Sarah Jane Grant

Background

About Sarah Jane Grant

With over 29 years of experience in leading international education programs and community initiatives, I have collaborated with a diverse array of local governments, academic institutions, non-profits, and charitable organizations across New Zealand, Russia, the UK, China, the USA, South Korea, Bahrain, the Dominican Republic, Indonesia, Morocco, Tanzania, Kenya, Zimbabwe, and France. In my current role as Senior Community Programme Specialist at Fire and Emergency New Zealand, I lead and support nationwide community programmes, including the Ahikura Whānau-Centered Fire Education Program. This initiative adopts a co-designed, culturally responsive approach to address youth fire-setting behaviour, achieving a 90% success rate in ending such behaviour. Fire and Emergency New Zealand Additionally, as International Programme Manager with Darwin Animal Doctors, I create participatory programmes like the Guardians of the Forest Community Outreach Development initiative. These programmes employ diverse participatory approaches to work collaboratively with schools, communities, and businesses, fostering resilience. Following the success of our pilot in Sumatra, these initiatives have expanded to four countries, impacting marginalized communities in both rural and urban areas. In 2020, I had the privilege of presenting on resilient communities at the UN Environment 4th Africa Animal Welfare Conference. I am passionate about advocating for community interests, providing innovative platforms for voices to be heard, and empowering individuals to become change-makers for a better future. My expertise includes developing high-profile programmes, events, and activities within the international community development and education sectors. I excel at improving, monitoring, and evaluating organizational systems and business processes while engaging and motivating teams to achieve outstanding results that meet the needs of the communities we serve.