New Zealand Ukulele Trust
Te Rūnanga Ukurere o Aotearoa
What we do
- Support hundreds of Kiwi kids to play the ukulele every year - these are our Kiwileles!
- Provide schools with an online teaching resource - the Kiwileles Songbank - packed with songs and waiata specifically chosen and arranged by educators and musicians for NZ tamariki. The resource includes song sheets, teaching tips, practice tracks and lyric videos, with a focus on NZ songwriters and bands.
- Support Kiwileles Uke-Hub Leaders to run regional events and teacher workshops around Aotearoa.
- Encourage our Kiwileles to strive for excellence through our Kiwileles Junior and Senior Squads.
- Assist schools to obtain ukuleles through our ‘Ukes in Schools’ programme, thanks to generous support from our sponsors.
Why we do it
- The benefits of music education early in life are well researched. There is a growing body of evidence to confirm that learning to sing and play an instrument increases confidence, academic progress, empathy, listening, social skills and sense of wellbeing.
- Children, teachers and whānau experience the joy of making music together.
- We support the NZ Music Industry by focusing on NZ songs and waiata and by ensuring our programme is copyright compliant.
- We recognise that our Kiwileles need to sing songs about ‘us’ and be inspired by local talent.
Why the ukulele?
- Encourages singing and playing
- Encourages songwriting
- Easy for teachers to teach and learn alongside your students
- Portable and cheap
- Kids and adults love it!
How we do it
Our activities rely on:
- Hundreds of hours of volunteer time
- Goodwill of supporters and teachers who give of their time to deliver the programmes
- Funding through contestable grants and securing donations
- Corporate partnerships which we are constantly seeking
Ukes in Schools
For young people to learn music they need instruments … a pretty simple statement, but many school communities struggle to find funding for music against competing interests. The New Zealand Ukulele Trust provides schools who apply and are successful with twelve ukuleles. Just one set of ukuleles can provide every child at that school with the opportunity to learn music.
Over 2,800 free ukuleles from NZ Ukulele Trust have been delivered to schools via our ‘Ukes in Schools’ initiative thanks to various sponsors over the years of its existence.
Over 2,800 free ukuleles from NZ Ukulele Trust have been delivered to schools via our ‘Ukes in Schools’ initiative thanks to various sponsors over the years of its existence.
2024 Applications are now closed
** Application for Ukes in Schools does not guarantee you will be successful
** Preference will be given to schools that have registered with the 2024 Kiwileles Programme
** Applications from previous recipient schools will not be accepted
** Application for Ukes in Schools does not guarantee you will be successful
** Preference will be given to schools that have registered with the 2024 Kiwileles Programme
** Applications from previous recipient schools will not be accepted
We were very pleased to be able to provide the following schools with a class set of ukuleles over the past five years, due to the generous partnership with Kala Brand Music and Lyn McAllister Music.
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2024
ABS Lagmhor School, Ashburton Alexandra Primary School Ao Tawhiti Unlimited Discovery, Chch Colwill School, Auckland Gisborne Central School Hinds School, Ashburton Lower Moutere School, Nelson Mangawhai Beach School Ōmāhu School, Hastings Pukehina School, Te Puke Pukehou School, Otane Pukepoto School, Kaitaia St Therese School, Auckland Stoke School, Nelson Sunnyhills School, Auckland Tai Tapu School Te Papapa School, Auckland Te Puna School, Tauranga Thorndon Primary, Wellington Totara Grove School, Whangarei View Road School, Auckland |
2023
Cobden School Favona Primary School George Street Normal School Hingaia Peninsula School Kakaramea School Lake Rotoiti School Logan Park High School Matarau School Scott Point School South New Brighton School Stirling School Tākaka Primary School Tangowahine School Taupaki School Te Kura o Mangatuna Te Rōhutu Whio Te Tipua School Tōtara Park School Valley Primary School Waitoki School Westburn School Whangaparaoa College Whatawhata School Wilford School |
2022
Bream Bay College Burnham School - Te Kura o Tiori Colville School Cotswold School Grant's Braes School Kawaha Point School Knapdale School Linton Camp School Manchester Street School Masterton Intermediate School Ōpōtiki School Rangiora Borough School Rāwhiti School Rimu School Rosebank School (Auckland) St Brendan's School (Heretaunga) St Mary's School Hokitika St Matthew's School Stanhope Road School Takaro School Te Poi School Te Uku School Wakari School |
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2021
Baverstock Oaks Primary School Coley Street School Kelston Intermediate Kilbirnie School Konini Primary School (Auckland) Hāwera Intermediate Lynmore School Māngere East Primary School Nawton Primary School Patea Area School Purua School Rewa Rewa School Silverdale Normal School St Dominic’s Primary School Taipa Area School Turua Primary School Waiau Pa School Kahurangi School Wellington Whenuakite Country Kids, Whitianga Victory Primary School, Nelson |
2020
Auckland Normal Intermediate Deanwell School Dominion Road School Elim Christian College Henderson Intermediate Holy Cross Catholic School (Henderson) Mākara Model School Mt Carmel School Mt Eden Normal Primary School Nūhaka School Ormiston Primary School Robertson Road School Sawyers Bay School Sunset Primary Te Kura Kaupapa Māori o Te Hiringa Te Waha o Rerekohu Area School Timatanga Community School Waverley Park School Tamariki Uke On, Invercargill |
While a good number of schools in the Kiwileles Programme have benefited from the Ukes in Schools initiative, we are conscious that there are many, many more schools in need. Demand for instruments always exceeds our ability to supply. We are grateful that our current partnership with Kala Brand Music and Lyn McAllister Music extended to 2024.