Te Wānanga o Aotearoa is celebrating awards success with two wins in the education categories at Ngā Tohu Reo Māori 2018.

The awards hosted by Te Taura Whiri i te Reo Māori recognise Māori language initiatives and activities that took place through the year.

They also acknowledge long-term commitment by individuals and groups to Māori language revitalisation. TWoA won the Mātauranga – Whānui/Education – Open section for Mahuru Māori – Fortnite.The idea to bring together teams of gamers of the world’s most popular video game who use te reo Māori in an online battle that was livestreamed to thousands, was the brainchild of advisor social media for TWoA, Ross McDougall.

Ross said he was “extremely humbled” his idea was recognised at Ngā Tohu Reo Māori 2018.

“Using video games to normalise te reo Māori was an exciting opportunity. To be recognised within the Mātauranga – Whānui category for this was extremely rewarding,” he said.

Te Wānanga o Aotearoa also won in the Mātauranga – Kaupapa Māori/Education – Māori Medium section for its Taringa Punua Pāoho podcast.

The weekly podcast about all things Te Ao Māori is hosted by Paraone Gloyne and Lyndsay Snowden. It regularly features guest speakers from around the motu as they discuss te reo Māori, historical events, stories and more.

Te Taiurungi o Te Wānanga o Aotearoa, Te Ururoa Flavell said he was proud that three TWoA kaimahi not only featured as finalists but won their respective education categories.

“Our goal for next year is to do even better as we strive to open up more opportunities for communities to embrace Māori language through different forms of learning,” he said.

“Te Wānanga o Aotearoa is fortunate to have a huge pool of teachers of Māori language who experiment every day in ways of delivering Māori language. We need to be adaptable to the circumstances of our communities, young and older, people new to the language and those who have had some time learning. It is an exciting time and we are pleased to be a part of it.”