Our 2026 programme
Enrolling now
Our programme is for brilliant, neurodivergent teens (often known as twice-exceptional), who are keen to step into adulthood, but the usual pathways aren’t set up in a way that works for them. It is a 6-month, full-time programme that is run out of our site in the design and innovation hub of Parnell, Auckland, New Zealand. It offers rangatahi the opportunity to discover how they learn and work best, and map out the next steps towards work, tertiary education or a freelancing career. New intakes begin on the 15th of each month, with part-time and flexible options available by arrangement. Fees apply and scholarships are available.
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Our rangatahi are exceptional - bright, creative, and capable. They want to achieve, be independent, and contribute - but there are barriers in the way of them thriving in mainstream systems. They may be diagnosed as twice-exceptional, but a formal diagnosis is not necessary.
Many of the teens we work with:
Are autistic, have ADHD, dyslexia, or other specific learning differences
Are highly sensitive and may experience anxiety or depression
Come from health school, homeschooling, early school leaving, or part-time school arrangements that aren’t working
Have families who have “tried everything” — tutors, therapy, school support, alternative pathways — without sustained success
Our teens’ interests vary widely - from creative arts and technology to gaming, building, advocacy, traditional academic subjects or entrepreneurship. But what they all share is potential that hasn’t yet had the right conditions to flourish.
If your teen finds “easy” things hard, and “hard” things easy — they may be a good fit. You can take this quiz to explore more about whether that is the case.
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Our team is made up of people who truly get it. We understand twice-exceptionality first-hand – in ourselves, our families, and the teens we work with. We know the challenges and the joys, and that understanding shapes everything we do. It guides how we support every young person. Read on below to learn a bit more about who we are.
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Our home is at 130 St George’s Bay Road in Parnell, Auckland. Surrounded by creative studios, start-ups, and members of New Zealand’s innovation sector, it’s an inspiring place for young people to spend their days.
Our site itself is a home away from home for our teens. The atmosphere is comfortable, welcoming and teen-friendly - there are couches - lots of couches. We have a soft and flexible daily routine that ambles along and is peppered with laughter, spontaneous in-depth discussions, and impromptu games, snacks or off-site adventures in the area. Many of our rangatahi experience, for the first time, what it’s like to belong, feel at ease, and be themselves.
Simply having a place ‘of work’ to get to each day, provides our teens with opportunities to practice driving skills or navigating public transport. We’re well connected by public transport, with frequent buses along St George’s Bay Road, and with Parnell Train Station within walking distance.
Our central city location also prompts visits to local cafés, museums, and shops, and engagement in real-world tasks to build independence, confidence, and readiness for life beyond the programme.
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Each teen completes 100 days with us. To promote persistence and commitment, all 100 days need to be completed to graduate. At the same time, leniency with the time period those days are completed in, means that waking up to a ‘very bad day’ doesn’t prevent them from succeeding.
We are open Monday to Friday, with the day running from 11am to 3pm - hours that support focus, connection, and wellbeing, without burnout.
Later starts and shorter days allow teens time to decompress and process, while consistency builds confidence and routine. Many of our teens travel from all over Auckland (and some even come from outside the city) so these hours accommodate commuting and give teens the space to arrive ready to engage fully, and leave energised rather than overwhelmed.
This structure also ensures teens participate in workshops, one-on-one mentoring, and passion work at their best, while maintaining balance and wellbeing. Lunch foods are always available, and there is a full kitchen at our teen’s disposal so that hunger and disorganisation is not a barrier.
New enrolments are accepted in the middle of each month. Our organisation follows its own schedule, independent of school terms or holidays, though we do take a break for one month over Christmas and New Year.
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Without a set curriculum or agenda, we have the flexibility to use creativity and problem solving to make our rangatahi’s future a reality.
We curate tailored opportunities for rangatahi to grow in all areas - personal, academic, professional, and life. For each teen one or two of these areas are more of a focus than others.
We meet each teen where they’re at and support them to move forward at their own pace. For some this involves structuring and directing their immense energy. For others it looks like gently jollying them along, interleaving stretching themselves and rest, so they can gradually build up productivity and momentum.
Our activities
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Guest visitors
We regularly welcome guest visitors into our programme to run workshops, or offer a glimpse into what they do. Our guests come from a wide range of industries and backgrounds, giving teens the chance to meet a range of different people and see the many pathways available to them. Many of our guests are twice-exceptional themselves so can give insight into how they have achieved by working with their strengths. We have hosted forensic scientists, professional problem solvers, authors, biological modellers and many more.
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![Teen girl work placement at Vet]()
Work experiences
We love giving teens the chance to step into real workplaces. Driven by their interests, we always aim to allow them to explore different roles, get a feel for what’s involved in the world of work, and build confidence in a professional setting. Sometimes the experience is a visit to look around and talk to professionals. Other times they get to be hands-on, use the tools of the trade, and follow an expert. Places where our teens have tried out roles include New Zealand Rugby League, Strand Vets, the Maritime Police unit, and Daisy Lab food technologists.
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![Teen in music studio recording a song]()
Trips for individuals
We’re all about taking action at The Hyphen Project. Where a teen is making progress in an area or has a strong curiosity, we like to empower them to take it to the next level. Often this involves a trip for an individual rangatahi. These trips validate their interests and encourage them to take up their space in an adult world - all while learning more about themselves and what they enjoy. Examples include recording a song at Crescendo music studio, attending the New Zealand Game Developers Conference, participating in the Auckland Writers Festival, and going on board the HMNZS Canterbury at the Devonport Naval Base.
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Group trips
Our group trips give teens a chance to build connection through shared experiences. With a small group, freedom from layers of administration, and ready access to many of the best things Auckland city has to offer, we have the privilege at The Hyphen Project of being able do this easily. As well as building our teens’ experience and learning, group outings foster collaborative problem solving, awareness of health and safety, and caring for each other. Group trips have included going behind the scenes at Kiwibank, blacksmithing at Michael Park School, playing pentanqué at the Herne Bay Petanque club, and visiting APRA to get advice on protecting music rights from the experts.
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Whānau kai
Lunch is a key part of our day, giving teens the chance to come together around the table for a shared meal. For many of our teens, this is the first time in years they’ve sat at a table with people outside their family. It’s also a chance to show off or learn cooking skills, wash dishes, and take responsibility for planning and shopping for meals. Many of our teens find all things food related a challenge, so practise in settings outside home is essential. Lunchtime is an invaluable opportunity to build social confidence and skills in a relaxed, supportive setting. Almost always, lunchtimes evolve into a card or board game, brainstorming sessions, or deep philosophical debates!
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Game Dev Group
Our Game Makers group meets on Tuesdays, under the direction of our ‘Hyphen Uncle’ - Alex Coaton. Alex is passionate about all aspects of gaming, and was part of the King team in London that developed Candy Crush. (He also happens to have an engineering and psychotherapy background BTW). Alex supports teens to collaborate in order to design and build their own game, using an inimitable gentle and insightful facilitation style that allows everyone to find a place in the team. Game development offers the opportunity to build coding, problem-solving, storytelling, design, business and project management skills in a highly motivating context and is relevant to many of our teens.
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Games and socials
Games and puzzles are an integral part of our programme. Every teen introduces us to new favourites - whether it be in board, card, or drama format. Our jigsaw puzzle collection continues to grow and there’s always one on the go - it’s a safe activity to turn to when teens aren’t sure what to do, or need a break from their focused work. We regularly convert our dining table into a table tennis table and have other indoor sports equipment on hand, such as indoor bowls and indoor hockey. We often schedule a visit from our Dungeon Master friends at GameChangers League. Playing games and doing puzzles are a welcome break from screen focused tasks - something that is best done with a group.
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Makers group
We are very fortunate to have a master craftsperson as part of our team in the form of Barney Groom. As an experienced carpentry teacher, with the ability to turn his hand to design and build projects of any kind, Barney is a wonderful guide for any teen who wants to make something from scratch. Our makers and builders group session brings together all teens that are working on a creation - costumes, pieces of furniture, sculptures, tools and more. Barney supports our teens to progress projects they are driving, or to introduce them to projects that might appeal to their interests. Projects might start and finish on our site, or they could be done in part or in full in a local makerspace, so more complex tools and machines can be used.
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Study group
Many of our teens are progressing their academic work - through correspondence school Te Kura, Crimson Online Academy, or by pursuing GED US qualifications. Wednesdays are a more quiet, focussed day where our teens who are studying can make leaps ahead in their work. This group is led by the Founder of The Hyphen Project, Holly Gooch, who, with an educational psychology background is passionate about the science of learning. Study group sessions start with everyone tackling tasks they have been procrastinating on - often easier to do with a “body double” to help stay on task. We also provide administrative and advocacy support for our teens and set them up to take up that role for themselves over time. Sessions can also involve content learning and university transition support.
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One-on-one support
The design of our programme enables frequent opportunities for our team members to catch up with our teens one-on-one, both formally and informally. This is where the planning, troubleshooting and creative problem-solving happens. A strong focus too is on exploring strategies, tools, and approaches that suit them best, uncovering how they learn and work most effectively. This self-knowledge empowers teens to tackle tasks with confidence, make decisions about their learning, and take charge of their progress.
Our Team
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Holly has first hand experience of being a brilliant, neurodivergent teen and of parenting them. She gets it. Her mission in life is to create the opportunities for these kinds of learners that she wishes she and her family had had.
As a teacher, she has taught English, Humanities, Drama, Psychology and Theory of Knowledge, been a dean, a learning support coordinator, gifted education programme coordinator, careers advisor and health school teacher. She has qualifications in English and Psychology and a Masters in Educational Psychology. She has also completed a Certificate in Twice-exceptional Education from Bridges Graduate School in Los Angeles. She is working on a PhD about strengths of adults with ADHD.
Holly has become one of New Zealand’s foremost experts on twice-exceptionality. Prior to this, Holly was a playwright, a storyteller, a children’s writer, and a stand-up comedian.
Holly fundamentally believes young people are awesome.
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Barney is passionate about First Principles Thinking in education and has a knack for focusing on the person in front of him and identifying their needs. He has taught in several alternative education contexts and has had transformative effects in his positions there. Barney has talents that include music production, wood work, fishing, bushcraft, diving, entrepreneurship and personal training. He is especially keen on supporting young people to write and produce their own music. Barney values highly the use of practical hands-on work to help support academic and emotional learning.
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Katie joined The Hyphen Project during the pilot phase, soon after completing a Bachelor of Arts majoring in Education and Psychology with a minor in Sociology. With a strong personal interest in neurodiversity, she reached out proactively to be involved and quickly became a vital part of the team, initially supporting social media. Since then, she has contributed across many areas including marketing, enrolments, activity coordination, and fundraising. Her commitment to our kaupapa is personal, and she’s passionate about supporting The Hyphen Project continue to grow.
Our Trustees
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When Izzy heard about The Hyphen Project, she recognised the need for a talented, neurodivergent youth voice. She also saw a chance to turn her own challenging experiences in navigating the mainstream education system into something positive for other young people in the situation she had been in. Izzy joined as a Trustee in 2024. Izzy exemplifies the brilliance of twice-exceptional people. As a teen she represented New Zealand in the International Young Physicist’s Tournament. Since then she has mentored many young and talented physicists and been a judge for the tournament. She holds an Honours degree in Economics and works as an Analyst at Concept Consulting. Izzy is also a media spokesperson for The Hyphen Project, workshop presenter, and youth mentor within the COHORT programme, bringing valuable practical insights to the team.
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Simon joined the board in 2025 as a temporary stop-gap, but his impact was so significant that it quickly became a permanent arrangement. As Holly’s husband, he’s played a key role since the organisation’s inception, offering both strategic insight and significant financial support. As a parent of a twice-exceptional teen, he brings lived experience and a deep understanding of the kaupapa. Professionally, Simon is a long-standing Director at EY, with decades of experience in business strategy, risk, stakeholder engagement and governance. His expertise has helped embed best-practice processes into the organisation. He’s also been instrumental in building our network, opening doors to fundraising and real-world learning opportunities. His creative thinking and sense of humour add value to the board and also reflect how he can relate to the minds of the young people we serve.
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Jay connected with The Hyphen Project as a parent of a gifted child, frustrated by the lack of educational options and eager to support our mahi. She delivered a highly praised branding workshop to rangatahi during the pilot, giving her first-hand experience of our programme. Jay is a Senior Innovation Manager at an international firm, with specialist expertise in brand strategy, product development, marketing, and human-centred design. She thrives in complex problem-solving environments and was excited to contribute to The Hyphen Project, where her interests in innovation and purpose could intersect. Jay now guides our brand and marketing development and continues to contribute directly to the COHORT programme as a mentor and presenter.
Alternatives to full-time
Every teen’s situation is unique. If our full-time programme isn’t quite right, we have other ways to support your teen on their journey.
Our full-time programme (100 days over 6 months) offers the richest experience and the strongest outcomes. Attending most days creates momentum, allowing teens to fully immerse themselves and benefit from continuity and structure.
By participating 5 days a week, teens:
Reduce distraction and fragmentation, and develop consistent routines.
Build lasting social connections with like-minded peers and supportive mentors.
Engage deeply in workshops, one-on-one mentoring, and passion work.
Develop independence, confidence, and real-world skills in a calm, supportive environment.
Experience a circuit-breaker effect that sets them up for what comes next.
While our part-time and flexi options provide meaningful support, full-time attendance maximizes engagement, learning, and growth — making it the most impactful pathway for your teen.
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Part-time option
Our part-time option is designed for teens who want structured support but can’t commit to full-time attendance. This option runs for 50 days (two days a week over 6 months) helping teens build skills, confidence, and independence at a steady pace.
For teens who are new to our programme, we recommend completing the part-time option twice to gain the full benefit of the experience.
Best suited to:
Our graduates who no longer need full-time support, but want to continue connecting with us as they pursue their plans for work or study.
Teens who are working productively and independently at home or in other programmes, but want extra support and mentoring in specific areas (often life or professional skills).
Families who need to spread out payments.
Teens living in outer regions of Auckland where commuting daily isn’t feasible.
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Flexi option
Our flexi option provides access for teens where cost or other circumstances might otherwise be a barrier.
Teens can take a concession approach (a minimum of 20 days with flexibility to scale up or down the number of visits per week), tailored to specific needs. Sessions can also be reoriented into part-time or full-time at any point before the 20 days are used.
Best suited to:
Teens and families travelling from other towns or cities in New Zealand to join us in Auckland.
Families or teens who are hesitant and want the opportunity to try things out first (by negotiation).
Teens in one of our dedicated group sessions (gaming, making, study).
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Coaching
One-on-one coaching with our Founder, Holly Gooch, is available by special arrangement. Sessions are usually one hour per week.
Coaching sessions are focused on a very clear goal. That goal might be to prepare for upcoming exams, get ready for the upcoming start of a new job or tertiary study programme, or complete the practical and administrative steps needed to begin professional freelancing work.
Because coaching does not include full wrap-around support, it is essential that young people in coaching are highly motivated and that their families have the capacity to support them between sessions.
Best suited to:
Teens who already have a clear pathway and want support to set themselves up for success.
Teens who live outside commuting distance of our Auckland site and are clearly twice-exceptional.
Teens slightly younger or older than our usual age range of 16-19 years who are clearly twice-exceptional.
