ELEV8
Too often, the decisions that shape young people's lives are made without them in the room. ELEV8 is changing that.
ELEV8 is where rangatahi step up and take the lead.
Designed for young people aged 13 to 18, ELEV8 is a leadership development programme that puts real responsibility in the hands of young people.
ELEV8 leaders don't just participate. They budget, plan and run activities within Rangatahi Tu Rangatira, making decisions that shape the experience for younger members of the Village community.
Through self-directed nohos, workshops and hands-on projects, ELEV8 develops creativity, accountability and a deep sense of community ownership. The message is simple: you don't have to wait until you're grown up to make a difference.
What Leaders Actually Do
Every Tuesday night, ELEV8 leaders come together to do something most young people never get the chance to do, sit at the table and have their voice heard.
These weekly meetings are where rangatahi shape the direction of the Village. They talk honestly about what's working, what could be better, and what young people in their community actually need. From there,
they get to work by planning and implementing noho's, brainstorming fundraising ideas, and exploring opportunities to travel and experience the world beyond Carterton.
They also look at ways to give back, discussing how they can contribute meaningfully to the wider community.
It's not a youth group. It's a leadership table.
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NOHO PLANNING
ELEV8 nohos take rangatahi out of the everyday and into something bigger.
Every school holidays, leaders plan and run overnight trips that go wherever the kaupapa takes them.
Working within a set budget, they might stay right here at the Village, head to Wellington, Castlepoint, or explore somewhere new entirely.
Every noho has a theme at its heart, whether that's strengthening relationships, facing your fears, or something else chosen by the group.
The destination matters less than what happens when you get there.
A Seat at the Table
Through opportunities like the Tuia programme and the Tū Manawa funding panel, ELEV8 rangatahi are supported to step into important community spaces and have their voices genuinely heard.
These aren't token gestures. Young people are invited to sit alongside community leaders, funders and decision-makers, bringing their lived experiences, their ideas, and their vision for what their communities could look like.
Being represented at these tables matters. It means the needs of rangatahi are no longer assumed by others, they're spoken by the people who know them best. It builds confidence, develops leadership, and sends a powerful message to every young person involved: your voice counts, your perspective has value, and you have every right to help shape the world you're growing up in.
When rangatahi lead, communities grow stronger. ELEV8 exists to make sure that happens.
Why It Exists
ELEV8 was built on a simple belief: young people don't need to be fixed, they need to be trusted.
Too often, rangatahi are talked about rather than talked to. ELEV8 flips that. By giving young leaders a real seat at the table.
with real budgets, real decisions, and real consequences, it builds the kind of confidence and capability that no classroom can.
The Village isn't just a place they come to. For ELEV8 leaders, it's a place they help build.