In 2025, we are proud to celebrate the people and programmes that continue to transform Aotearoa by strengthening and uplifting our communities. We extend our heartfelt congratulations to the following individuals and organisations for their outstanding achievements. It is a privilege to acknowledge their exceptional contributions on behalf of adult learners throughout Aotearoa.

Our 2025 recipients are:

Educator of the Year Tangata Whenua - Rahera Shortland

This Award recognises an ACE Māori educator for outstanding service in, and contribution to, the development and delivery of adult and community education (for Māori).

Whaea Rahera has been teaching adults for over 30 years and excels at it. She possesses deep knowledge, wisdom, and an innate ability to connect with learners from all walks of life, particularly Māori students. She is known for her ngākau māhaki—a gentle, humble, and open-hearted approach that fosters a safe and inclusive learning environment. Her expertise goes beyond simply delivering content; she is a skilled facilitator who encourages meaningful discussions, empowers her students, and adapts her teaching to meet their needs. With patience, empathy, and a genuine passion for lifelong learning, she inspires confidence and growth in those she teaches, leaving a lasting impact on their personal and professional journeys.

Educator of the Year Tangata Tiriti – Jacob Koria

This Award recognises an ACE educator for outstanding service in, and contribution to, the development and delivery of adult and community education.

Jacob began his journey with Literacy Aotearoa as a volunteer, driven by his passion for making a difference in the lives of Māori and Pacific learners. His dedication and natural ability as an educator quickly became evident, leading him into a part-time tutoring role before earning his current full-time position. Jacob is a truly special individual whose passion for education, particularly for supporting learners who struggle with dyslexia, is both inspiring and transformative. His youth, cultural resilience, and ability to connect with learners provide him with a unique depth and perspective as an educator.

Jacob’s contributions have proven invaluable to the team, and his presence continues to elevate the learning experiences of all those he works with. He is an asset not only to Literacy Aotearoa but to the broader education community as well.

Programme of the Year Tangata Whenua – Maranga/Rise Up

This award recognises an adult learning programme for Māori learners that has achieved outstanding learning outcomes through innovative programme development, creative implementation and sound evaluation.

Maranga||Rise Up is a kaupapa Māori programme which represents the coming together of two powerful kaupapa: Te Hurihanga, an adventure and life skills education programme for young people in the justice system, and Te Rōpū Taitama, an identity and tikanga wānanga for tāne aged 18-34. Maranga||Rise Up has three cornerstones: te ao Māori, life skills and adventure.

Maranga||Rise Up is an opportunity for men aged 18-30 to attend monthly noho wānanga where they can build their capacity and develop understanding of who they are and what their place is in the world. For those not in education or employment, there are limited options. This programme is a good alternative for tāne who might be drifting, lost or vulnerable to making bad choices.

Programme of the Year Tangata Tiriti – Merge Sign Language New Zealand Programme for Essential Workers

This award recognises an adult learning programme that has achieved outstanding learning outcomes through innovative programme development, creative implementation and sound evaluation

The New Zealand Sign Language (NZSL) programme for essential workers has been running for almost three years. It was created in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Each course lasts three weeks. To date, 130 courses have been delivered reaching 1,430 students since 2021/2022.

The purpose of the course is to enable essential workers to interact with a Deaf person under their care in an efficient manner. When both parties are unable to interact with each other, there is an additional barrier to service delivery.

Learners are from a variety of emergency services, including fire, police, ambulance, civil defence, and health care. NZSL (New Zealand Sign Language) courses are specific to each industry with carefully chosen vocabulary and phrases to help essential workers be more accessible to the Deaf community.

Leader of the Year Tangata Whenua – Charissa Waerea

This award recognises an ACE Māori leader for outstanding service in, and contribution to, the development and delivery of adult and community education for Māori through teaching and learning, governance, policy development and administration or a combination of these.

Charissa Waerea (Ngaati Rongomaiwahine, Ngaati Kahungunu, Taranaki ki Ngaaruahine, Tuwharetoa ki Taupō) has been a dedicated, long -serving Board member of ACE Aotearoa and friend of the sector for many years. During her Board tenure from 2014 – 2024 she served as co-chair Tangata Whenua and was a member of two standing sub-committees. She has also been a member of the ACE Hui Fono Steering Group, ACE Conference Advisory Group, Festival of Adult Learning Advisory Group, ACE Sector Steering Group, Strategic Alliance, and an active member of Taranaki ACE networks.

Charissa has represented ACE Aotearoa at international gatherings and in 2011 completed the Asia and South Pacific Association for Adult and Basic Education (ASPBAE) Leadership Development Course (BLDC), in Ho Chi Min City, Vietnam.

A significant sector achievement was her role as local advisor for the annual ACE Hui Fono Māori and Pacific professional development event, hosted at Parihaka, Ngāmotu. Seeing an opportunity to host Hui Fono in Taranaki, Charissa established relationships with Tagata Moana living in the region, met with community leaders, and worked intensively to bring together mana whenua and Pacific peoples. This relationship led to the  establishment of the Taranaki Pacific ACE network, and the strengthening of tagata Moana ties in Ngāmotu, Taranaki.

Charissa has been cultural facilitator to the ACE Aotearoa staff and contractors implementing the organisation’s te reo me ona tikanga professional learning programme. She has supported the use of te reo me ona tikanga across all areas of ACE Aotearoa’s service delivery.  It is testimony to Charissa that Tangata Tiriti Board members, staff and contractors confidently use te reo Māori in their public speaking roles, and everyday work environments.

Charissa is an inspirational leader and educator and a most worthy recipient of the ACE Aotearoa 2025 Award for Leader of the Year Tangata Whenua.

Leader of the Year Tangata Tiriti – Pale Sauni

This award recognises an ACE leader for outstanding service in, and contribution to, the development and delivery of adult and community education through teaching and learning, governance, policy development and administration or a combination of these.
Papali’i Pale Sauni, (aka Pale in the fale!) is a Samoan leader in education, health, and social services. When speaking last year during Samoan Language Week, his message on the topic of Being a Samoan Success, Even When No One Notices! was that “despite our willingness to succeed academically, physically, socially and spiritually, we could still achieve success even if no one noticed it.” 

One of his earliest contributions was on the Tertiary Education Commission Advisory Group, Pacific Strategy under the lead of TEC Pacific Advisor, Dr Airini . Pale presented insights into working in community, contextualising inequity in society, challenging education targets that could lead to perpetuating negative outcomes for Pacific people in Aotearoa.

His impact is seen far and wide across communities and education sectors.  Everyone knows Pale! Pale was elected to the ACE Aotearoa Board in 2014, re-elected in 2017 and co-opted from 2021 to 2024. Additionally, he was appointed, to the ACE Professional Development Steering Group (PDSG) responsible for oversight of the ACE sector professional development strategy and implementation of nine PD projects. During this time he was appointed as a Board representative to the ACE Hui Fono Advisory Group, a position he held until 2024. Pale also acted as advisor to the ACE Conference.

As an advisor to flagship ACE events Pale has brought so much more than knowledge of pedagogy and practice. He has brought energy, creativity, warmth and his unique talent as a musician, MC and stand-up comedian. These have left an indelible impression on the sector.

Pale has sought to lift the profile of Pasifika in ACE and across tertiary education. He has achieved this through informing strategy, turning objectives into action, and through networking. He has also led a Pacific Capability project delivering individual mentoring and training to over 500 Pacific community organisations across Auckland Te Tai Tokerau.

In 2022, he was a nominee for the Kiwibank New Zealander of the Year Awards, and in 2023 was the recipient of the Sunpix Ltd Pacific Health & Wellbeing Award. He is a most worthy recipient of the ACE Aotearoa 2025 Award for Leader of the Year Tangata Tiriti.