Submissions for this project are now closed - they may open up at a later date for another round, please check back shortly

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Submit your story for the Aoao eBooks project

This is an opportunity to contribute to our exciting project for the Ministry of Education New Zealand. You will contribute to developing bespoke bilingual eBooks that foster equity and participation of Pacific learners in Years 4-8, aligning with the English and Mathematics and Statistics learning areas of the refreshed New Zealand Curriculum.

These resources will be used in classrooms around the motu. This round of the project is developing dual language ebooks in Vagahau Niue, Te Reo Māori Kuki 'Āirani and English.

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Project Overview – Aoao eBook Series
PKL is seeking five Cook Islands storytellers and five Niue storytellers to develop children’s stories grounded in Pacific culture and informed by STEM knowledge. Selected storytellers will work closely with PKL to develop their stories into curriculum-aligned digital eBooks commissioned by the Ministry of Education.

The eBooks will:

• Align with the refreshed New Zealand Curriculum
• Reflect Pacific frameworks, values, worldviews, and Indigenous epistemologies
• Be grounded in the lived experiences of Pacific learners in Aotearoa
• Be supported by PKL as the intermediary between community storytellers and the Ministry, ensuring alignment with MoE priorities

Story Criteria and Requirements

• Culturally centred: Stories should privilege Cook Islands/Niue customs, traditions, and Indigenous knowledge systems. The moral or lesson should reflect cultural values.
• Genre: All child-appropriate genres are welcome, including (but not limited to) fantasy, myths and legends, historical fiction, poetry, science fiction, or fictionalised real-life experiences.
• Narrative voice: Written from the perspective of a New Zealand child, using an authentic, everyday child’s voice and vernacular.
• Target audience: Primary school Years 4–8 (ages 8–12)
• Word count: Approximately 600–800 words
• Editorial support: PKL will provide editing support throughout all production, review, and quality assurance stages.

Artificial Intelligence and Ethics

As a Pacific Indigenous organisation, PKL does not use AI-generated stories, music, illustrations or animation assets. We prioritise the integrity of traditional storytelling and honour cultural knowledge and guardianship throughout our process. The expectation is that AI is not used to generate story concepts or content. We are seeking stories from lived experience and traditional knowledge sources.

Contracts and Payments

• Storytellers should be open to co-design and collaborative editing.
• For this project, intellectual property ownership will sit with the Ministry of Education. Authors, community contributors, and artists will be fully acknowledged, with PKL as the publisher.
• Authors, translators, and narrators will be contracted and paid for their contributions, with payment schedules outlined in individual contracts.
• PKL will host a project briefing session to clearly explain contracts, timelines, and invoicing. We regularly support community collaborators who may be engaging in this type of work for the first time.
• Participants will need the capacity to meet regularly and respond to emails to support timely delivery of project milestones.

Timeframe for submissions

The deadline for submission is 5pm Saturday 7 February 2026 (NZ Standard Time). However, submissions will be reviewed as they are received so we encourage you to submit as early as you can - a well developed draft is acceptable as there will be further opportunities to refine the script if selected.