Defence Force programme inspires Tasman school’s STEM success

The Year 6 students from Lower Moutere School, near Motueka, have earned a spot in the upcoming National Science Technology Engineering Maths (STEM) competition, after winning the primary school division of their regional STEM contest.

Their journey started in January this year, when teacher Tamsin Clark attended the School to Seas/School to Skies camp, run by the Royal New Zealand Air Force (RNZAF) and Royal New Zealand Navy (RNZN).

The programmes are for Years 12 and 13 female students interested in STEM pathways in the RNZN or RNZAF. 

The complementary teachers’ camp, for teachers of Year 5-13 students, is designed to showcase STEM real-world concepts within the NZDF and inspire teachers to promote STEM at their schools. 

Ms Clark, who was in the RNZAF in 1993, said she was inspired when she saw the “awesome” School to Skies wāhine course.

“Then this programme for teachers popped up. I thought, all teachers should be doing this.” 

The camp was a “wow” experience, she said. 

“I thought, we can do something with this. What really grabbed me was how fast technology had changed, and how many options there were for young people.” 

She returned to her school ready to make a difference. The school was soon competing in the Robocup Junior New Zealand nationals, a robotics competition, and were involved in EVolocity projects, where students design electric karts or bikes.

For EVolocity, the students spent the school year planning, designing and building their vehicles and then raced them against schools in Tasman, Nelson and Marlborough. 

This month the school’s Year 6 STEM team won the primary school division of the Regional Aquabotic Competition at Richmond Aquatic Centre. 

That win has qualified the school for the Nationals in Wellington on November 30. If they make the top three there, they will be entitled to attend an international event.

One of the Year 6 students, Sofia, competed in the Robocup competition.

“We had to make our robot perform for two minutes. It was very hard to do but it was a really good experience. I feel good and proud of myself.”

Gracie was part of an all-girl engineering team for the EVolocity project, where they built an electric bike which had to weave through cones and brake properly. 

“I had never done anything like this before. I definitely want to be an engineer in the Air Force, because I’m really interested in planes and the engineering in them and how they work.”

Ms Clark said one big thing she took away from the School to Seas/Skies camp was being told that if children haven’t experienced engineering or robotics by Year 7 or 8, “students are unlikely to choose those topics at high school or choose careers in the engineering fields”. 

“You need someone at the school that pushes students into unfamiliar learning areas. That’s our job, our role as teachers,” she said. 

“From these programmes we now have students showing a real passion for engineering and robotics.”