The Empowered Learning Trust is run by a group of volunteers with a passion for people, the community and for education. We give our time freely with the aim of removing barriers to learning, so young people can realise their true potential early in life, and go on to make a positive contribution in our community.
Our Board
Kim Shearer
Board Chairperson
Dip Occupational Therapy, Business Owner. Kim and her husband Grahame are dairy farmers in the Reporoa area. They have two teenage sons, and Kim is a keenly supportive mother. Kim is a qualified Occupational Therapist, and then was managing the Reporoa Community Health Service which operates in the wider Reporoa area. Since resigning from this post after ten years of service in this position, Kim has trained to become an Irlen Screener and has been screening for the Empowered Learning Trust programs for seven years.
email: kim@empoweredlearningtrust.co.nz
Kathy Cane
NZ Registered Nurse, Business owner. Kathy and her husband Malcolm run a deer farm in Reporoa, including production of their own dietary supplement Canes Deer Velvet, which is sold online. They have 3 adult children. Kathy is a Registered nurse who has a passion for understanding how the human body functions, and is currently studying bioenergetics. Her vision is that the Empowered Learning Trust will make a difference for those challenged with learning difficulties so that they may follow a more positive path in life, than they may otherwise have.
Karen Barker
Board Treasurer
Dip Pharmacy, Registered Pharmacist; Advanced Dip Art & Design, Business Owner. Karen is a Registered Pharmacist (who no longer practices), with qualifications in design, communication and management. She assists her husband Ross in the running of their business. They have four adult children, some of whom live with Dyslexia and Irlen Syndrome. Her personal experiences with these learning difficulties as her children grew up encouraged help set up the Trust. Karen was selected as a finalist for the Women of Influence Awards 2019 Diversity category, and was a Kiwibank Local Hero Award for Rotorua in 2019.
email:empoweredlearning@xtra.co.nz
Hayley Hathaway
Board Secretary
NZ Diploma in Business, NZIM Diploma in Management, Diploma in Marketing, Diploma in Human Resources . Hayley and her husband Robert are dairy farmers in Reporoa. She has three young children. Hayley is passionate about identifying and supporting special learning abilities after the diagnosis of her children with Dyslexia, Irlen Syndrome and APD. She believes in equitable access to support and wants each child to feel happy and confident at school. She is keen to raise awareness both school and community-wide of these common learning abilities that present challenges to so many. Hayley is excited about contributing to the incredible work Empowered Learning Trust has achieved so far.
Keren Leslie
Board member
Keren and her husband operate a diary farming business in Reporoa and have three children. Keren is a passionate Irlen screener and advocate for helping young people with learning differences.
Renee Halliday
Board member
Renee and her husband have recently moved to this area from Canterbury. They have four children and know first-hand how different every child’s learning needs vary. She is a self-confessed people person with a passion for helping the community. She first heard about the Empowered Learning Trust when her son was diagnosed with Irlen Syndrome and later Dyslexia. She is determined to give back to the charity and be a part of helping more children gain confidence with their learning.
Our Staff
Hayley Hathaway
Funding Manager
email: manager@empoweredlearnkngtrust.co.nz
Keren Leslie
Screening Manager
email: keren@empoweredlearningtrust.co.nz
Andrea Muggeridge
Community Screener
email: andrea@empoweredlearningtrust.co.nz