ABSTRACT
The devastating earthquakes of 2010–2012 shook the Canterbury region of New Zealand to its core, creating community trauma with profound disruption to wellbeing and education. However, the years of uncertainty and rebuild provided the impetus for transformational change across the region’s education sector at a systems level. Among multiple initiatives in the subsequent decade were the creation and implementation of new city-wide collaborations designed to build wellbeing and resilience. This case study reviews the rationale and key characteristics of three initiatives and reflects on the ways they supported the sector’s response during New Zealand’s COVID-19 national lockdown. We argue that the traumatic experiences precipitated a radical regional shift towards collective action and augmented appreciation of the importance of wellbeing and resilience for education. Further, the Canterbury case study demonstrates the potentially positive impact trauma and disruption can have for promoting wellbeing and resilience in education.
