Alva Simon-Kapa was born in Dunedin and was educated at Tomahawk and Mornington Primary Schools and Kaikorai Valley High School. She attended Dunedin College of Education and the University of Otago, graduating with a Trained Teacher’s Certificate and a Higher and Advanced Diploma of Teaching. Alva worked as an adviser for Māori teachers in Otago/Southland and as Visiting Lecturer at the Southland Campus of Dunedin College of Education Te Kura Akau Taitoka, Invercargill. She was a member of the Nga Puna Waihanga National Council. Alva wrote short stories and non-fiction articles.
Biographical sources
- Correspondence with Alva Simon-Kapa, 22 Feb. 1993.
Non-fiction
- "Te Atakura Comes To Southland." PPTA Journal 1 (1990): 18.
Papers/Presentations
- "Māori Educational Needs in Arai-Te-Uru and Murihiku." NZ Association of Research in Education and New Zealand Council for Educational Research (NZCER). Wellington, N.Z. 1991.
- "Student Practician as Participant Driven Empowering Research." Australian Association of Research in Education/NZ Association of Research in Education Joint Conf. Deakin University. Geelong, Australia, 1992.
Other
- "Pouwhakataki Dies." New Zealand Education Gazette 80.20 (Nov. 2001): 11.
- Russell, Khyla, Mei Simon-Maghanoy and Janine Kapa Brooking. "Poroporoaki." Te Karaka: The Ngai Tahu Magazine 19 (Aut. 2002): 1.
- "Respected Educator Tireless And Tenacious." Otago Daily Times 1 Dec. 2001: 23.
- Tansley, Rebecca. "Local Heroes: Dunedin." North and South 168 (Mar. 2000): 88-92.