.

Space is also secured for Youth, and subsequently a weekly Youth Night on Friday's is established and run by Youth for Youth under the leadership of the WAYFYNDERS.

Pasifika Food brand, ITU (Seven Course Pasifika Menu) is kick-started at Tatou.

DigiTRIBE is also kick-started with a view to growing 2024 and beyond like all other Project RISE initiatives.

Matched funding with Foundation North & Department of Internal Affairs is secured to support Project RISE as both Funders deem Project RISE to be a major change project worthy of major funding.

WAYFYNDERS delivers its first Youth Festival simply called 'YOUTHFEST' as it makes plans to make this an annual fixture.

WAYFYNDERS trials mentoring for younger students at Glen Taylor School, in order to gauge whether it can support better attendance and engagement levels.

WAYFYNDERS is contracted by Auckland Council, Department of Internal Affairs and Foundation North to act as a Youth Commissioning Agency to administer and manage funding to be awarded and allocated for youth initiatives delivered by other Youth organisations and providers.

Soulfood & Friends expands to take up more retail space at Tatou in the heart of Glen Innes. Better yet, new jobs are created for young people connected to the College and our Te Ara Maranga programme.

In the long-term we see Soulfood & Friends at Tatou becoming a strong hub to connect with the local Tamaki community and demonstrate our commitment to creating opportunities for young students and people in the local Tamaki community.

This move in the long-run will see Soulfood & Friends become a Youth-led and run service.