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Murupara-based educator Pem Bird says he's preparing the next generation of Ngāti Manawa to be citizens of the world.
The Te Kura Kaupapa Māori Motuhake o Tāwhiuau principal and former Māori Party president was given the Te Ururangi education tohu at this weekend's Matariki Awards.
He gave credit to those who he has worked with through his career and the communities who embraced the vision.
His school teaches not only what is important to the students as Ngāti Manawa but what they need to succeed anywhere.
"Our vision is 'nōku te ao – the world is mine.' Not the New Zealand world but the great big world out there. Which is what our tūpuna believed in. So we teach Japanese NCEA 1 for the first time this year and they will nail it. We also teach Mandarin for that reason," Mr Bird says.
Students from Tāwhiuau are off to Japan next month for an exchange with the indigenous Ainu people.
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