The ELTA Board

Mission

Providing ongoing therapeutic support, guidance, connection, life-skills development and capability-building for rangatahi through experiential adventure and nature-based approaches that promote inclusion, wellbeing and whānau resilience.

Purpose

The primary emphases include promoting inclusivity, facilitating connections with oneself, others, and nature, integrating Kaupapa Māori approaches, and advancing the overall health and wellbeing of rangatahi and the broader community.

How we began

ELTA was established as a trust in 2013 and began operating at the end of 2022. The ELTA Challenge Course, donated by AdventureWorks Ltd when its original site at Unitec Mt Albert Campus was redeveloped, is one of the settings where our programmes take place.

A group of outdoor facilitators, passionate about working with rangatahi in their communities, saw the need for adventure therapy and adventure-based programmes that support the wellbeing of young people. To make that work sustainable, they set the project up as a trust, which opens eligibility for the funding that supports programmes for rangatahi in need.

In 2023, guided by advice from funders, we sought funding under the AdventureWorks name, as ELTA did not yet have a financial statement. This secured multiple grants for youth development programmes using an experiential and adventure-based approach. These programmes positively impacted over 30 rangatahi in 2023, and we plan to reach more than 90 rangatahi in 2024, building on the secured funding.

Trustees

Mark Mandeno: Mark has worked with people in the outdoors all his life. He has been a secondary school teacher running the education department for years, a qualified counsellor and now one of the trustee of the ELTA Trust as well as a director at AdventureWorks.
Rachel Hill: Our team is led by Rachel, who is one of the trustee of the ELTA Trust. Rachel worked as an General Manager at AdventureWorks for 8 years. Rachel has worked as project manager, consultant, senior business consultant, strategic manager, tertiary tutor etc. for 21 years.
Carolyn Marino: Carolyn is one of the trustee of the ELTA Trust. Over the last 25 years working in senior leadership roles, most recently as principal for 15 years at Westmere School in central Auckland, Carolyn has recognised and developed her passion for growing leadership in others. She has a Masters in Educational Management (1st Class hons), and has been an active member and supporter of the Auckland Inner City Principals’ Association, the emerging Kāhui Ako o Waitemātā and Auckland Primary Principals’ Association.