17 November 2025 Te Mātāpuna Mātātahi | Children’s University celebrates 5000th graduate and 20th graduation ceremony

As Te Mātāpuna Mātātahi | Children’s University celebrates the graduation of another high-achieving cohort of young scholars, the future of tamariki seeking lifelong learning couldn’t be more promising.

In six short years since its launch, Te Mātāpuna Mātātahi | Children’s University has grown from 151 young graduates (aged between seven and 14) in 2019 to 1,181 graduates in 2025.

The 2025 graduation event marked the special milestone of the 5000th Children’s University scholar to walk across the stage to receive their graduation certificate since inauguration.

The 5000th certificate was presented in the penultimate ceremony of this year’s graduation event, held over six evenings between 18th and 27th November at the Christchurch Town Hall’s James Hay Theatre, with the young graduates receiving their certificates in front of proud whānau and friends. The sixth evening took the overall total to 20 graduation ceremonies over the six years from 2019-2025.

Te Mātāpuna Mātātahi | Children’s University is a partnership between Te Whare Wānaka o Aoraki Lincoln University and Te Whare Wānanga o Waitaha | University of Canterbury, and is part of an internationally renowned outreach programme which aims to foster lifelong learning among young people and raise their aspirations for higher education.

A total of 1,481 tamariki participated in Te Mātāpuna Mātātahi | Children’s University in 2025 from 49 kura and one rūnaka across Waitaha Canterbury. Another 60 kura are on a waiting list to participate in future years.

In 2025 more than 1,200 tamariki attended a Campus Experience Day, hosted by Lincoln University and University of Canterbury. The events gave young learners the chance to step into the role of university students, taking part in a range of fun, hands-on activities on campus.

During the year, the tamariki completed 64,839 hours of learning, taking the total learning hours completed since 2019 to over 300,000. Children earned their hours in a variety of ways, including visiting some of the 150 community learning destination providers, participating in after-school clubs, completing online activities, and more. Each learning experience helps build curiosity, confidence and a lifelong love of learning.

Lincoln University Deputy Vice-Chancellor – Student Life, Damian Lodge, says the Children’s University programme offered the participating tamariki a unique opportunity to experience learning outside of the classroom and the encouragement to try new activities.

“Through Te Mātāpuna Mātātahi | Children’s University, our tamariki gain the confidence to seek out new experiences and develop a genuine joy of learning.

“The large, and growing, number of tamariki rushing to sign up each year demonstrates just how keen the young tauira are to expand their learning horizons and explore new pathways, while sharing their experiences with their fellow tauira and whānau.

“Lincoln University is proud to support the programme, and to provide many fun and exciting new learning opportunities for the tamariki on our campus each year.”

The Children’s University is a powerful example of what can be achieved when communities, schools, and universities work together to make learning accessible and exciting, says University of Canterbury Deputy Vice-Chancellor Academic, Professor Catherine Moran.

“Reaching 5,000 graduates shows what’s possible when curiosity and confidence are nurtured in our tamariki – creating a brighter future where learning belongs to everyone.”