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Youth

Promoting environmental awareness amongst our Cook Islands youth is a core part of what we do.

This outreach work is achieved through environmental school holiday programmes and special visits to local schools to speak on specific environmental topics.

Since 2017, we have proudly offered a summer internship to the Tereora College Year 12 Biology Dux. This programme honours the memory of our inaugural and longest-serving patron, Dame Margaret Karika Ariki. By providing an opportunity to experience working in this field, we open a potential pathway into conservation careers. The internship serves as both a tribute and a vital succession plan for our society’s future.

Maine Mura Feminine Hygiene

Maine Mura was initially launched in 2021 with support from the UN Spotlight Initiative Fund. Now we are grateful that the NZ High Commission has made a two-year commitment to supporting this project, which serves both to educate young Cook Islands women and to actively reduce waste entering the landfill or the burn pit.

Purpose

Menstruation typically begins for girls aged 10–17 years; however, this topic remains ‘akama’ (taboo/shameful) within some of our communities. The Maine Mura project aims to break-down this stigma through education, and normalising ongoing conversations about menstruation as a healthy and regular bodily change.

Alongside women’s health discussion, TIS provides education on alternative reusable feminine hygiene products. Each participant is gifted a set of two Love Luna reusable period underwear.

A crucial component of each session focuses on the proper care of the reusable underwear to ensure both hygiene and longevity. Correct maintenance preserves the effectiveness of the absorbent material and keeps the product sanitary for repeated use. When cared for properly, one pair can last up to three years, drastically reducing the need for disposable pads or tampons. This supports the financial independence of young women whose monthly budget no longer needs to cover expensive imported products.

A significant benefit of this shift is the positive environmental impact, as less single-use feminine hygiene waste ends up in the landfill.

highlights

In 2025 the team successfully delivered Maine Mura sessions to 96 women across Years 7–13. These sessions were conducted via the AKTT school holiday programme on Rarotonga and through visits to the islands of Mangaia, Maʻuke, Penrhyn, and Pukapuka. While each session is unique, overall 24 teachers also engaged. Notably, on Maʻuke, male students were included in the discussion, fostering better understanding and promoting respect for both peers and family members.

Sponsors/funders/partners

Meitaki to the NZ High Commission.

Image gallery
Citizen Science Turtle Tracking allows TIS to monitor turtle movements around Rarotonga. Youth from Rarotonga and the Pa Enua are also introduced to this project.
Much of our youth engagement is a collaboration with like-minded NGOs. Here, children explore their creative side at Muri Environment Care.
We remember youth in the pa enua. These Ma’uke students work through an exercise to track environmental data using an accumulation graph.
Our youth engagement integrates across all focus areas. Here, Kelvin leads a session on climate change impacts, including erosion and sandbagging.
Through collaborative holiday programmes, youth gain hands-on experience as part of their broader healthy living education.
Here, the team displays nests they constructed using authentic materials to replicate the specific nesting behaviours of local birds.
Children are never too young to start learning about the world around them.
The topics are vast, covering all aspects of a healthy environment—from tracking turtles and observing birds to biodiversity, composting and waterway protection.
Youth engage in a diverse range of learning—from creative and hands-on experiences to practical, scientific methods.
The TIS internship offers Tereora College’s Year 12 top Biology student a diverse experience, spanning both technical office projects and field-based research.
When opportunities arise, TIS interns might also join international youth exchanges, such as their 2026 trip to the Big Island, Hawai’i.
Exchanges help youth find their place within the broader Pacific story, recognising connections and unique differences that define Pacific people.