After careful consideration and evaluation of various factors with key partners, we would like to inform the community that the Tauranga STEM Festival will not be taking place in 2024. We understand that this news may be disappointing to many. However, we are excited to announce that the Tauranga...
On Sunday 1st October 2023, STEM Wana delivered on the third edition of the multi-award winning Tauranga STEM Festival (STEMFest). The annual event is a highlight for many families and tamariki across Aotearoa and this edition delivered on a fun filled day full of wonder and discovery. Thousands got...
At DroneDeploy, we build the important software that enables robots like Spot from Boston Dynamics to autonomously inspect assets, monitor progress of building sites, and check for issues. Ground robots give engineers “eyes on the ground” without needing to set foot on-site; they can carry lots of different payloads...
Tauranga Astronomical Society presents “Astronomy 101” – our fun and interactive introduction to the solar system, planets, stars and beyond! Join us as we compare the size of moons, planets and stars. How big is the Moon compared to the Earth? How far away is the Moon? How big...
Datacom is NZ’s largest homegrown tech company so it’s really important to us that we help grow local talent and create pathways into tech careers, which are really rewarding. Come meet us and discover more about AI and VR.
At Analytica Laboratories, we perform food and environmental testing for many industries across New Zealand. Our exhibit will give you hands on experience with lab equipment, by allow you to create a magical potion!
The Tauranga City Council Waterline team is back for STEMFest 2023. Families of all ages can be involved as we discover how floating wetlands, stormwater ponds, raingardens and litter traps work. Learn about what can pollute our stormwater network and some of the filtration methods we use to promote...
Come see a Kitchen Fire Demonstration & learn more about Home Fire Safety.
Meet an iconic New Zealand engineeering company who are passionate about providing engineering solutions to their customers. As one of the largest employers of mechanical engineers they have over 200 full-time employees, apprentices and contractors.
Discover engineering with a world-class engineers living and working right here in Tauranga.
Manawa Energy – Come and pit hydro, solar and wind energy against each other on the Manawa Energy Race Track, get hands-on with some of our hydrologists and check out our model of a hydro dam and learn about how the elver elevator could help our native tuna (eels)....
Meet the people and makers in our Makerspace, with zones that covers laser cutting, 3D printing, computing, technology, science, digital art, and electronics. We provide the tools and equipment – you bring the ideas!
Live acts with interactive science experiments, discover creepy crawlies, and meet a very special four-legged robot! Shows throughout the day. Suitable for all ages. The stage show is kindly sponsored by Sharp Tudhope.
Meet the STEM faculty at this world-class facility and discover a world of experiments and technology and a shark dissection. Marine fans will love the science labs and the Marine Invaders game!
Ballance’s exhibit is about the science involved in the agriculture sector, with interactive activities for all ages to learn about the importance of agriculture.
This year Zespri will be showcasing their Soft Fruit Sensor technology which is used in the supply chain to test fruit quality. Come visit the stall to lean about how the device can measure the firmness of the fruit nondestructively and why this is so important to Zespri. Can...
GIVEAWAY TIME WIN A WEEKEND IN TAURANGA AT STEMFEST THIS SCHOOL HOLIDAYS! 🧪 🦾 ⚙️ 🔢 We’ve teamed up with Tourism Bay of Plenty and have an amazing family weekend in the Bay to give away! The prize includes: TO ENTER: You must be following @Tauranga STEM Festival and...
STEMFest is about creating inspiration AND aspiration. What could be more aspirational than being an Astronaut and going out of this world to live and work in space? STEMFest is proud to be able to introduce another NASA Astronaut to our STEM whānau. Meet the extraordinary NASA Astronaut Colonel...
By Rachael Pratt Did you know Women only make up 14% of engineers in Aotearoa? At STEM Wana, it is statistics like these that we are aiming to change. How do we go about making a change? We go straight to the source! On Friday 28th of July, STEM...
Here in the Bay of Plenty and across New Zealand, we are facing an unprecedented skills shortage. With most organisations waiting until kids are into their late teens to target them as future leaders and innovators, the team at STEM Wana believes that this is far too late. A...
Team STEMFest invited some of our sponsors and supporters to our STEM HQ at Babbage Space in Basestation to officially launch STEMFest 2023! It was great to see so many guests attend with their children and get the low-down on some of the exciting things we already have in...
PRESS RELEASE IMMEDIATE RELEASE June 19th, 2023 New Zealand’s largest free science, technology, engineering, and mathematics festival returns for 2023 Since 2018 STEMFest has been nurturing our region’s next generation of problem-solvers, innovators and leaders and this year the interactive festival is set to break new ground when it...
Renée Young is an Associate Mechanical Engineer for Beca. She works with other likeminded engineers everyday creating and developing habitable spaces for the public. From designing hospitals, commercial buildings, temples to hotels, her day to day is spent calculating, drawing and creating. She’s passionate about the future of STEM...
The Western Bay Community Awards 2023 bring together all those who are involved in the not-for-profit sector; to celebrate and acknowledge their incredible community work that is helping make the Western Bay of Plenty one of the greatest places to live. STEMFest was thrilled to have been nominated and...
Tuesday 10th January 2023 – By Janet Van Jenkins The day was finally here – Tuesday 10th January 2023 saw queues stretching out across Tauranga Boys’ College campus as over 600 keen young scientists and space enthusiasts lined up (in the rain!) to come and spend a “Night in...
Monday 9th January 2023 – By Tia Lush The second stop on day two of our SWTxNASA Tour was hosted at the beautiful Rotorua Library. It was the first time that we had worked with the amazing team there and everything was in hand and ready when Tia arrived...
Monday 9th January 2023 – By Tia Lush The second day of our SWTxNASA Tour saw sunshine and good weather over beautiful Taupō. Our friends at Taupō library had been briefed and had already been hard at work setting up their Children’s area and turning it into a presentation...
Sunday 8th January 2023 – By Rachael Pratt Arriving in Palmerston North on Saturday evening, the realisation that it was finally NASA tour time hit. My first stop was to the amazing Blueprint Makerspace. Where Zak showed me around their fabulous space. What a fantastic resource for the people...
A once in a lifetime opportunity for tamariki to meet with a record breaking NASA Astronaut at an event in Tauranga on Tuesday 10th January 2023 TAURANGA, NZ — 04 JANUARY, 2023 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Record breaking NASA astronaut and microbiologist Dr. Kate Rubins will be touching down in...
Everyone is invited to come and meet Dr. Kate Rubins as she travels from Palmerston North to Tauranga from 8th January to 10th January 2023 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE TAURANGA, NZ — 22 NOVEMBER, 2022 Record breaking NASA astronaut and microbiologist Dr. Kate Rubins will be touching down in Aotearoa...
Te Manawa Museum at 1pm.
Come and hear Dr. Kate Rubins as she gives you an insight to what it’s like to be a NASA astronaut and scientist. The talk will be followed by a Q&A and a with a chance to meet and greet. Who: This event is for families with children of...
Come and hear Dr. Kate Rubins as she gives you an insight to what it’s like to be a NASA astronaut and scientist. The talk will be followed by a Q&A and a with a chance to meet and greet. Who: This event is for families with children of...
An evening under the stars! Come and hear Dr. Kate Rubins as she gives you an insight to what it’s like to be a NASA astronaut and scientist. The talk will be followed by a panel of special guests with Q&A and a with a chance to meet and...
STEMFest is about creating inspiration AND aspiration. What could be more aspirational than being an Astronaut and going out of this world (literally)? During the planning for the Space Zone, the team reached out to our friends at NASA and while they were unable to provide a live stream...
“Best organised & most informative free event I’ve ever taken my kids to!” Vicky McGreal – Visitor (Facebook 03 October 2022) The anticipation for the second award winning STEMFest was high, well before the big day, with tickets ‘sold out’ a week in advance. Sunday the 2nd of October...
Since July 2022, STEMFest has been running a competition open to rangatahi across Aotearoa aged between 10-16 years of age. We challenged them to step into a NASA engineer’s shoes to design and create a robot, inspired from insects’ unique characteristics, with the capability of surviving on Mars. Five...
As a registered charity, STEM Wana trust relies on the support from generous funders to ensure that we can put on the biggest (and best) STEM Festival in the Southern Hemisphere. This year STEMFest is one of 15 Te Moananui ā Toi events that have received funding from the...
STEM Wana Trust – If you love tinkering and taking things apart then you’re a maker. Come discover more about robotics, 3D printing, laser cutting, vinyl signage and clothing, textiles, electronics, computing and so much more. Get hands on and practical with our makers.
University of Waikato School of Science – Watch multi-coloured Chemical experiments and take part in a real-life Marine Invaders game.
Beca – Come and discover how engineers find solutions for transportation – by road, air and water.
Auckland University of Technology – Explore new technologies and sciences, challenge routine thinking and solve problems in new ways at AUT, New Zealand’s leading modern university. Have you photo taken with a whale using augmented reality at the AUT’s School of Engineering, Computer and Mathematical sciences stand and learn...
The ABI have been breaking boundaries in bioengineering for more than 20 years. Come see some of the life-changing research we’re working on – including holograms created from our computer-generated models of organs like the lungs.
Waikato / Bay of Plenty Cancer Society – Find out how Ultraviolet Radiation works, and learn more about why it is important to protect yourself from the sun!
Face painting with Andrea and Sandi – Get into the festival mood at our face-painting station. Fun for all ages!
UoW School of Psychology – In this exhibit, we look at the changes in human development and brain development during pregnancy up until birth. We discuss how this relates to early psychological functioning and sensory capacities and what this means for psychology later in life.
Biosecurity New Zealand – Showcase of Biosecurity in action from Plant Viruses to Marine Pests and understanding the pathways that are our greatest risk of an entry into New Zealand.
House of Science NZ – Often it’s easy to miss what’s going on around us – especially on a smaller microscopic level. Come explore the details of everyday objects and discover the intricacies and beauty that lay within.
EVolocity – A showcase of a finalist team’s cart for a nationwide EV building competition! Our display is an electric cart built by high school students for a nationwide engineering competition. It is built for racing, and has to take into account several race types centred around manoeuvrability, economy,...
UBCO – A chance to see and learn about the iconic and locally engineered UBCO 2X2, and hear about the exciting things our team are doing in awesome careers.