About Travellers

Empowering young people to navigate life’s journey.

Travellers is a nationally recognised, school-based programme developed by Skylight in partnership with the Ministry of Health. Designed for Year 9 students navigating challenging life transitions—such as loss, family change, or starting secondary school—Travellers builds the essential life skills of resilience, confidence, self-esteem, and emotional wellbeing.

Through the powerful metaphor that "life is a journey," students explore their own stories, challenges, and strengths in a small-group setting led by trained facilitators. Travellers has supported thousands of young people across Aotearoa since its launch in 2001, and is backed by ongoing research, evaluation, and a trusted reputation in schools.

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About the Training

This two-day immersive workshop is your opportunity to become a Travellers Facilitator. Designed primarily for school guidance counsellors and pastoral care staff, it equips you to deliver the programme with confidence, care, and creativity.

What to expect:

• Experience Travellers from the inside out – participate as both a student and a facilitator to gain deep insight into the programme.
• Explore the ‘life journey’ framework and learn how to guide students through eight interactive, themed sessions.
• Hands-on, practical training facilitated by Skylight’s experienced trainers.
• Learn about the full Travellers kit, including manuals, tools, and access to the online student wellbeing survey.

By the end of the training, you’ll be ready to lead impactful groups that help students recognise their strengths, process change, and build lasting connections—all within a safe, supportive environment.

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Dates and locations

We have trainings running in the following locations:

• Auckland: 1st & 2nd May at Lincoln Green Hotel
• Hamilton: 15th & 16th May at Distinction Hamilton Hotel
• Dunedin: 29th & 30th May at Kingsgate Hotel
• Napier: 12th & 13th June at Quality Inn

Day 1 and Day 2 are full days from 8.50am-4pm.

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Agenda

Day 1 and Day 2

Please arrive between 8:50am and 9:00am for a warm welcome and introductions. The workshop will begin promptly at 9:00am, diving into the Travellers programme content.

We'll pause at 10:30am for a morning tea break, with refreshments provided. Training resumes at 10:50am, continuing until 12:30pm, when we’ll break for a half-hour lunch (provided onsite).

The afternoon session runs from 1:00pm to 4:00pm, with interactive, experiential learning focused on the Travellers framework and facilitation techniques.

All food will be provided for you on the day. Please inform us of any dietary requirements.

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Training Eligibility

Each school must have a current Partnership Agreement with Skylight in order to send staff to the Travellers training. This agreement outlines your school’s commitment to implementing the programme and ensures that you have access to the necessary resources and support.

Key details:

• A current agreement entitles your school to train up to four facilitators.
• If your school has already used all four training spots, or has not actively run Travellers in the past three years, a new Partnership Agreement will be required.
• The cost to renew or establish a new agreement is $500 (GST inclusive).

If you're unsure about your school’s current agreement status or whether you need to renew, please contact the Skylight team at programmes@skylight.org.nz before registering for training.

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Questions?

Please contact us at programmes@skylight.org.nz and we'll be happy to help!