Events

• Awhina in the Media
• Awhina Birthdays
• Community Programmes
• Study@Vic
• Science Experience

“Māori Whānau in Science Day”, Mon 22 September, Banquet Hall, Parliament.

A day spent exploring real-life, hands-on science with rangatahi Māori and their whānau is rare so Āwhina whānau was proud to host this event along with Te Puni Kōkiri, Learning Media and Ministry of Education staff. Over 250 rangatahi Māori and whānau attended along with winners of this year’s “Ngati Porou Science Challenge” and Members of Parliament.  With physics, chemistry, architecture, design, biology, geology, psychology, maths, computer science, engineering and mechatronics activities and “What Now” presenters Serena and Tumehe and Āwhina mentors adding to the mix there was something for everyone and highlights galore. 

The event was covered by TV1’s “Te Karere” and Māori TV’s “Te Kaea” programmes and will feature in “Kōkiri”.  The feedback was overwhelmingly positive with 76% of the seventy rangatahi Māori who completed evaluation forms saying the event had positively changed their view of science, and 72% saying they were more likely to choose science as an option at school and/or university. Here’s a selection of images for those who either missed out or want to relive the experience: 

Āwhina “Cybrospace: Journeys to Success” booklet launched.

The Āwhina booklet “Cybrospace Journeys to Success” was launched by the Minister for Māori Affairs at the “Māori Whānau in Science Day” at Parliament.  This booklet contains some of the inspirational real-life stories of Āwhina whānau in a format that we hope will appeal to rangatahi Māori and ‘turn up their success gene’ so they go on to become scientists, technologists, engineers, architects and designers, and contribute to Māori development.  

If you would like to join Scibro, Geneti-sis and Āwhi as they travel through Cybrospace contact Āwhina on (04) 463 5987 or teropuawhina@gmail.com for a booklet.

Awhina, As Seen on TV

Check out our Mentors in the CSI Porirua story shown on Tagata Pasifika on the 12 July on TV ONE.

Thanks to Aaron Taouma, the team at Tagata Pasifika and tvnz.co.nz for making this happen!

Awhina 10th birthday celebrations on the 8th of Aug 2009. Watch this space for venue and times!!

Awhina's 9th Birthday

The delicious cake at Awhina's 9th birthday celebration before it disappeared

Click here to view the school presentations.

Awhina's 8th Birthday
13 September 2007

The delicious cake at Awhina's 8th birthday celebration before it disappeared

Awhina 7th Birthday Celebration 2006
9 October, 2006

The 7th birthday of Te Ropu Awhina Putaiao was held on 14th September at Te Herenga Waka Marae. The night was an incredible success with over 180 people in attendance. It was nice to catch up with old friends, make some new ones and reflect on the success of past and present Awhina students. Awhina has gone through many changes over the years but as Liz always says, "the students are the heart and soul of Awhina and the students are what make Awhina work".

The students in charge of organising the evening did a fantastic job. Many thanks to our MC, Ben; our Quiz Queen, Arama and our organising committee, Emma, Helene, Carrie and Clarissa. Special thanks to Michelle, Te Raina and Debbie who made sure things ran smoothly on the night. Highlights of the night included:

• Snazzy new Awhina hoodies.
• The annual mentor photo.
• Revival of the Awhina waiata.
• Presentations made by graduate Awhina Mentors; Tara (Architecture & Design) and Kirikowhai (Maths and Statistics).
• Presentations made by student representatives from each of the schools: Ray (Architecture and Design), Johnny (Psychology), Maciu (Earth Science), Kimberley (Biological Science), Nicholas (Computer Science), and Emma (Chemical and Physical Science).
• An acknowledgement made to our Awhina matriarch Liz Richardson was hilarious. Liz has been a wonderful mentor and friend to us all over the years and it was nice to see her get the recognition she so thoroughly deserves but always seems to manage to avoid!

Awhina has played a role in the success of many students over the years and we look forward to celebrating many more achievements and birthdays together in the future.
Report by Adele.

HVHS Launches the Year 9 Awhina Science programme:

The Science Department was delighted to welcome Awhina mentors and families to HVHS on Monday night to mark the official launch of our Year 9 Awhina Science programme. The evening began with a pizza dinner and then we were introduced to members of the Awhina team. Mr Stephen Williams introduced the HVHS Science staff and then Liz Richardson, the programme leader from Victoria University. Four Victoria Science mentors then entertained us with marvellous accounts of their research and most importantly their love of Science. The other cruical component of the HVHS Awhina Science programme are our delightful Year 9 students and their families.

Some of the pupils and whanau who attended the launch. What a great start!

Science and Technology Youth Project (STYP 07)
5 July, 2007

Science and Technology (S&T) are part of everyday life and both require creativity and flair. There was plenty of that shown by the 35 Pacific pupils from Porirua intermediate schools who participated in the 2007 Science and Technology Youth Project (STYP 07). This was a unique 100% ‘home grown’ event; all participants and presenters were from Porirua.

‘Healthy Choices’ activities were a big hit with the pupils. Pacific Health Service Porirua promoted a clever smoke free message, rugby players talked about good health and fitness for sporting success, Awhina mentors covered commitment and perseverance for education success and the need for a Pacific health workforce, ESR Kenepuru staff turned pupils into forensic scientists and a Tagata Pasifika film crew captured the moment (click on the link and search for CSI Porirua) and ‘Black Box’ entertained and performed their song promoting S & T. Pupils produced stories and posters and conducted a survey. They presented their work to family and invited guests on the last day.

STYP 07 was sponsored by the Institute of Environmental Science and Research (ESR) and the Faculty of Science at Victoria University and held over four days of the school holidays. “North’s Rugby Club” headquarters was chosen as the base to bring together sporting and S & T excellence.

All pupils gave the project a big tick. Watch this space for STYP 08!

ESR staff welcome STYP 07 pupils to their tour of the ESR research facilities.

Pupils show off the winning logo design by Gabrielle Godinet (third from the right, bottom row.)

Thanks to the Porirua boys, Tamati Ellison and Serge Lilo (2nd and 4th from left) from the Wellington Hurricanes and the Wellington Lions rugby team for lending a hand on the final day of the programme.

Study@Vic

The Awhina display was about success, positive attitudes, bright balloons and smiley faces. Mentors were kept busy answering questions, running competitions and collecting contact details of potential Awhina students.

Awhina is about Maori and Pacific people working together to build a bright future for themselves, their families and communities. So if you're coming to Vic to study science, technology, engineering, architecture or design and you want to be successful get into Awhina whanau!

2008

2007
24 August 2007

Vic Science Experience

2007
3-5 July 2007

The beauty of physics! Things that seemed beyond the mind are so clear to me now.

The perks of being a chemistry student- Making your own glow sticks!

A date with the mighty Tuatara! Still surviving, from the time of the great dinosaurs into the new millennia, and how you can help with the conservation of the species.

What do you know about psychology?

Are computers your kinda thing?

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Adventure with geology anyone?

The 2007 Vic Science Experience days (3rd July-5th July) were a fun filled affair for 95 Year 11 students from all over the Wellington region. And yet again various Awhina mentors participated in all the activities arranged by separate schools. There were also some very interesting and entertaining guest speakers i.e Norman from the Weta workshop demonstrated the tricks of special effects from the set of Lord of the Rings, and Tyrone (Director of Sidhe) showed some of the latest PS2 and X BOX games currently being developed by their company.

A fun filled special talk by the school of Biological Sciences lecturer Dr Diane Ormsby really got the students motivated and excited about sciences.

Unfortunately like all good things the event had to come to an end, but not without the Awhina mentors organising a quiz competition which included all the topics that the students covered over their whole experience at Vic Uni.

Overall it was very well appreciated by all the inquisitive young minds and all the mentors came out with an experience of a lifetime.

2006
11 July, 2006

Six Awhina mentors were team leaders to 90 Year 11 pupils - from schools within Wellington - for three days at the Kelburn Campus during the secondary school holidays in July. The pupils got to do interactive activities in Biology, Chemistry, Physics, Geography, and Computer Science. Click on the pictures to see larger versions of the image.

Pupils enjoying themselves.	Pupils doing a computer science problem.
Pupils doing a physics experiment.	A pupil doing a chemistry experiment.
The Centipede program which pupils got to use during the computer science sessions.

Awhina Hui/Fono
20 March, 2006

The first Awhina hui/fono for the year was held on 30 March and the second was held on 11 July.