EMPOWER: Everest's youth fitness and movement confidence programme for children across Canterbury.
EMPOWER is Everest Group's youth development programme, designed to help children build physical confidence, emotional awareness and positive lifelong habits through structured movement and health education.
Big skills, built one session at a time
EMPOWER teaches children important life skills through the lens of movement, health and wellbeing. Each session combines guided physical activity with age-appropriate learning to help children better understand their bodies, their minds and how to take care of both.
Move well
Physical literacy, coordination, strength foundations and safe movement habits.
Feel strong
Confidence, emotional awareness, self-belief and resilience through challenge.
Thrive together
Teamwork, communication, leadership and positive social connection.
Building healthy habits before problems begin.
Many children are growing up with less movement, more screen time and increasing pressure on their physical and emotional wellbeing. EMPOWER supports children early by giving them the tools, confidence and habits to engage with movement positively for life.
Exercise should not only be used after a problem appears. EMPOWER supports a preventative approach by helping children develop capability, confidence and wellbeing habits early.
Twelve things every kid should know
Practical, age-appropriate learning woven through every session.
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Movement confidence
Having a go, and backing yourself while you do it.
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Safe movement habits
How to move well so your body stays happy.
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Balance & coordination
Control, agility and staying steady on your feet.
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Strength foundations
Getting stronger with your own body weight first.
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Emotional awareness
Naming how you feel, and knowing that is normal.
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Breathing & calming down
Simple ways to settle yourself when things feel big.
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Food that fuels you
What food does for your body, energy and mood.
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Hydration
Why water matters more than kids expect.
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Body confidence
Respecting what your body can do, not how it looks.
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Looking after yourself
Warming up, resting and speaking up when something hurts.
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Teamwork
Including everyone and cheering each other on.
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Communication
Listening, asking questions and speaking up.
What kids walk away with
What we help children build through structured, supported delivery.
Physical confidence
Children build movement skills, coordination, balance and confidence participating in physical activity.
Wellbeing awareness
Children learn how movement, hydration, nutrition, breathing and recovery support how they feel and function.
Social development
Children practise teamwork, communication, encouragement, leadership and respect for others.
Lifelong habits
Children begin building positive associations with exercise, health and personal responsibility.
Five parts to every single session
EMPOWER sessions are structured, age-appropriate and designed to work in schools, after-school care environments, community programmes and sports settings.
Welcome & focus
A settling, focus-building activity to start each session positively.
Movement skill block
Guided physical literacy and safe movement skill development.
Strength or game
A strength, coordination or game-based challenge to build capability.
Wellbeing learning
An age-appropriate health or wellbeing learning point for the day.
Reflection & close
A reflective, confidence-building close to finish each session.
Launching in partnership with Busy Bumbles
Busy Bumbles is a before and after-school care provider with 20 locations across the South Island, looking after tamariki beyond the school day with a focus on play, connection and genuine care.
EMPOWER is proud to launch its pilot programme in partnership with Busy Bumbles. They have shown real leadership in supporting children beyond traditional after-school care, which is what makes theirs the right environment to test EMPOWER with real children, families and staff.
Want to learn more about our incredible partners? Visit the Busy Bumbles website
Two organisations. One mission: helping every child thrive.
Launching with measurable community impact
Running Wednesday afternoons from 21 October to 25 November 2026, the pilot works with 75 children across a 6-week delivery block. The data collected will help shape future EMPOWER delivery across schools, after-school care providers and community settings.
Measured outcomes: attendance, engagement, movement confidence, wellbeing knowledge, parent feedback, staff feedback and delivery quality.
This pilot is designed to test EMPOWER in a real-world after-school environment and gather the outcome data required to refine the programme before future expansion into schools and wider community settings.
A programme designed for measurable impact
EMPOWER is not designed as a one-off activity. It is being developed as a measurable youth development programme. During pilot delivery, we aim to track:
- Attendance
- Participation
- Completion rates
- Child enjoyment
- Movement confidence
- Physical literacy
- Health and wellbeing knowledge
- Parent feedback
- Staff feedback
- Safety and delivery quality
Built for children, families and community partners
Parents & caregivers
For families who want their child to build confidence, healthy habits and a positive relationship with movement.
Schools
For schools wanting structured support around physical literacy, wellbeing and preventative health.
Community providers
For after-school care, sports clubs and youth organisations wanting a scalable, meaningful programme for children.
Part of a bigger preventative health vision.
EMPOWER sits within Everest Group's long-term vision to position structured exercise as a preventative tool for physical and mental wellbeing. Our aim is to build programmes trusted by families, schools, GPs, community organisations and government departments. EMPOWER is the youth foundation of that vision.
Are you ready to be EMPOWERED?
Move better. Feel stronger. Back yourself. It starts with one session.
Let's goRegister your interest in EMPOWER
Whether you're a parent, school, after-school care provider, sports club or community organisation, tell us how you'd like to connect with EMPOWER and we'll be in touch.