ENGAGE™ in the Media
August 2025
ENGAGE Hui in Ōtepoti
Over 80 people came together in Ōtepoti for the ENGAGE Hui to celebrate the exciting next chapter of the Kia Takatū ki te Tākaro kaupapa. From a new te reo Māori name and ENGAGE cards to a framework grounded in Te Tiriti o Waitangi, the hui showcased how play, relationships and learning come together to support tamariki, whānau and communities.
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August 2025
Honouring a Milestone: Professor Dione Healey’s IPL
ENGAGE founder Professor Dione Healey delivered her Inaugural Professorial Lecture (IPL) at the University of Otago, sharing her journey from early research to professorial leadership. Her appointment honours outstanding achievement in research, teaching and service, recognised through a rigorous selection process.
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December 2024
Help children, help the world | He Kitenga University of Otago research highlights
Professor Dione Healey’s transformative approach to early childhood education: while conversations around youth crime often focus on policing & punishment, Dione is championing a path that nurtures self-regulation & resilience in young minds.
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10 December 2024
Otago announces 33 new professors
The University has announced its new Professors: Congratulations to ENGAGE’s founder and developer, who is now Professor Dione Healey! She has been recognised for her “real world” achievements and hard work, particularly in changing children’s developmental trajectories with her work on ENGAGE.
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2 October 2024
How to stop a tantrum before it starts
ENGAGE – a series of games and activities designed to help kids self-regulate – is rolling out across the nation’s early learning services, to be in more than 2,000 centres by June 2027.
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June 2024
MiNDFOOD Magazine
In the article, Dione shares how her experiences as a clinical psychologist conducting ADHD assessments revealed a significant gap in support for parents. Driven by their question, “What can I do to help?” she focused her PhD research on ADHD and early intervention. That’s how ENGAGE was born”
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