Empowering Teachers with Kura Kete: A Digital Resource Hub
Creating a Library of Engaging and Relevant Learning Experiences for Teachers
Greater Wellington Regional Council (GWRC) sought to revitalise its School Travel Programme with Kura Kete, an interactive online toolkit designed to provide teachers with accessible, curated resources for integrating transport learning into classrooms.
To bring this vision to life, GWRC partnered with Somar Digital to develop a user-friendly, visually engaging, and highly functional website that enhances resource discovery and encourages active transport education.
Understanding Teacher Needs: A Website Designed by Educators for Educators
The primary audience for Kura Kete includes primary school teachers, school leadership teams, and relievers in the Wellington region. Secondary audiences extend to educators in other regions, Enviroschools facilitators, teacher aides, and road safety coordinators.
Based on insights from GWRC’s teacher consultations across the Wellington region, we built a site focused on seamless navigation, powerful search, and classroom-ready content that’s easy to access and use.
A Tailored Resource Library
To address these needs, Somar Digital developed a robust Resource Library, allowing teachers to filter resources by Curriculum Level, Year Level, Class Time, and Learning Area. The library ensures that teachers can quickly locate relevant materials, reducing time spent searching and increasing time spent teaching.
Curated Learning Themes
Recognising that structured themes help educators plan more effectively, the website organises content into thematic categories that align with different areas of learning. These themes can be used year-round, ensuring that active transport education remains relevant beyond initiatives like Movin’ March.
Project Delivery
Somar Digital implemented an Agile development approach, ensuring continuous collaboration with GWRC, which included:
- UX Discovery & Definition: Defining user requirements before development.
- Design & Development in Sprints: Two-week development cycles allowed for prioritisation of the most impactful features.
- Integrated Project Management: Weekly reporting ensured transparency, tracking project progress, risks, and deliverables.
- SEO Integration: Technical SEO considerations were embedded from the start, ensuring optimal crawlability and visibility in search engines.
Outcomes: A Teacher-Centric Resource Hub
Silverstripe CMS for Flexibility and Growth
Silverstripe CMS was implemented to provide GWRC with a flexible content management system, allowing them to manage existing resources efficiently and add new materials as the programme evolves.
Powerful Search & Filtering Capabilities
Teachers can now quickly find what they need through an advanced search function with keyword recognition and faceted navigation. This streamlined access to educational resources helps educators integrate transport education more effectively into their lesson plans.
User-Friendly and Accessible Design
Accessibility was a core priority, ensuring the site complies with government web content accessibility guidelines. The final product is fully responsive, featuring a clear and intuitive layout that enhances usability for all users.