The Mitey Programme

Last week, the Skylight team had the opportunity to attend a Mitey school visit at Brooklyn Primary in Wellington, alongside Mitey Founder, Sir John Kirwan, Chief Executive Sarah Manley, and the wider Mitey team.

"Mitey is an evidence based, school wide approach to teaching mental health education which is built around the NZ Curriculum and aligned to the Mental Health Education Guidelines." - Mitey

As partners delivering Tai Oranga and Pathfinders at the school, it was a valuable chance for us to see how Mitey is being brought to life in a real-world setting. We were struck by the strong sense of engagement from both ākonga and kaiako, and the genuine commitment to building a culture where mental health is openly talked about and supported.

What stood out most was how embedded the approach has become. Rather than sitting alongside the curriculum, mental health learning was woven naturally through classroom practice and school life. Students showed confidence in talking about emotions and wellbeing, and teachers demonstrated practical, consistent ways of supporting this learning. It was encouraging to see how aligned this is with Skylight’s own kaupapa, reinforcing the value of early, preventative approaches that build resilience and connection.

Experiences like this remind us of the impact that collaborative, school-wide approaches can have. Seeing the Mitey approach in action, alongside the programmes we deliver, affirmed the importance of working together to support tamariki and their wellbeing. We left feeling inspired and proud to be part of a collective effort that is making a meaningful difference in the lives of young people.