03/06/2026
It takes a village to raise a child. And it takes a network of organisations to make a difference. This year, The Hyphen Project was honoured to be given a vote of confidence by the committee of the organisation CLASS (Community Learning Association through Schools). As CLASS closed down, it gifted its assets to us in a nod to our work to continue education for those who haven't found their place in traditional education. A special thank you to Nigel Sutton for nominating us and for all the incredible mahi he continues to do in this space through Wellington Community Education Centre: www.cecwellington.ac.nz/w/
As part of this gifting, we were given stewardship of the Charlie Herbert Award. Charlie Herbert was a pioneer of adult and community education and a passionate advocate for lifelong learning - what some people have referred to as learning from "twinkle to wrinkle" - a philosophy we deeply value. This award is for outstanding educators in the adult and community education sector.
The taonga was handed over to Holly at the ACE Aotearoa conference. This conference is a fantastic celebration of the people and organisations working to create more opportunities for people to learn, grow, and forge their own futures. We were delighted to pass the patu on to ACE Aotearoa to care for and to award to outstanding educators going forward. They play a vital advocacy, leadership, and support role for important, informal education pathways across Aotearoa. Their work continues to make a real difference for organisations like ours and the communities we serve.
We're incredibly proud to have played a small part in carrying this legacy forward. It is a reminder that education is at its strongest when organisations work together, support one another, and share a common belief that learning belongs to everyone.
