Anita Homewood
Anita has been a part of the New Zealand Infant and Toddler Consortium since its inception in 2011. Passionate about providing our youngest learners with the best start to life and learning, Anita has worked in, and led, teams in developing programmes designed specifically for infants and toddlers. Anita has been inspired by the work of Magda Gerber and Dr Emmi Pikler, being on the RIE® Professional Development Pathway, currently completing an internship, as well as having completed a number of Pikler modules. Anita continues to share her passion with children, whānau and kaiako, working in centre as a kaiako herself, and as a Professional Learning Facilitator with Education Leadership Project (ELP). |
Malenka Robinson
Malenka has been on the committee of NZITC in the Treasurers role since 2014. Malenka completed RIE® Foundations: Theory and Observation™ Course in 2011. She holds a Bachelor of Education (Teaching) from the University of Auckland. Malenka has experience applying Magda's work in centres as well as alongside parents in home settings. Currently she is focused on being a Mother and a Homemaker, embedding the Appraoch in all aspects of her life and providing a platform for developing a deeper understanding of the approach. Malenka believes in the critical role of strong relationships in being with tamariki and whanau. |
Ania Wojcikowski
Ania is a RIE® Associate. Ania joined the NZITC committee in 2012 and currently her role is IT Manager. Ania has attended the summer course at the Pikler institute in 2009 and began her RIE® pathway with the Foundations: Theory and Observation™ course in 2010. Ania has many of years of experience working alongside infants, toddlers, young children and their families. Ania is learning te reo Māori and enjoying working part time with the children, teachers and whānau at Te Puna Reo o Ritimana. Ania is also passionate about sharing this work with other adults. |
Helen Lye
Helen joined us on the NZITC committee in 2016 as Marketing Coordinator. Magda Gerber and Emmi Pikler have been influencing Helen’s life since her studies in 2007. Since then, she has attended the Summer Course at the Pikler Institute in Budapest in 2009. She then completed the RIE® Foundations: Theory and Observation™ Course in 2016. Helen is passionate about creating strong, authentic relationships with children, families and teams. She is currently focussing on supporting teams with their learning journeys |
Ayu has been a dedicated member of the NZITC since 2017 and is honoured to join and serve as the Secretary for the 2025 committee. As an educarer and leader, her professional practice is deeply rooted in the RIE® Educaring® and Pikler® approaches. Ayu is driven by a profound passion for fostering authentic competence in mokopuna, ensuring her work remains firmly grounded in Educaring pedagogy and visual arts. Her personal mission extends beyond the care of children; she strives to walk alongside whānau in a spirit of partnership. Ayu is the heart and hands behind Ruma IU Homebased Educare.
