Introduction to Tihoi

This unique campus is located on the western side of Lake Taupo, nestled on the edge of the Pureora Forest. For two terms of the academic year, Year 10s leave behind devices and mobile phones to enjoy a digital detox. They are placed into communal living with seven age-mates, regular schooling and outdoor experiences.

Here, they learn to live and work together, taking responsibility for their own housekeeping, preparing their own meals on wood-burning stoves, and meeting a range of personal and social challenges. Each week, the students spend three days outdoors and four days in the classroom where they study all the mainstream subjects.

The 18 weeks are broken into chunks of time where students spend time at Tihoi and return home occasionally. As an example, students will go to Tihoi for four weeks and then have a four-day break. The next duration will be three weeks with a four-day break, returning to Tihoi for two more weeks with a mid-term break. This schedule is repeated for the second half of the intake.

During the experience, students undertake academic, social and outdoor challenges that help them:

• become independent, resilient and self-managing
• develop self-esteem and personal motivation
• learn to meet challenges and work with others to achieve goals
• acquire the motivation and desire to extend their limits to achieve personal best
• live with others and learn to tolerate different personalities
• improve their fitness
• learn to appreciate the outdoors
• make lifelong friendships with those who are going through the same life-changing experience