High Tech Youth studio in Samoa has a new unique Samoan name: Le Tuiga Samoa.
The name was chosen by a representative workshop group of the many young people who go there.
The process used to choose the name is in keeping with the studio’s philosophy.
The studio is designed for youth to create their own projects and to share amongst themselves.
Their facebook page says the aim of Le Tuiga Samoa is “about bringing together the power of Samoan culture, community, and technology to develop skills and enterprise for the 21st Century.
“Many church and social youth groups in Samoa are led by ‘youths’ who are in their 30s, so many young people grow up never having had the chance to learn, make mistakes and practise leadership and group skills on their own,” said Marj Moore in the Samoa Observer.
“That young people should make these decisions themselves was not something our youth was used to” said Moore.
“Samoan culture also leans more towards a ‘listen to your elders and do as they say’ system rather than shared opinions which are respected.”
But leadership and decision-making is what is being fostered and encouraged at Le Tuiga Samoa, and in fact celebrated.
The three million tala [US$1.3 million] four-year project targeted at over 5,300 young Samoans between the ages of 8 and 25 both in and out of school was officially launched in March.
The facility boasts a film studio, music studio, adobe suite programmes, animation programmes and space for community engagement.
The High Tech Youth Network Studio (HTYN) is a non-profit charitable organisation registered in New Zealand, the United States and Hawaii.
Each country gets to choose a name for its studio.
It is funded by grants from the New Zealand Government as well as contributions from private and corporate donors.
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