Impact Spotlight
Installing a 51.04 kW solar and battery system, reducing emissions by 11+ metric tonnes per year
Providing solar education and career pathways for 240+ people
Saving over $10,000 USD annually on electricity bills
About
Kia Kotahi Ako is a Māori-led organization in Aotearoa (New Zealand) that empowers rangatahi (young people) to lead climate and energy solutions by weaving together Mātauranga Māori (Indigenous knowledge) and modern science. This project centers around Te Pi’ipi’inga Kākano Mai i Rangiātea, a Māori immersion school in Taranaki, a region historically impacted by extractive industries and systemic energy hardship. Māori communities experience energy insecurity at nearly double the national rate and are underrepresented in the renewable energy sector. The kura (school) is a vital hub for revitalizing language, values, and leadership—and now, clean energy.
“Through solar, hands-on learning, and career pathways in kura kaupapa Māori, we’re building an education system where Indigenous leadership drives climate and wellbeing solutions.”
HF Partnership
With support from the Honnold Foundation, Kia Kotahi Ako is installing a 51.04 kW solar energy system with battery storage at a kura kaupapa Māori (Māori immersion school) in Taranaki. The project will reduce annual emissions by over 11 metric tonnes, while saving more than $10,000 USD per year in electricity costs—funds that will be reinvested into community-defined priorities. In addition to solar infrastructure, the project will deliver hands-on STEM learning for tauira (students), energy literacy workshops for whānau (families), and new curriculum materials focused on energy resilience. It will also open internship and apprenticeship pathways in solar for rangatahi (young people), supporting a broader vision of Indigenous energy sovereignty, climate leadership, and intergenerational impact.
In the News
