Great Potentials Foundation

Who we are:

Great Potentials Foundation is a charitable trust established in 1990 to address the persistent and intergenerational cycles of disadvantage experienced by many tamariki, rangatahi, and whānau across Aotearoa. Founded in 1990 by Dame Lesley Max and Gordon Dryden, for over 30 years our organisation has worked at the intersection of education, social services, and community development to empower families and enable positive, long-lasting change.

Our purpose is clear, to help children and young people thrive by supporting them within the context of their families and communities. We do this through proven, evidence-based programmes that promote school readiness, educational engagement, emotional wellbeing, and whānau resilience. These include our Family Service Centres (FSCs), the Home Interaction Programme for Parents and Youngsters (HIPPY), and the Mentoring and Tutoring Education Scheme (MATES).

Great Potentials Foundation operates under the values of integrity, respect, and support. We promote inclusive, culturally sensitive settings where all people are respected by acknowledging the worth and potential of each tamaiti, rangatahi, and whānau with whom we come into contact. Our dedication rests in supporting communities, schools, and families by providing them with useful and significant assistance that fosters long-lasting, constructive change. Our commitment to providing high quality evidence-based programmes that foster trust and have a genuine impact is rooted in our integrity, which guides all we do.

Our three evidence-based programmes, our longevity, our partnerships, our understanding of the catchment area and our skilled people combine to make Great Potentials Foundation an ideal provider for the tendered attendance services.

Our Programmes:

Family Service Centres

Great Potentials Foundation operates two long-standing Family Service Centres (FSCs) based in Papakura and Takanini, serving some of South Auckland’s most under-resourced communities. For over 30 years, these centres have provided integrated, relationship-based support to tamariki, rangatahi, and whānau experiencing complex social, emotional, and educational challenges.

Our FSC model brings together a range of early intervention, education, health, and social services under one roof, designed to respond holistically to the needs of each whānau. This wraparound approach is underpinned by strong community relationships, experienced staff, and a commitment to supporting whānau to navigate hardship, build resilience and re-engage in education and community life.

HIPPY (Home Interaction Programme for Parents and Youngsters)

HIPPY is one of Great Potentials Foundation’s cornerstone programmes and an evidenced based model for building school readiness and educational engagement across Aotearoa through a two-generational, parent-child approach. HIPPY supports whānau of children aged 2–5, strengthening the learning environment at home and empowering parents to become their child’s first and most important teacher. Through a structured, evidence-based, play-focused curriculum delivered in the home.

Each participating family is supported by a qualified Coordinator and a trained HIPPY tutor, often a parent from the same community, who delivers materials, models learning techniques, and provides ongoing encouragement. This peer-led, community-based model helps reduce barriers to participation, particularly for families who may not engage with formal early childhood education.

MATES (Mentoring and Tutoring Education Scheme)

MATES is a targeted academic mentoring programme supporting intermediate and secondary school students at risk of disengagement. Delivered in 14 low-decile schools across Tāmaki Makaurau, MATES pairs young people (Years 9 and 13) with trained tertiary student mentors who provide consistent, strengths-based support during critical points in the educational journey.