Conference is the most exciting event of the year and easily the coolest thing you will do during the term one holidays.
These three-day events bring together hundreds of passionate teens from around the country who are committed to changing attitudes and behaviours and making our roads safer. 2025 is our 40th birthday so it is your chance to share in those celebrations and become part of the long-standing legacy of young change-makers! Come along, meet likeminded people, and have loads of fun - all while gaining some incredible skills that will help boost your future. Register now!
Registrations are open now! Click on the events below to register.
Please see our terms and conditions or contact our team if you have any issues with your registration.
Here’s what you can expect if you register for Conference:
LEARN everything you need to know about the Kaitiaki o Ara/SADD programme, how to run it effectively in your school and community, while you have FUN in an engaging 3 day event;
But you don’t just hear about it – you PUT IT INTO PRACTICE with interactive sessions and cool team activities
DEVELOP some of those skills and attributes that set you apart – leadership, creativity, entrepreneurship, communication, and teamwork, to name a few.
Get your hands on a a range of valuable TOOLS, RESOURCES and INFORMATION that you can take back to school to ensure your SADD activity is meaningful and effective
MEET COOL PEOPLE from across the North or South Island, get the chance to work together, socialise together, and make friendships to last;
Take your OPPORTUNITIES TO SHINE in a variety of action based learning opportunities;
And bring it all together by participating in a TEAM CHALLENGE where you will get to INNOVATE on a key initiative for SADD nationally, and empower future young leaders just like you to THRIVE.
The serious stuff:
Kaitiaki o Ara/SADD is about empowering young Kiwis to work together to drive the positive change our roads need. Through peer education and community engagement, our members:
Promote positive decision-making and strategies to handle peer pressure,
Encourage attitudes and behaviors that prioritize road safety, and
Inspire others to make safer choices behind the wheel.
The SADD programme, along with the tireless efforts of our student members, is a critical intervention making a meaningful difference in our communities. Our members are influencers, leaders, and change-makers. This year’s conference season is dedicated to celebrating the incredible progress made so far while equipping future members with the tools, knowledge, skills, and confidence to continue the mission.
REGISTER TODAY to join this impactful student-led movement. Play your part in making our roads safer, grow personally, and gain valuable skills and experiences that will benefit you for life.
Follow the below links to get more information!
2024 Conference
Conference season 2024 was hugely successful with 3 events held in Dunedin, Wellington and Auckland. We saw some amazing outcomes from these events with students from across Aotearoa all bringing their A-game and contributing to the events with their creativity, innovation, teamwork and passion for road safety.
At each event, students were split into groups of 5-7 and tasked with designing a brand new digital resource to support SADD students all across Aotearoa to engage with a range of road safety issues. We saw some incredible ideas and results come out of this challenge and now have a range of new videos, social media campaigns and SADD activities, many of which have been shared on our website and social media pages this year.
2023 Conference
After a break in 2022 due to the pandemic, we were excited to bring back our highly anticipated conference season. Over the April school holidays we had over 130 students join us at 3 events held in Christchurch, Wellington and Auckland. These students participated in a range of activities which gave them experience in teamwork, leadership skills, and designing road safety solutions.
Students were split into groups of 4-6 and were tasked with choosing a road safety issue and then planning, developing and presenting a solution to address their chosen issue. We saw some incredible ideas, plans and resources come out of this challenge.
Resources created included informative videos, merchandise items, info pamphlets, social media content, activity plans and slideshows. These addressed a wide range of issues including fatigue, seat belts, driver licensing, peer pressure, driving around trucks and pedestrian safety.