The application process

Everything you need to know about the Te Aho Ngārahu process is outlined in the steps below.

Request for story ideas

Every year, Te Aho Ngārahu will put out a Request for Stories ideas. The story application form will ask for the following information:

  • An outline of the story idea
  • The primary target audience group within the ages of 0–18 years old
  • Key messages that ākonga, kaiako, whānau and hapū will take from this story
  • How the story will be produced, for example, an audio story, a graphic novel, an online video or a multi-media web story
  • A curriculum resource developer from the Ministry’s Māori Medium provider panel (they will help you to co-develop your story into a te reo Māori education resource)
  • Contact information.

Evaluation

All stories will be assessed by an evaluation panel. Panel members are selected prior to the round opening, we ensure the panel comprise a cross-section of advisors with expertise and knowledge in supporting ākonga, kaiako learning in and through te reo Māori in both Māori medium and English medium settings as well as expertise and knowledge in working with whānau, hapū, iwi and communities.

The panel will assess the applications against the priorities and evaluation criteria and will decide on a shortlist.

Consultation

We will email everyone once the final decisions are made on the applications. It may take 6–8 weeks from the time the round closes for you to be informed about your application.

Once an application is approved, we meet with you to:

  • better understand your aspirations and aims for the proposed story and resource
  • clarify the process of Te Aho Ngārahu in more detail and ready you for the next steps
  • confirm the curriculum resource developer you will work with
  • discuss the roles, relationships and responsibilities of the storyteller, the Ministry of Education and the curriculum resource developer

This phase also involves establishing formal agreements between you, the storyteller, and us, the Ministry of Education.

The agreements set out the expectations between the two parties. Specifically it:

  • confirms the commitment to develop the story into a resource
  • ensures the intellectual property of the story idea remains with the storyteller
  • allows the Ministry to use the story in the resource for a set period of time in exchange for a fee.

Hui

Once the consultation phase is complete, the Ministry will host an engagement hui.

The hui is an opportunity to gain a shared understanding of the process, roles and responsibilities for the storyteller, the service provider and the Ministry of Education.

Request for proposals

Once agreements between the storyteller and the Ministry are established, we will connect you with your confirmed curriculum resource developer so that you can work together on a full proposal to develop the resource.

The proposal will:

  • Describe in detail the resource/s that will be created from the story
  • Include a budget with a cost breakdown
  • Include key personnel and their roles
  • Outline timeframes with key deliverables for the project.

All proposals will go through our standard review and recommendations process. Once approved, we will send a Statement of Work (contract) to develop the resource to the curriculum resource developer.

The contract is directly with the curriculum resource development provider as they will be leading and managing the development and production of the resource. It is a requirement in this step of the process that a co-publishing between the curriculum resource developer and storyteller be established. This agreement will ensure that both parties are consulting with one another throughout the development and production of the resource.

Applications for story ideas

  • Outline the story you would like to tell about your rohe, iwi, hapū or whānau
  • Show how it supports learning about Aotearoa New Zealand history in our kura and schools
  • Specify a primary audience group within the ages of 0–18 years old
  • Capture key messages you hope ākonga and kaiako will take away from your story
  • Detail how you see your story being produced. For example, as an audio story, in print as a graphic novel, an online video or a website
  • Indicate a provider who you would like to work with from our Te Reo Māori and Māori Medium curriculum resource development provider panel. They will help you to co-develop your story into a te reo Māori education resource
  • Include contact information for yourself and of someone who will endorse your story. The endorser needs to be someone who has the authority to verify the authenticity and accuracy of the story

Your story idea will need to align with the following priority themes:

  • Journeys of Resilience: Stories and narratives that showcase journeys of resilience in the face of adversity
  • Local Māori History: Stories that share local Māori histories through significant historical events, significant land marks and people
  • Te Tiriti o Waitangi: Stories and narratives relevant to Te Tiriti o Waitangi that are significant to local areas (stories told from the perspective of whānau, hapū and iwi).

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