Yamada O'Regan Secondary School Scholarships

The Yamada O'Regan Secondary School Scholarship supports Ngāi Tahu students who show leadership and resilience and are at risk of not completing their school year or qualification without additional support. It is designed to reduce barriers, strengthen educational outcomes, and enable rangatahi to continue their leadership journey within their whānau, hapū, and communities. Named after Masashi Yamada and Tā Tipene O'Regan, these scholarships represent cross-cultural friendship and profound generosity. In the 1990s, Masashi Yamada, a successful Japanese businessman and philanthropist, provided a multimillion-dollar loan that enabled Ngāi Tahu to continue with Te Kerēme (their Treaty claim). Post-settlement, Yamada gifted a substantial fund to establish the Ngāi Tahu Mātauranga Trust in 2001 to provide and promote educational opportunities for Ngāi Tahu whānui. Applicants must be registered with Ngāi Tahu Whakapapa and enrolled in a secondary school (Years 10-13). They must be experiencing ongoing challenges creating real risk to their ability to complete the school year, demonstrate active involvement in whānau, hapū, or iwi-related activities, and demonstrate leadership qualities through their actions within their school, whānau, or community.