New Zealand Funding Learning Opportunities for Next Generation

The New Zealand Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE) has announced funding for The Science Learning Hub - Pokapū Akoranga Pūtaiao and Otago Museum to develop inspirational space learning opportunities for the next generation. Aotearoa New Zealand is a relatively young space nation, and has only recently begun to develop outreach programs and activities which highlight opportunities in space-related careers. This is to demonstrate how people can have direct involvement in these fields and to inspire students in this growing area. 

The Science Learning Hub – Pokapū Akoranga Pūtaiao provides contemporary, contextualised resources to students and teachers on a wide variety of science topics. It is free and open access, and seeks to make science and technology more accessible to schools and the broader public. 

As part of the announcement, the Science Learning Hub has been awarded \$150,000 to develop online space related learning materials to provide a comprehensive Aotearoa New Zealand-relevant space science learning resource. The science learning materials will be developed online.  

Otago Museum has also been awarded \$350,000 to develop an exhibition which highlights New Zealand space achievements and their relevance to everyday life. The exhibition, Tūhura Tuarangi – Aotearoa in Space Showcase, will have an overarching narrative of discovering space and the opportunities that it holds. 

It will also highlight the important and central role that mātauranga Māori have had in the cultural understanding and discovery of space. The exhibition will be completed in time to tour New Zealand in 2022/23, but leading up to it there will be a dedicated webpage developed to keep the public up-to-date with sneak peeks, resources, and roadshow dates. 

Funding The Science Learning Hub - Pokapū Akoranga Pūtaiao and Otago Museum will see the development of learning opportunities which will inspire the next generation of Aotearoa New Zealand. This will be a key part in the nation’s growth as a space nation, building upon its other achievements including last month’s signing of NASA’s Artemis Accords, NZ and US-based company RocketLab’s work on Mars missions, and the announcement of collaborations on New Zealand’s flagship satellite mission MethaneSAT.