Legends of Tane and Rona used to inspire Māori teenagers to take up STEM subjects

Sunday, 27 October 2019

Around 140 secondary school students attended the event to help them explore science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM).

Myths and legends have been told for centuries to remember Māori history but for a group of Christchurch teenagers they have been used to bring science to life.

About 140 secondary school students attended Āmua Ao Engineering Young Māori Minds at Ara Institute of Canterbury last week to help them explore science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM).

Students from six schools attended Ara Institute of Canterbury.

The year 9 and 10 students were given six different STEM challenges to solve, each based on a different myth.

One of the tasks saw students put their minds together to create drones. It was a challenge based on the legend of Tane ascending to the skies to retrieve the three baskets of knowledge.

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Another project involved creating a hydraulic claw that could grab Rona, who legend says was carried to the skies after she offended Mārama (the Moon).

The sessions were run by Massey University's Pūhoro STEM Academy, with students coming from Avonside Girls High School, Cashmere High School, Hagley College, Linwood College, Shirley Boys' High School, Te Kura Kaupapa Māori o Te Whānau Tahi and Te Pā o Rākaihautū School.

Kaihautū team leader for Pūhoro STEM Academy, Leland Ruwhiu, said the aim of the event was to give Māori students an opportunity to see science in a different way.

'We hope by having their narratives in front of them and connecting problem solving, science and technology they will see themselves comfortable in this space and that happiness and enjoyment here will translate into them continuing with STEM in their academic journeys throughout high school.'

Pūhoro Academy was launched in 2016 to counter the low engagement of Māori students in STEM-related careers.

The programme provides wrap-around support for Māori students in years 11 to 13 to encourage their excitement, involvement and achievement in STEM subjects.

The director of the academy, Naomi Manu, said the programme was 'a long-term pipeline' from secondary school, through tertiary and into employment.

'The advantage of partnering with a tertiary institution, such as Ara, is that over the three years students are in the programme we're able to address some of those transition barriers from secondary to tertiary.'