The island of Enuamanu (Atiu) will hold its second annual Rising Stars Championships today, following a successful event last year.

As students slowly make their way back to school to kick-start term two, they look forward to the event and are pleased to have this opportunity for their school to take part.

Joshua Jim will be leading this programme with the help and guidance of environmental non-governmental organisation Kōrero O Te 'Ōrau, and the community of Enuamanu.

“We are very excited to get this programme underway for the second time this year, as it has been a part of our long-term plan for a while now and we are looking forward to putting it all into action again,” the volunteers said.

“Recently, we’ve had a few parents volunteer their time to come around and help with the technical side of things to help us grow so we are very pleased that they have expressed interest in what we have a vision for, and we hope that this will help with our kids’ growth in their physical and mental well-being”.

The Rising Stars Championships kickstarted in 2016 in Rarotonga, and has expanded wonderfully within the schools since 2019, with students showcasing great leadership skills, sportsmanship and teamwork.

The event has also improved their understanding of the values inherent in each sport, such as respect, discipline and teamwork. Each student is evaluated on how they demonstrate these values both on and off the field.

In Rarotonga, the Rising Stars Championships programme usually occurs later on in the year. Due to the island’s availability, Atiu has decided to commence the programme earlier before the big 60 years of Te Maeva Nui celebrations, and the 50-year anniversary of the Taunga Nui Harbour, as well as other events happening throughout the year.