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Connecting Science Educators

View from Pāpāmoa Hills Regional Park

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Students presenting projects at Te Tūkohu Ngāwhā Mātauranga Māori Science and Design Fair 2025 at the Rotorua Energy Events Centre.

Te Tūkohu Ngāwhā 2026 | Mātauranga Māori Science and Design Fair – Dates Confirmed, Registrations Open

Te Tūkohu Ngāwhā Mātauranga Māori Science and Design Fair 2026 will return to the Rotorua Energy Events Centre from 26–28 August (Term 3, Week 6). Registrations for kura and schools are now open.

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NATIONAL PĀNUI

Rows of horticultural crops growing on trellises in a New Zealand vineyard, representing agricultural and horticultural science contexts

HATA: Agricultural and Horticultural Science in the Draft Science Curriculum

Laptop displaying updated NCEA Achievement Standards and assessment materials on the New Zealand Curriculum website, highlighting curriculum and assessment changes for 2026

Reviewed Achievement Standards and assessment materials published for 2026

New Secondary Science Teaching Resources for the New Zealand Curriculum

A bee pollinating a Manuka flower at Pāpāmoa Hills Regional Park, captured by Lian Soh in 2025.

NZAEE Webinar: Sustainability Education in Secondary Schools

Otago Polytechnic | New Zealand Certificate in Horticulture (Level 3)

Laptop screen displaying the Pūtaiao draft curriculum within Te Marautanga o Aotearoa, showing the official release of the refreshed science learning area for consultation.

Pūtaiao | Draft Te Marautanga o Aotearoa released for consultation

Climate Ambassador Programme 2026

TENZ Wednesday Webinar graphic for “STEAM Learning in Nature” with presenter Kimberley Sullings, 28 January, 4–5pm.

TENZ Wednesday Webinar: STEAM Learning in Nature

BAY OF PLENTY PĀNUI

Te Tūkohu Ngāwhā 2026 | Mātauranga Māori Science and Design Fair – Dates Confirmed, Registrations Open

Volcano – A Science Comedy Show by Ben Miller

Tauranga Student Space Innovation Hub – Open Evening

Artist’s impression of NASA’s Orion spacecraft orbiting the Moon, representing the Artemis programme and future human lunar exploration.

Make the Impossible, Possible | NASA Artemis Talk in Tauranga

The Briefing | Issue No. 1

Students working in a school garden as part of a sustainability and climate resilience project supported by the School Sustainability and Resilience Fund in the Bay of Plenty.

School Sustainability and Resilience Fund | Bay of Plenty Schools

Aerial view of Mount Main Beach during Seaweek, showing a large circular sand art design created for the TMBC March Partners Forum 2026, highlighting marine biosecurity, biodiversity, and community connection in Tauranga Moana.

TMBC Partners Forum Seaweek 2026

Fungi Fest Community Day 2026

RANGATAHI OPPORTUNITIES

KAIAKO OPPORTUNITIES

Te Tūkohu Ngāwhā 2026 | Mātauranga Māori Science and Design Fair – Dates Confirmed, Registrations Open

Tauranga Student Space Innovation Hub – Open Evening

School Sustainability and Resilience Fund | Bay of Plenty Schools

Otago Polytechnic | New Zealand Certificate in Horticulture (Level 3)

NZAEE Webinar: Sustainability Education in Secondary Schools

Join the NZAEE Sustainability Education Webinar on February 11, 2026, to explore curriculum updates, essential resources, and networking opportunities that will strengthen sustainability education in secondary schools across Aotearoa.

NZAEE Webinar: Sustainability Education in Secondary Schools

TENZ Wednesday Webinar: STEAM Learning in Nature

ChemEd Biolive 2026

Expressions of Interest for Tirotiro Anō Panel – Report on the Proposal to Change the National Qualification

More Kaiako Opportunities

ASSOCIATION PĀNUI

HATA: Agricultural and Horticultural Science in the Draft Science Curriculum

A communication from the Horticulture & Agriculture Teachers Association (HATA) regarding Agricultural and Horticultural Science in the draft Science Curriculum.

HATA: Agricultural and Horticultural Science in the Draft Science Curriculum

Educator Association Updates | January and February 2026

Open Letter: He Rau Ringa - The Joint Subject Associations of Aotearoa New Zealand

England's Knowledge Rich Curriculum: Lessons for Aotearoa New Zealand

More Association Updates

KAIAKO HIGHLIGHT

Kaiako Highlight: Jim Critchley

Jim Critchley is an Earth and Space Science educator who thrives on creating those chance encounters that open doors for students. Whether it’s connecting learners with industry, organising field trips that make science tangible, or guiding rangatahi to think critically in an information-rich world, Jim’s teaching is about sparking curiosity and showing how science and technology evolve together.

Kaiako Highlight: Whaea Tania Jackson

Introducing Whaea Tania Jackson, a secondary school kaiako of science and te reo Māori, and an emerging curriculum leader in kaupapa Māori. Her mahi spans both the classroom and the wider community, where she plays a pivotal role in the Tauranga Moana Māori Teachers’ Association.

Kaiako Highlight: Sky Smale

Meet Sky Smale, an educator, artist, and environmental advocate involved with the Kaharoa Kōkako Trust and Paraiti Catchment Care Group.

SCIENCE IN ACTION

Te Reo o Te Repo was created to give voice to our wetlands through the voices of our people, raising awareness of wetland values and restoration from a Te Ao Māori perspective. Tuihonoa Te Reo o Te Repo was developed in response to kaiako who wanted to support ākonga to become kaitiaki of their local repo. Yvonne with fellow co-editors, Cheri van Schravendijk-Goodman and Dr Bev Clarkson. Source: Image supplied, © Yvonne Taura

Scientist Highlight: Yvonne Taura

Freshwater ecologist Yvonne Taura (Ngāiterangi, Ngāti Ranginui, Ngāti Hauā, Ngāti Uenuku, Ngāti Tūwharetoa) didn’t always see herself in science. Now her mahi is reshaping how kaiako, kairangahau, and communities think about wetlands, mātauranga Māori, and the purpose of science education in Aotearoa.

Lizzie Thompson conducting a diving survey as part of her marine science research.

Scientist Highlight: Lizzie Thompson | Marine Science

Marine scientist Lizzie Thompson is exploring how marine ecosystems recover after disruption. Find out how her work at Otāiti/Astrolabe Reef can support real-world science learning in your classroom—and what it’s really like to do fieldwork beneath the waves!

Juliet Linzmeier, a Master of Environmental Science student at Tauranga's Coastal Marine Field Station, is helping lay the groundwork for New Zealand’s emerging seaweed aquaculture industry. Our first Scientist Highlight aims to broaden the scope of curriculum and NCEA with real-world research examples, as well as capture researcher perspectives of what led them into STEM careers.

Scientist Highlight: Juliet Linzmeier | Marine Science

Juliet Linzmeier, a Master of Environmental Science student at Tauranga's Coastal Marine Field Station, is helping lay the groundwork for New Zealand’s emerging seaweed aquaculture industry. Our first Scientist Highlight aims to broaden the scope of curriculum and NCEA with real-world research examples, as well as capture researcher perspectives of what led them into STEM careers.