Rise Up Trust began in February 2006 as a Saturday home schooling programme in the garage of its founder, Sita Selupe, a young Tongan primary school teacher on maternity leave.
The founders believe that education and relationships are the keys to breaking the cycle of poverty. Evaluation data indicate the programme’s impact includes better family connectedness, higher academic achievement and greater engagement of whānau/aiga in their children’s education. Rise UP Academy opened as a partnership school in 2014 and has since doubled its roll.
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