Atamai - To smile. The Apia Hub named the project Atamai because they wanted to create a platform to share uplifting career journeys, professional advice, and personal lessons from outstanding youth and community leaders in Samoa.

Students in Samoa need to access an online platform that offers free and accessible career planning resources and academic mentorship to access alternative career pathways in Samoa and abroad. The end goal is to inspire the next generation to pursue careers that fill them with joy and purpose as well as provide small island communities with more economic opportunities

The proposed solution is to create an online platform that targets:

• Direct: Students, Teachers, Principals 


• Indirect: Parents, Guardians


• Key decision-makers: Principals, Board of Directors, MESC

The Apia Hub is working alongside the Queensland University of Technology (QUT) Faculty of Creative Industries have secured three (3) years’ worth of funding ($171, 000 AUD) through the Government of Australia Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) mobility program called the New Colombo Plan (NCP). However, due to short notice government funding cuts, QUT is only being funded one (1) year thus affects the project longevity and future developments. Once funding for year two (2) and year (3) is secured, the Apia Hub will be able to reach out within their networks - schools, friends, relatives, colleagues and other groups on the service available. This brings a combination of offline and online engagement for users to enable new knowledge, skills, expertise, workshops, industry advice, student support and academic support, and resources to be distributed.

By the end of three (3) years, the hub hopes to accomplish the following:

• reach 2 Universities in Samoa 


• reach 8000+ students 


• reach 15+ high schools 


• reach 10% Global Shapers target 

This project aligns with SDG 4, 8 & 10

Key project contact: Global Shapers - Apia Hub, Founding Curator, Olisana Mariner 

Key collaborator: QUT Faculty of Creative Industries, Education and Social Justice Researcher, Dr Ruari Elkington