Too many tamariki start school without a vital skill. Help us change that.
Oracy – our ability to talk, listen and understand – is foundational to children's learning, wellbeing, confidence and future success. Yet an estimated 1 in 4 children in Aotearoa will start school without the basic language skills they need. That's not just a statistic. It's a national challenge with lifelong consequences.
Oracy Aotearoa is a charitable trust building a national movement that puts oracy at the heart of early learning, whānau life and community connection. Our vision is that every child in Aotearoa starts school with the oracy skills they need to flourish.
We're ready for our next phase, and we're looking for a Board Chair and up to three trustees to lead it with us.
Who we'd love to hear from
• Board Chair: governance or chair experience, strategic vision and strong facilitation.
• Treasurer / finance lead: an accounting or finance qualification (e.g. CA, CPA) or senior finance experience.
• Tangata whenua trustee: to guide tikanga and our Te Tiriti partnership, with links to Māori education or community networks.
• Speech-language therapist: to bring clinical insight into our governance and strategy.
• Emerging leader: fresh perspective, energy and a willingness to learn. No governance experience needed – induction and a trustee mentor are provided.
One person may fit more than one profile. You don't need to be an oracy expert. You do need to care about tamariki, act with integrity, and bring energy to our kaupapa.
What's involved
• Hui every six weeks (about 1.5 hours), in person at the Saxton complex in Nelson or online.
• Preparing for hui and helping us grow between them.
• Unpaid and voluntary, with reasonable expenses reimbursed.
Ready to make a difference? Apply by 11 December 2026.
Send us a short cover letter, video or voice message telling us why you're interested and what you'd bring, along with your CV, to Caroline Budge, Operational Lead: manager@oracyaotearoa.nz.
Not sure if it's for you? Give Caroline a call on 021 169 6779 for a kōrero.
We welcome applications from people of all whakapapa and backgrounds, and particularly encourage tangata whenua and younger people.
Know someone who'd be perfect? Spread the word and share this advert.
Oracy — our ability to understand and use spoken language — is one of the most powerful predictors of a child’s success. It shapes how tamariki think, learn, relate, and participate. Yet in Aotearoa today, an estimated 1 in 4 will start school without the basic language skills they need. That’s not just a statistic — it’s a national challenge with lifelong consequences.
Oracy Aotearoa exists to change that. Our vision is simple: every child starts school with the oracy skills they need to flourish. We work with whānau, kaiako, iwi, communities, and government to make oracy a national priority — valued alongside literacy and numeracy, embedded in curriculum design, and supported through teacher development and early identification of low oracy.
We empower parents and whānau with practical ways to build rich language experiences at home. We support teachers and ECE providers to create oracy rich environments. We partner with iwi and community groups to strengthen culturally grounded communication practices. And we advocate for national policy and funding that ensures every child — especially those aged 3–6 with low oracy — gets the support they need.
The time to act is now. Parents want it, teachers welcome it, the economy needs it, and our tamariki deserve it. When we invest in oracy, we invest in confident, connected, future ready young people — and in the wellbeing of Aotearoa as a whole.