Pathways and Opportunities

Young people get involved with Kaitaiki o Ara/SADD for all sorts of reasons. For some it is because they are passionate about road safety. Others are mostly interested in a leadership opportunity, and some simply come to their first workshop for the food. For everyone it all starts somewhere- a little seed of inspiration, curiosity or opportunity.

What we strive to raise awareness of is not what or why people start with us, but what they gain from taking that step. There are so many pathways that can come from getting involved with SADD, as well as networks, experiences, skills and awards to be gained. On this page we have shared just some of the outcomes we have seen students achieve through their involvement with SADD and some key info to help you make the most of your experiences too.

SADD belongs on your CV

Have you considered including SADD on your CV?

SADD is a well recognised and reputable organisation that has been around for almost 40 years. The experience and skills you can gain through our programme can be incredibly useful to many jobs and opportunities so including them on your CV is a no-brainer.

Here are some examples of common skills and activities that we know are sought after by employers and some examples of how to write these into your CV.

Add your SADD experience to your CV

Brainstorm your skills. You could do this by jotting down all of the activities you did with SADD and the skills that you learned or developed through these activities. We have created a handy reference sheet with loads of common examples to help you choose which ones to include for yourself.

Create a section for SADD on your CV. This could come under ‘voluntary roles’ or under a section on personal skills (or both!)

Here are some examples of how you can present SADD experience on your CV

What careers could your SADD skills and experience lead to?

  • Teaching and Coaching

    • Planning activities

    • Relating content to your audience

    • Empowering others

    • Inspiring behaviour change

    • Creating resources that highlight information

  • Project and Event Management

    • Planning and executing activities

    • Coordinating people and resources

    • Time management

    • Consulting with subject matter experts

    • Evaluating activities and results

  • Design and Marketing

    • Designing and producing promotional material for your SADD activities

    • Audience engagement - planning how to attract your target audience

    • Using design tools and different media to raise awareness and drive engagement

  • Emergency Services and Youth Work

    • Exposure to road safety and youth work professions

    • Develop an understanding and appreciation for the sector

    • Work alongside emergency service and youth work professionals with your SADD activities and at events like conferences and workshops

  • Communications and Content Creation

    • Contribute to media releases for your SADD activities

    • Engage with communications professionals

    • Plan, design and deliver content that highlights your SADD activities

    • Create social media campaigns, videos, reels

  • Engineering and Town planning

    • Experience and understanding of road safety and how people use the roads

    • Explore speed limits, roading features and their intersect with human behaviour

    • Network with professionals in the roading sector

“I’m currently studying Environmental Engineering at the University of Waikato. While my degree doesn’t directly relate to building roads, my involvement in SADD has given me a much deeper understanding of the human side of infrastructure. It’s helped me realise how important it is to consider young people in road design and community planning – and how obvious it is when we don’t.

When applying for internships and jobs, I often draw on my SADD experience. From being on the board to speaking at conferences, I’ve gained transferable skills that help me stand out. My involvement shows I’m not just technically capable – I also bring leadership, initiative, and an understanding of community needs, especially from a youth perspective.”

-Tayla Hill, former SADD National Leader and Youth Representative on the Board of Trustees.

Aligning opportunities and awards

Getting involved with SADD can also help you tick off achievements in other programmes too! The key skills and experiences that you can gain through your projects and activities align well with youth awards and recognition programmes such as the internationally recognised Duke of Edinburgh’s Hillary Award. We have worked with the Duke of Edinburgh’s Hillary Award team to find where we align and help raise awareness of the overlap in our programmes that can benefit you!


For more information contact your local SADD Programme Delivery Lead or The Duke of Edinburgh’s Hillary Award National Office info@dofehillary.org.nz

Sophie Preston, Kristin School

Duke of Edinburgh’s Hillary Award - How you can use SADD activities for your award Sections:

  • The focus of this section is on giving back and helping other people through your activities

    • Supporting or leading your school’s SADD group

    • Planning or supporting SADD campaigns

    • Participating in SADD activities

    • Participating in and supporting community partner road safety projects and campaigns

  • The focus is on your personal development in this area.

    • Learning and developing skills through the SADD programme e.g. public speaking, leadership, campaign development

    • Attend at least two SADD NLP events and/or conferences within a 12 month period totalling 5 days and 4 nights

Sophie’s SADD Journey and the Duke of Edinburgh Award

My journey with SADD began three years ago when a sticker in my school caught my eye. Inspired by the cause, I joined and quickly discovered a passion for making a positive impact while developing valuable leadership skills. I soon became chairperson of my school’s SADD group, and now I am one of the national leaders for 2024/25.

As I was already actively involved with SADD, I chose to use it for the service section of my Duke of Edinburgh Award. I’ve used SADD to meet the requirements for both my Silver and Gold Award, and it couldn’t have been easier. Each week, I log hours from our school meetings as well as any extra projects I take on outside the classroom.

Where I found SADD most helpful was in completing my Gold Residential Project. Attending the SADD Conference and the NLP Hui gave me the opportunity to meet this requirement in a way that was both meaningful and enjoyable, making the whole process simple.

Some of my favourite memories have come from the conferences and two NLP Huis. Not only were they incredible experiences, but they also gave me the chance to build lasting friendships. Through SADD, I’ve learned how fulfilling it is to help others, and I know this is something I want to carry forward into my future career.

If you’re thinking about using SADD for your Duke of Edinburgh Award, my best advice is to explore the SADD website. There are so many ways to get involved and make your Award experience both meaningful and memorable.

“In high school, I completed a Duke of Edinburgh (DOE) Silver Award. Part of the requirement to achieve this award was to complete a “Voluntary Service”- aimed towards encouraging DOE participants to give back to their communities. For my voluntary service, I used my experience with Kaitiaki o Ara/Students Against Dangerous Driving (SADD) within my school community. This was enabled by me informing my Award Coordinator within my school about my participation in Kaitiaki o Ara/SADD, so they could approve this activity as a form of voluntary service. This allowed me to gain DOE credit for work that I was already doing within my school community, which helped me work towards achieving my DOE award - a win-win! ”
— Ben Bonne, SADD National Leader, 2019 - 2020