What did we get up to in 2019?
Saturday 12th October 2019 saw us close down a block in Tauranga's CBD to host the inaugural STEMFest. Here are a few of the highlights.
More than just a one day festival…
2020 STEM Initiative is a year programme of STEM activations and engaging events, culminating in a celebratory Festival of STEM closing down a block of Tauranga’s CBD.
Check out all the other events we have planned for whānau and community, for children, young people, and adults!
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Want to get involved?
If you are interested in taking part in the event as a volunteer, speaker, exhibitor, or workshop provider, please get in touch with us.
Look at all the exciting exhibitors we had at STEMFest 2019!
Here is a small selection of the types of activities we had on Saturday 12th October 2019.
Ko Tatou This Is Us Biosecurity 2025
Come and meet with the superheros (and their human handlers) who are protecting New Zealand’s borders. Timed demonstrations throughout the day.
Slime Princess
Slime Princess goes to Tauranga STEM Festival. Come meet NZ’s very own Slime Princess aka Katharina Weischede in the ‘Dirty Science’ zone. Get ready for a lot of gooey, sticky, icky, stretchy fun at the dedicated slime making and exploring zone.
Kitchen Science Cookbook Live!
The Nanogirl Labs team will be bringing Nanogirl’s ‘cookbook’ to life; try out the recipes and explore some fun, tasty science! Sessions run at 11:00, 12:45 and 14:00. Pre-book your ticket now.
Maths Craft New Zealand
Explore math in a whole new way with hands on crafting activities; fractal sculpture, origami octahedrons, Möbius strips and more.
Innovation for Sustainability
Imagine living in a city in 2050 that is clean, livable, and powered by zero-carbon technology! Come along to see how New Zealand researchers are helping turn sci-fi into sci-fact.
Fruit Testing in the BOP
How do growers decide when to pick their fruit and how good it will taste? See how testing impacts decisions and the new technologies being developed to make it easier.
Inside the Hive
Ever wanted to be a bee? Immerse yourself in their amazing world and learn about the different roles bees play. Mix some magic potions using the power of honey!
Code Avengers
We teach kids how to code. Interested? Come see us!
Kaitiaki Assessment
Join us for an interactive Kaitiaki finding activity.
Hydro Dam model and ISP exhibits
Come inside the Trustpower building to see the Hydro Dam model and ISP exhibits
Te Waka Kokiri
Explore our large scale exhibit.
Music from TheHits and ZM
Take some selfies and share the fun at the branded NZME and ZM booths next to both entrance gates.
Wanna be a change makers and badass problem solvers of the future – using tech!!?
Meet some of Xero’s software engineers, learn to count in binary, write a programming code and learn what an algorithm is … bring your curiosity!
School of Science and Coastal Marine Field Station
Our new research and teaching laboratories open with hands-on displays, bio-security games, chemical reactions and more. We even have so much to show you, that we are also spilling out onto the street in the AquaSTEM Zone! We will have our research drones (they will be leaving us soon...
University of Waikato Computer Science
Virtual reality and programming challenges from the Computer Science Department.
Te Huataki Waiora School of Health
Challenge your body! Wattbike, Vertical Jump, Speed Light Challenge, and a Biomechanics Video Display
University of Waikato Future Students
Meet the Future Students Team and find out about study at Waikato.
Engineering at Waikato!
Come and see what our Engineering students achieve during their studies!
STEAM @ Te Puke High School
Hands-on interactions with some of the technologies available to the students at our school, as well as an exhibit of some of our current and former students’ work in this area.
Science Learning Hub
A showcase of cutting-edge science that demonstrate how the stories of science can be used to enrich teaching and learning, making it more relevant, engaging and meaningful.
STEMFest eSports Tournament
If you’re a serious gamer, love video games, love sports and competition, or just love being part of something that’s fun and entertaining in an electric atmosphere – You don’t want to miss this! Come and immerse yourself in the rapidly growing eSports Universe.
The Amazing Travelling Photobooth BOP
Choose a digital prop and take a photo to remember the fun!
City Waters – 3D interactive Model
Get wet (or stay dry) exploring our interactive City Waters model of pumps, pipes and wipes.
St John
Would you know what to do in an emergency? Practice your CPR and find out about our Youth Programme, how to learn First Aid and what it is like to work in Emergency Medicine.
Science Box – Problem Solver
It’s your turn to be the scientist!.Solve science challenges and uncover the mysteries behind the challenges.
Page Macrae Engineering
Find out how Page Macrae Engineering use STEM to provide engineering solutions for many industries in New Zealand and overseas.
RNZAF School to Skies
School to Skies is offering young women the chance to spend a week at the Royal New Zealand Air Force camp, to experience pulling apart a plane or picking up a welder for the first time. Come and experience STEM with NZDF.
MOTAT STEAM Cells
MOTAT has packed up their museum and brought it to Tauranga! Come try our hands on activities.
AR Sandbox
Build mountains and make it rain. Get interactive with our augmented reality sandbox, create topographical maps and land formations and talk with our engineers and scientists who are working in Geo engineering and environmental sciences!
Learn about DNA
What makes us all unique? Come and learn about DNA and genetics and make some cool accessories with our team of eager scientists and educators.
Marbles, Momentum and more
Experiment with gravity, magnetism, and kinetic energy with marble play! Design, build and play with us.
Cusp
Set this kinetic sculpture in motion to explore how our decisions affect the world around us. Beautiful cyclic patterns or jumbled chaos? Where is the tipping point?
AR Scavenger Hunt with JuniorDevTGA.
Complete the AR scavenger hunt and return to HQ for a chance to win a one year licence to CodeAvengers valued at $250 thanks to Venture Centre (five prizes available).
Hands on School Science with ACG
We have a hands on approach to Science! Suited for kids from Y1, right through to Y13. Come and engage in some hands on activities with our staff and students.
Beca
Come and experience hands on engineering with one of STEMFest’s main sponsors.
Kitchen Fire Demonstrator
Learn the science behind fire, and what happens when an oil fire meets water. Be prepared for some flames and heat!
House of Science Tauranga
Have fun with science with House of Science! Lots of hands-on and practical activities to enjoy.
Inspiring students to push boundaries with hands-on STEM career options
STEM education goes far beyond the tech sector. The Toi Ohomai stand will feature our state-of-the-art forestry simulator, as well as exploring the impact of technology on the marine sector. Join us for a day of interactive fun and giveaways!
Zespri Innovation Zone
Want to make a smoothie on a bike? Extract DNA from a kiwifruit? Get the most Vitamin C from your 5+ a day? Come see us!
Solving Water
A world where water issues are no longer a barrier to human health, prosperity and sustainable development.
Get a hands with an introduction to computer science through coding and Internet of Things with JuniorDevTGA.
Get Inside a Laptop – Making and unmaking laptops Internet of Fabulous Things – Learn stuff from Things connected to the Internet Code your Game – Get started with Minecraft Machine Learning in Action – Watch machines actually learn!
Walk inside the Colossal Colon
Join us in an incredible experience walking through Cancer Society’s “colossal colon” (a giant inflatable bowel). Guided by Aspire2 International’s Health Services Management students, you will increase your knowledge about the signs and symptoms of cancer and also learn about healthy lifestyles. This is a very interactive experience and...
Meet our amazing main sponsors for 2019
These companies are leading the charge to inspire a new generation of STEM heroes!




Our Other 2019 Sponsors
STEMFest Merch!
Check out our limited and exclusive range of STEM based clothing. Choose from a selection of designs. Not only will you look cool, but the profits from all sales will go directly to the Trust to help fund community based projects.
All orders will be fulfilled and managed by Digitees in Papamoa.

Community Powered
STEMFest is run and organised by a group dedicated Individuals who have volunteered well over 10,000+ hours in 2019 to get the inaugural event off the ground. We are passionate about giving our tamariki the opportunities to become creative and passionate learners so they can be the leaders of tomorrow.
Donate securely via paypal. Your kind donations will go into STEM Wana Trust a registered charity.
Location
Tauranga is located in the beautiful coastal Bay of Plenty in the North Island, New Zealand.
Basestation, 148 Durham Street, Tauranga 3110, New Zealand
Air New Zealand flies daily to Tauranga and offers direct flights to and from Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch. Tauranga Airport is located about 10 minutes from Tauranga city centre and seven minutes from central Mt Maunganui.