Empowering Pasifika Youth: Bridging Knowledge, Tradition, and Leadership for a Flourishing Future
Tracks
Bilby Room: In-Person Only
| Tuesday, October 21, 2025 |
| 11:00 AM - 11:30 AM |
| Bilby Room (M1&2) |
Overview
Dr Ruth Faleolo, Dr Heena Akbar, Tiana Hippolite, Theresa Tupuola-Sorenson, La Trobe University
Presenter
Dr Heena Akbar
Senior Lecturer in Public Health and Advocacy, Pacific Health and First Nations Health
The University of Queensland
Empowering Pasifika Youth: Bridging Knowledge, Tradition, and Leadership for a Flourishing Future
Presentation Overview
As Pacific educators living and working alongside Pacific learners in Australia, we have gained deep insights into the unique and nuanced ways in which our communities and young people view their cultural identity within the diaspora and the multiple ways these perceptions influence their educational success and overall wellbeing. Pacific peoples’ holistic wellness is strengthened and enhanced through engaging the mind in meaning- and sense-making and allowing for self-discovery of culture and self-identifying their collectives of belonging. It is crucial to recognise that our Pacific children and youth growing up in Australia may not view their Pacific-ness the way we do. Current research highlights generational differences and contextual sociocultural factors that contribute to these varied perceptions and experiences among Pacific diaspora communities. This understanding prompts us to reflect on our roles as Pacific educators in Australia.
How can we contribute to the improved holistic wellness of our tamariki (children) and fanau (families) in diaspora contexts? What strategies have we employed or are seeking to implement in our educational practice and apply this in our respective fields of practice to enhance the educational success of our Pacific peoples? This paper delves into these questions, h, contributing to a talanoa (dialogue) that unpacks the nuanced experiences of Pacific learners and explores how we can shape our academic, educational, and professional practices to support their wellbeing and success.
By bridging knowledge and tradition, empowering youth voices, and promoting leadership skills, we aim to create educational innovations that resonate with Indigenous students. This approach not only preserves cultural narratives but also integrates Indigenous wellbeing into school curricula, fostering a supportive environment for future generations of Indigenous youth leaders.
Three Key Learnings:
1. Pacific peoples are not all the same, we are a collective of heterogenous groups - understanding this is key to better connecting to Pasifika learners in diaspora contexts.
2. There are multigenerational and intergenerational connections and challenges that exist in the diaspora, influencing and impacting how Pasifika learners view themselves, education and their future - understanding these can make a difference in educational approaches leading to successful outcomes.
3. Pasifika wellbeing is holistic - understanding what this means can help educators to better engage their learners.
How can we contribute to the improved holistic wellness of our tamariki (children) and fanau (families) in diaspora contexts? What strategies have we employed or are seeking to implement in our educational practice and apply this in our respective fields of practice to enhance the educational success of our Pacific peoples? This paper delves into these questions, h, contributing to a talanoa (dialogue) that unpacks the nuanced experiences of Pacific learners and explores how we can shape our academic, educational, and professional practices to support their wellbeing and success.
By bridging knowledge and tradition, empowering youth voices, and promoting leadership skills, we aim to create educational innovations that resonate with Indigenous students. This approach not only preserves cultural narratives but also integrates Indigenous wellbeing into school curricula, fostering a supportive environment for future generations of Indigenous youth leaders.
Three Key Learnings:
1. Pacific peoples are not all the same, we are a collective of heterogenous groups - understanding this is key to better connecting to Pasifika learners in diaspora contexts.
2. There are multigenerational and intergenerational connections and challenges that exist in the diaspora, influencing and impacting how Pasifika learners view themselves, education and their future - understanding these can make a difference in educational approaches leading to successful outcomes.
3. Pasifika wellbeing is holistic - understanding what this means can help educators to better engage their learners.
Biography
Dr Akbar is a senior lecturer at the School of Public Health, specialising in advocacy, First Nations and Public Health within medical education training. Dr Akbar is a Fellow of Higher Education and Associate Fellow for Health Education (Indigenous Knowledges) and brings over 30 years of experience in community development research with a focus on health inequity using community participatory action research and Indigenous methodologies to inform social policy change that translates to equitable health outcomes for First Nations, Māori and Pasifika and Culturally and Liguitically Diverse (CALD) communities in Australia and internationally.
Dr Ruth Faleolo
Adjunct Research Fellow
La Trobe University
Empowering Pasifika Youth: Bridging Knowledge, Tradition, and Leadership for a Flourishing Futureee
Presentation Overview
As Pacific educators living and working alongside Pacific learners in Australia, we have gained deep insights into the unique and nuanced ways in which our communities and young people view their cultural identity within the diaspora and the multiple ways these perceptions influence their educational success and overall wellbeing. Pacific peoples’ holistic wellness is strengthened and enhanced through engaging the mind in meaning- and sense-making and allowing for self-discovery of culture and self-identifying their collectives of belonging. It is crucial to recognise that our Pacific children and youth growing up in Australia may not view their Pacific-ness the way we do. Current research highlights generational differences and contextual sociocultural factors that contribute to these varied perceptions and experiences among Pacific diaspora communities. This understanding prompts us to reflect on our roles as Pacific educators in Australia.
How can we contribute to the improved holistic wellness of our tamariki (children) and fanau (families) in diaspora contexts? What strategies have we employed or are seeking to implement in our educational practice and apply this in our respective fields of practice to enhance the educational success of our Pacific peoples? This paper delves into these questions, h, contributing to a talanoa (dialogue) that unpacks the nuanced experiences of Pacific learners and explores how we can shape our academic, educational, and professional practices to support their wellbeing and success.
By bridging knowledge and tradition, empowering youth voices, and promoting leadership skills, we aim to create educational innovations that resonate with Indigenous students. This approach not only preserves cultural narratives but also integrates Indigenous wellbeing into school curricula, fostering a supportive environment for future generations of Indigenous youth leaders.
Three Key Learnings:
1. Pacific peoples are not all the same, we are a collective of heterogenous groups - understanding this is key to better connecting to Pasifika learners in diaspora contexts.
2. There are multigenerational and intergenerational connections and challenges that exist in the diaspora, influencing and impacting how Pasifika learners view themselves, education and their future - understanding these can make a difference in educational approaches leading to successful outcomes.
3. Pasifika wellbeing is holistic - understanding what this means can help educators to better engage their learners.
How can we contribute to the improved holistic wellness of our tamariki (children) and fanau (families) in diaspora contexts? What strategies have we employed or are seeking to implement in our educational practice and apply this in our respective fields of practice to enhance the educational success of our Pacific peoples? This paper delves into these questions, h, contributing to a talanoa (dialogue) that unpacks the nuanced experiences of Pacific learners and explores how we can shape our academic, educational, and professional practices to support their wellbeing and success.
By bridging knowledge and tradition, empowering youth voices, and promoting leadership skills, we aim to create educational innovations that resonate with Indigenous students. This approach not only preserves cultural narratives but also integrates Indigenous wellbeing into school curricula, fostering a supportive environment for future generations of Indigenous youth leaders.
Three Key Learnings:
1. Pacific peoples are not all the same, we are a collective of heterogenous groups - understanding this is key to better connecting to Pasifika learners in diaspora contexts.
2. There are multigenerational and intergenerational connections and challenges that exist in the diaspora, influencing and impacting how Pasifika learners view themselves, education and their future - understanding these can make a difference in educational approaches leading to successful outcomes.
3. Pasifika wellbeing is holistic - understanding what this means can help educators to better engage their learners.
Biography
Ruth (Lute) is an Aotearoa-born Tongan woman with ancestral ties to Fiji, Samoa and Uvea. She lives and works on the unceded lands of the Yugambeh language people, locally based, while globally faced. Ruth has taught over a score in the secondary and tertiary sectors of Aotearoa and Australia and carried almost thirty years of research within her Pasifika communities based in the diaspora as well as in their connections to Pacific homelands. Her recent projects have promoted Pacific narratives, numbers and nuances to better understand perspectives and experiences of wellbeing mobilities, including access to equitable education contexts in Australia.
Tiana Hippolite
Program Development Officer
Queensland University of Technology (QUT)
Empowering Pasifika Youth: Bridging Knowledge, Tradition, and Leadership for a Flourishing Future
Presentation Overview
As Pacific educators living and working alongside Pacific learners in Australia, we have gained deep insights into the unique and nuanced ways in which our communities and young people view their cultural identity within the diaspora and the multiple ways these perceptions influence their educational success and overall wellbeing. Pacific peoples’ holistic wellness is strengthened and enhanced through engaging the mind in meaning- and sense-making and allowing for self-discovery of culture and self-identifying their collectives of belonging. It is crucial to recognise that our Pacific children and youth growing up in Australia may not view their Pacific-ness the way we do. Current research highlights generational differences and contextual sociocultural factors that contribute to these varied perceptions and experiences among Pacific diaspora communities. This understanding prompts us to reflect on our roles as Pacific educators in Australia.
How can we contribute to the improved holistic wellness of our tamariki (children) and fanau (families) in diaspora contexts? What strategies have we employed or are seeking to implement in our educational practice and apply this in our respective fields of practice to enhance the educational success of our Pacific peoples? This paper delves into these questions, h, contributing to a talanoa (dialogue) that unpacks the nuanced experiences of Pacific learners and explores how we can shape our academic, educational, and professional practices to support their wellbeing and success.
By bridging knowledge and tradition, empowering youth voices, and promoting leadership skills, we aim to create educational innovations that resonate with Indigenous students. This approach not only preserves cultural narratives but also integrates Indigenous wellbeing into school curricula, fostering a supportive environment for future generations of Indigenous youth leaders.
Three Key Learnings:
1. Pacific peoples are not all the same, we are a collective of heterogenous groups - understanding this is key to better connecting to Pasifika learners in diaspora contexts.
2. There are multigenerational and intergenerational connections and challenges that exist in the diaspora, influencing and impacting how Pasifika learners view themselves, education and their future - understanding these can make a difference in educational approaches leading to successful outcomes.
3. Pasifika wellbeing is holistic - understanding what this means can help educators to better engage their learners.
How can we contribute to the improved holistic wellness of our tamariki (children) and fanau (families) in diaspora contexts? What strategies have we employed or are seeking to implement in our educational practice and apply this in our respective fields of practice to enhance the educational success of our Pacific peoples? This paper delves into these questions, h, contributing to a talanoa (dialogue) that unpacks the nuanced experiences of Pacific learners and explores how we can shape our academic, educational, and professional practices to support their wellbeing and success.
By bridging knowledge and tradition, empowering youth voices, and promoting leadership skills, we aim to create educational innovations that resonate with Indigenous students. This approach not only preserves cultural narratives but also integrates Indigenous wellbeing into school curricula, fostering a supportive environment for future generations of Indigenous youth leaders.
Three Key Learnings:
1. Pacific peoples are not all the same, we are a collective of heterogenous groups - understanding this is key to better connecting to Pasifika learners in diaspora contexts.
2. There are multigenerational and intergenerational connections and challenges that exist in the diaspora, influencing and impacting how Pasifika learners view themselves, education and their future - understanding these can make a difference in educational approaches leading to successful outcomes.
3. Pasifika wellbeing is holistic - understanding what this means can help educators to better engage their learners.
Biography
Tiana is a Māori equity practitioner and researcher educated with medical science and equipped with lived education experiences in both Aotearoa and Australia. She has worked closely with Māori and Pacific Island communities across South East Queensland to support aspirations and pathways for higher education. With her unique experience, she has developed a deep understanding of the local and governmental cultural understandings and awareness in the context of Australia.
Theresa Tupuola-Sorenson
Co-Founder, Education Director and Partnerships
Pacific Kids Learning
Empowering Pasifika Youth: Bridging Knowledge, Tradition, and Leadership for a Flourishing Future
Presentation Overview
As Pacific educators living and working alongside Pacific learners in Australia, we have gained deep insights into the unique and nuanced ways in which our communities and young people view their cultural identity within the diaspora and the multiple ways these perceptions influence their educational success and overall wellbeing. Pacific peoples’ holistic wellness is strengthened and enhanced through engaging the mind in meaning- and sense-making and allowing for self-discovery of culture and self-identifying their collectives of belonging. It is crucial to recognise that our Pacific children and youth growing up in Australia may not view their Pacific-ness the way we do. Current research highlights generational differences and contextual sociocultural factors that contribute to these varied perceptions and experiences among Pacific diaspora communities. This understanding prompts us to reflect on our roles as Pacific educators in Australia.
How can we contribute to the improved holistic wellness of our tamariki (children) and fanau (families) in diaspora contexts? What strategies have we employed or are seeking to implement in our educational practice and apply this in our respective fields of practice to enhance the educational success of our Pacific peoples? This paper delves into these questions, h, contributing to a talanoa (dialogue) that unpacks the nuanced experiences of Pacific learners and explores how we can shape our academic, educational, and professional practices to support their wellbeing and success.
By bridging knowledge and tradition, empowering youth voices, and promoting leadership skills, we aim to create educational innovations that resonate with Indigenous students. This approach not only preserves cultural narratives but also integrates Indigenous wellbeing into school curricula, fostering a supportive environment for future generations of Indigenous youth leaders.
Three Key Learnings:
1. Pacific peoples are not all the same, we are a collective of heterogenous groups - understanding this is key to better connecting to Pasifika learners in diaspora contexts.
2. There are multigenerational and intergenerational connections and challenges that exist in the diaspora, influencing and impacting how Pasifika learners view themselves, education and their future - understanding these can make a difference in educational approaches leading to successful outcomes.
3. Pasifika wellbeing is holistic - understanding what this means can help educators to better engage their learners.
How can we contribute to the improved holistic wellness of our tamariki (children) and fanau (families) in diaspora contexts? What strategies have we employed or are seeking to implement in our educational practice and apply this in our respective fields of practice to enhance the educational success of our Pacific peoples? This paper delves into these questions, h, contributing to a talanoa (dialogue) that unpacks the nuanced experiences of Pacific learners and explores how we can shape our academic, educational, and professional practices to support their wellbeing and success.
By bridging knowledge and tradition, empowering youth voices, and promoting leadership skills, we aim to create educational innovations that resonate with Indigenous students. This approach not only preserves cultural narratives but also integrates Indigenous wellbeing into school curricula, fostering a supportive environment for future generations of Indigenous youth leaders.
Three Key Learnings:
1. Pacific peoples are not all the same, we are a collective of heterogenous groups - understanding this is key to better connecting to Pasifika learners in diaspora contexts.
2. There are multigenerational and intergenerational connections and challenges that exist in the diaspora, influencing and impacting how Pasifika learners view themselves, education and their future - understanding these can make a difference in educational approaches leading to successful outcomes.
3. Pasifika wellbeing is holistic - understanding what this means can help educators to better engage their learners.
Biography
Bio not provided
