UC interns put theory into practice in the real world

Photo caption: Ruby Cross is one of five students from UC currently interning at Hoa Motuhake | Special Friends

Ruby is one of five students from Te Whare Wānanga o Waitaha | University of Canterbury (UC) currently interning at Hoa Motuhake | Special Friends, a Trust that provides sports mentoring for tamariki aged 8-12 years in high-deprivation circumstances and in care. 

UC has been providing interns to Hoa Motuhake for the past five years as part of their sports degree course requirements. The students need to complete a 120 hour internship project in the third and final year of study. The focus is on sport as a vehicle for building confidence, consistency, fun and a sense of community. 

Dr Nick Maitland, a Senior Lecturer at University of Canterbury’s Faculty of Health says it takes what students learn in the programme and courses and puts it in the real world.

“Students interact with leaders in the sport industry and see for themselves what it takes to be successful and gain employment. They also get to show organisations what they can give, often through new or alternative approaches. 

“These organisations do incredible and life changing work in an environment where funding is scarce,” Dr Maitland says.

“That's where UC comes in because our students contribute through their internships. For Hoa Motuhake, they get access to the expertise, energy and passion of our students. For UC, our students gain organisational experience within the sport and community space.” 

Dr Maitland says that the impact of knowing the time and energy they give to changing someone else's life can be profound. 

“We’re talking about engaging with communities that really need that and respond to it. The internships can be challenging too. Some students have described to me feelings of being very lucky in their lives after these experiences.”

Twenty-three-year-old Ruby says the internship has had a huge impact on her. 

“On a personal level, it has pushed me to take on more responsibility, not just for myself, but for my mentee. It’s also been a real eye-opener in terms of recognising my privileges. Growing up, I never had to think twice about access to sport, but now I've seen first-hand the barriers some tamariki face.

“Professionally, it's helped build my confidence. I've had to develop strong communication skills when liaising with my mentee's family and the Hoa Motuhake team. It's shown me the importance of effective communication.” 

It’s no coincidence that Hoa Motuhake’s former Funding Manager, Callum Crawford, was one of the first UC interns to work there. 

Crawford says interning during his final year of study in 2022 gave him an abundance of skills that ultimately prepared him for working in the sporting sector. 

“Personally, it helped me develop my communication skills, learning to connect with all walks of life and navigating an office environment. Professionally, it gave me hands-on experience in the charity sector. It was the first time I really saw how much work goes on behind the scenes to make something meaningful happen. The internship laid the foundation for my current role and helped shape who I am today.”

Sandy van Heyningen, founder of Hoa Motuhake, says the UC student interns have all had such a positive impact on the children they’ve worked alongside. 

“They not only remove the multiple barriers to enable their child to play sport, but their encouragement and support helps each child build confidence, wellbeing and belonging to break cycles of trauma and adversity. 

“The internships we offer not only give students a very rewarding experience, but it can also help them when applying to enter the workforce.”

Hoa Motuhake won the Community Impact Award at the recent New Zealand Sport and Recreation Awards.