James Lamb and Kris Watson of Tauhara College present this interactive session. Having become concerned at how few students, especially Māori girls, participated in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) subjects, James and Kris explain how they used real-world problems drawn from their local community to engage students in collaborative problem-solving, including rat-trap designs to support predator-free, light installations and sculptures as part of the Taupo Winter Festival, and rockets to photograph aerial promotion shots of the school. They share the Design Thinking Process they developed, and the rubrics they use for assessment. They also discuss some of the critical success factors and challenges.

Click here to see the Te Waka STEM Innovation Hub report.