When Rose’s family got in touch with us, Rose had been out of mainstream school for 4 years. She had very limited social contact outside her family and her days had minimal structure. Having missed so much school and having very little practice completing tasks, Rose lacked confidence and skills in working independently and following through on ideas.

Rose’s mood and behaviour was highly variable. She really wanted to be with peers but also found it highly nerve-wracking and struggled to connect with others in the way she wanted.

Rose was passionate about all things creative from costume design, making audiobooks, film making, knitting, pottery, poetry, playing the drums, and model-making. She often started projects but didn’t finish them.

When Rose first started in the programme, the main focus was around building trust with the team, getting used to taking public transport independently, and increasing the length of time she could spend away from home. This meant that for some time her focus was on completing tasks that could be done in one sitting to experience success.

After six weeks, Rose started getting herself ready in the morning and was able to manage full days of the programme without struggle and we had worked out how to balance challenge and rest over the course of a week so that she could come for a full week.

Through watching others in the programme complete extended projects with support from the team, Rose had the idea to create a music video which would combine her interests in costume design, drumming, and film making. The team supported her to complete a storyboard, learn camera techniques from a professional, and clarify her personal creative aesthetic. Rose also got helped to run an audition for actors. This was used as part of the application to work at Armaggedon expo and Rose also became close friends with one of the actors in the film.

Interestingly, over the course of the programme, Rose discovered that she was very interested in science. With better understanding how she worked and learned best, and increased capacity to participate in the world, she decided to enrol in academic studies to get NCEA after graduating from the programme to pursue a career in science.

When Maya’s mum first contacted us, Maya had been largely disengaged from life for over a year. After struggling socially and emotionally in school, she left early without a clear plan and very low confidence in her abilities. Most days were spent alone at home alone, watching movies, reading, or gaming, with very limited social contact or structured routine. She had previously loved animals, photography, and being outdoors, but had gradually withdrawn from these interests over time.

When talking to Maya she didn’t understand why she struggled so much with things others found easy and felt increasingly uncomfortable around peers her age, who she felt were progressing in ways she couldn’t. Although she still had a strong underlying interest in animals and nature, she no longer saw these as realistic pathways for herself.

Maya wanted support because she felt stuck and recognised she couldn’t continue in the same pattern, but she also couldn’t imagine a future in work or study that would suit her or be achievable.

Initially, the programme focussed on rebuilding routine, confidence, and connection. The first major milestones were simply getting herself to Hyphen, attending regularly, participating in group activities, and tolerating being around peers again. Maya was supported to try new experiences without pressure around performance or outcomes.

Over time, Maya began to reconnect with interests she had stepped away from. Through programme excursions to Hackland, the local veterinary clinic, and a community animal care setting, as well as hands-on sessions using the 3D printer to design and produce animal enrichment items, she started to recognise her strengths in practical, hands-on environments. She showed particular focus and calm when working in structured tasks, especially when animals were involved or when supporting young participants.

A few months into the programme, Maya completed a work experience placement at a local after-school care programme. Staff described her as reliable, warm, and naturally able to support anxious children in settling and engaging with activities. These were strengths Maya herself had not previously identified in herself. A major surprise was the growth in her confidence when placed in environments where she was actively trusted and valued. Her communication, humour, and empathy became increasingly visible over time. 

Following graduation from the programme, Maya transitioned into part-time employment and is now working at a local animal care shelter. She’s hoping to get enough work experience while exploring future pathways into veterinary nursing.

When Lukas joined the programme, he was full of ideas but struggled to turn any of them into something sustainable. He had taught himself graphic design, video editing, branding, photography, music production and clothing design through years of independent learning online. Friends and family constantly commented on how talented he was, but Lukas felt scattered and overwhelmed by the number of directions he could go in.

Lukas found it difficult to stay engaged at school with repetitive work and became increasingly frustrated being told to “pick one thing” when his strengths were interdisciplinary and highly creative. By the time he came to us, he was spending most of his time working on short bursts of creative projects late at night, abandoning them quickly, and doubting whether he could realistically make a future from his skills.

Lukas wanted help because he knew he was capable, but lacked structure, accountability, and real-world opportunities to test himself outside his bedroom.

Early in the programme, the focus was on helping Lukas identify which ideas genuinely mattered to him and building the skills required to follow projects through to completion. This meant creating timelines, managing larger projects in stages, and balancing ambitious ideas with realistic execution.

Through the programme, Lukas talked with professionals from the graphic design industry and worked to create a small creative brand combining photography, clothing design, and digital media. He learned how to pitch ideas, budget projects, invoice clients, and collaborate with others creatively - things that would have been extremely difficult to develop independently at home. He also worked alongside local professionals, photographed live events, and helped produce promotional content for community organisations.

One unexpected discovery was Lukas’ strength in working directly with people. Although initially presenting as highly independent, he turned out to be exceptionally good at understanding what clients wanted and translating abstract ideas into creative outcomes. He also became an important mentor figure for younger creative students in the programme.

By the end of the programme, Lukas had built a portfolio, developed paying freelance work, and gained enough confidence and structure to continue growing his business independently. He now works across multiple creative disciplines while continuing to expand his client base and collaborative projects.