Graeme Dingle Excellence Awards 2021

Honouring Exceptional Young Kiwis

In another year where COVID-19 has tested the resolve of New Zealanders, a group of young Kiwis, mentors, volunteers and leaders celebrated their exceptional resilience in the face of adversity at the Graeme Dingle Foundation 2021 Excellence Awards, held via a live stream across Aotearoa New Zealand due to COVID-19 restrictions. 

On Monday the 15th of November, we celebrate more than 28,000 students and others across the country who have been involved in the Foundation’s various youth development programmes including Kiwi Can, Stars, Career Navigator and Project K over the previous 12 months. The event was sponsored by the Foundation’s longstanding sponsor, the Stride Property Group.

This is the 26^th year since mountaineer and outdoor education pioneer Sir Graeme Dingle and his partner Jo-anne Wilkinson founded the not-for-profit organisation with the intention to help Kiwi children and young people develop mental fitness and resilience through self-belief, so that ultimately young people believe that ‘what they have inside is greater than any obstacle’.

Many of the amazing young people celebrated last night have bounced back from hardship and conquered immense challenges to chart a positive course through life, steered towards self-belief by the Foundation’s transformational programmes, and the positive impact the Foundation has had on their lives.

Sir Graeme Dingle, says this year’s Awards, coming at a time when COVID-19 has changed lives throughout the world, perfectly showcase what the Foundation lives and breathes – teaching young people to be resilient.

Sir Graeme says the Awards are an opportunity to celebrate this country’s future – our children and our young people.

The annual Excellence Awards began life as the Project K Outstanding Student Award and were first hosted by Governor General, Dame Sylvia Cartwright, in 2000.

To view the full live stream, please click here. 

 

The full list of 2021 Award Recipients is as follows: