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The story of Burn Bright begins with another organisation, Rising Generations. Founded by Bec Heinrich and Tina Cameron, Rising Generations quickly grew to be one of Australia’s top organisations facilitating leadership programmes. After 10 years and working with more than 100,000 students, they came to a natural finish in 2013.
With growing momentum, Burn Bright delivered 40 leadership programmes and formed a Board. The year ended with the exciting announcement: Burn Bright would carry on the legacy of the National Leadership Camp starting in 2016.
Burn Bright New Zealand was launched to inspire and support young Kiwis with their own dedicated team and Board.
In 2024 Burn Bright caught the attention of one of New Zealand’s largest external wellbeing education providers, Attitude. They were enthusiastic about complementing their experience in youth communication with the high-quality experiential programmes of Burn Bright. Together they have built programmes designed specifically for the rangatahi of New Zealand that create real engagement and impact.
Burn Bright continues to lead the way in student leadership and wellbeing. With innovation, evidence-based strategies, and a passionate team, we remain committed to empowering the next generation to thrive and lead with purpose.
Who we are and where we’re going all stems back to our values. These values shape our interactions with each other, with students, with staff and parents, and shape our future decisions too.
KAITIAKITANGA
WHAKAMANA
EXCELLENCE
SERVICE
AUTHENTICITY
WAIRUATANGA
FUN
Burn Bright’s programme development and delivery are based upon our theory of change. Our theory of change is an evidence-based plan that focuses on a young person’s psychological growth and development. Our theory of change is Burn Bright’s formal plan for its activities that promote the prevention of mental illness in young people within New Zealand. Our wellbeing programmes specifically target psychological wellbeing based upon risk and protective factors of mental health. You can see more about our theory of change and evidence we use to build, design and deliver our programmes by clicking below.
There is no ‘one size, fits all’ approach, each and every Burn Bright programme is highly focused, tailored and adapted to the needs of the students and the school. Burn Bright’s curriculum is focused on demonstrating how students can turn theory into action by practising and road-testing skills learnt before applying them in their own lives. To reinforce this, we provide follow-up opportunities to encourage students to make the change last.
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Burn Bright facilitators lead by example. They have demonstrated the capacity, skill sets and personal attributes to inspire their students to embrace the notion and actions required to become leaders themselves.
All Burn Bright programmes have a minimum of two facilitators irrespective of the size of the group, allowing them to cater to the personalities and learning styles of all students. Every Burn Bright facilitator is trained by New Zealand’s top youth communication experts. When they talk to rangatahi our facilitators use real stories and life experiences that build credibility, rapport and a sense of a shared understanding.
Most importantly, we prioritise building meaningful relationships within our team so when we facilitate in schools, we are able to model authentic and positive relationships.
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Whether you're a student, teacher, or community member, there's a place for you here at Burn Bright. Volunteer, attend a programme, or support our mission to empower young leaders and create lasting positive change in our communities.
