Active As

Enhancing young people’s wellbeing and learning

Active As is a programme that supports secondary schools and wharekura to provide positive and inclusive active recreation and sport opportunities for their students.  It aims to enhance the wellbeing and learning of students through increased physical activity.

Sport NZ has invested $14.2million into 50 secondary schools and wharekura, to design and implement their own Active As initiative through to December 2026.

Centred around the voices of rangatahi Active As is underpinned by Mana Taiohi, the principle-based framework supports those working with young people. It acknowledges the mana young people bring or carry and actively works to enhance that.

View all the schools and wharekura involved in Active As.

What are the aims

Enhance the wellbeing of rangatahi through physical activity.

Increase the physical activity levels of rangatahi, particularly those that are less active.

Show the value of physical activity to educational priorities.

Why is it important?

We know that physically active tamariki and rangatahi achieve better in the classroom, and benefit physically, mentally and socially. Despite that, research shows that just a third of students in secondary schools enjoy being physically active at school, and satisfaction, along with participation, drops during teenage years. Only 47 percent participate in school sport – this number hasn’t changed in the last 10 years.

Physical activity has a positive impact on the physical and mental wellbeing of rangatahi.	Physical activity drops by 46 percent in teenage years.
Active rangatahi are more engaged in learning and achieve better outcomes in and outside of the classroom. That includes improved attendance, engagement and achievement.	Two-thirds of rangatahi would like to be more active than they currently are.