Northern Advocate
  • Northern Advocate home
  • Latest news
  • Business
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
  • Sport
  • Property
  • Video
  • Death notices
  • Classifieds

Subscriptions

  • Herald Premium
  • Viva Premium
  • The Listener
  • BusinessDesk

Sections

  • Latest news
  • On The Up
  • Business
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
  • Rural
    • All Rural
    • Dairy farming
    • Sheep & beef farming
    • Horticulture
    • Animal health
    • Rural business
    • Rural life
    • Rural technology
  • Sport
  • Property
    • All Property
    • Residential property listings

Locations

  • Far North
  • Kaitaia
  • Kaikohe
  • Bay of Islands
  • Whangārei
  • Kaipara
  • Mangawhai
  • Dargaville

Media

  • Video
  • Photo galleries
  • Today's Paper - E-Editions
  • Photo sales
  • Classifieds

Weather

  • Kaitaia
  • Whangārei
  • Dargaville

NZME Network

  • Advertise with NZME
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • BusinessDesk
  • Newstalk ZB
  • Sunlive
  • ZM
  • The Hits
  • Coast
  • Radio Hauraki
  • The Alternative Commentary Collective
  • Gold
  • Flava
  • iHeart Radio
  • Hokonui
  • Radio Wanaka
  • iHeartCountry New Zealand
  • Restaurant Hub
  • NZME Events

SubscribeSign In

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Home / Northern Advocate

Mine of information

Mikaela Collins
Northern Advocate·
24 Apr, 2016 10:34 PM2 mins to read

Subscribe to listen

Access to Herald Premium articles require a Premium subscription. Subscribe now to listen.
Already a subscriber?  

Listening to articles is free for open-access content—explore other articles or learn more about text-to-speech.
‌
Save
    Share this article
Neo McCoach, 13, scores. Photo / Michael Cunningham

Neo McCoach, 13, scores. Photo / Michael Cunningham

A Minecraft gaming event is one of a collective of initiatives in Whangarei aimed at exposing kids to science, engineering and technology.

The Minecraft Gaming Day, sponsored by Northtec and hosted by Kevin Waugh and Zac Miller-Waugh, saw 40 children aged 9 to 13 come together to play Minecraft - a computer game where users can: build or destroy houses, mine, fight monsters and create worlds.

Nigel Studdard, NorthTec STEM (science, technology, engineering and maths) project manager, said it was one of a cluster of events in Whangarei, like computer coding classes and the more advanced technohacker club, aimed at getting young people involved in STEM.

"For us, there's a major focus on exposing kids to engineering," said Mr Studdard.

"The world is changing, we need to keep these events going to expose kids to technology they wouldn't find in school."

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Zac Miller-Waugh is not new to organising Minecraft gaming events and said Friday's event was an extension of one he organised in January.

The coding club from Pehiaweri Marae and Kamo High School were at the gaming day. Mr Waugh said many of the youth who were involved were also part of other computer clubs. Mr Studdard said he had a funding application in to set up a Taster Space at Whangarei Central Library complete with an Opulus Rift - a virtual reality system - and 3D coding to promote STEM.

Mr Waugh said it was important to realise "learning doesn't have to be boring".

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Discover more

French tourists robbed in carpark

24 Apr 08:52 PM

Iconic Kamo Hotel back on the market

24 Apr 08:30 PM

Exhibition reveals hero

24 Apr 09:31 PM

Tall ship set to visit Whangarei

25 Apr 12:00 AM
Save
    Share this article

Latest from Northern Advocate

Northern Advocate

New victims speak out against jailed sex offender, leading to another hefty sentence

23 Sep 05:30 AM
Northern Advocate

Prime Minister to open Kaipara’s new $26m water reservoir

23 Sep 05:00 AM
Northern Advocate

Pickleball passion: Whangārei coach on spreading fastest-growing sport

23 Sep 04:00 AM

Sponsored

Poor sight leaving kids vulnerable

22 Sep 01:23 AM
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Latest from Northern Advocate

New victims speak out against jailed sex offender, leading to another hefty sentence
Northern Advocate

New victims speak out against jailed sex offender, leading to another hefty sentence

Todd Gibbons is nine years into a 12-year jail sentence – now he's been given another 10.

23 Sep 05:30 AM
Prime Minister to open Kaipara’s new $26m water reservoir
Northern Advocate

Prime Minister to open Kaipara’s new $26m water reservoir

23 Sep 05:00 AM
Pickleball passion: Whangārei coach on spreading fastest-growing sport
Northern Advocate

Pickleball passion: Whangārei coach on spreading fastest-growing sport

23 Sep 04:00 AM


Poor sight leaving kids vulnerable
Sponsored

Poor sight leaving kids vulnerable

22 Sep 01:23 AM
NZ Herald
  • About NZ Herald
  • Meet the journalists
  • Newsletters
  • Classifieds
  • Help & support
  • Contact us
  • House rules
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of use
  • Competition terms & conditions
  • Our use of AI
Subscriber Services
  • The Northern Advocate e-edition
  • Manage your print subscription
  • Manage your digital subscription
  • Subscribe to Herald Premium
  • Subscribe to the Northern Advocate
  • Gift a subscription
  • Subscriber FAQs
  • Subscription terms & conditions
  • Promotions and subscriber benefits
NZME Network
  • The Northern Advocate
  • The New Zealand Herald
  • The Northland Age
  • Waikato Herald
  • Bay of Plenty Times
  • Rotorua Daily Post
  • Hawke's Bay Today
  • Whanganui Chronicle
  • Viva
  • NZ Listener
  • Newstalk ZB
  • BusinessDesk
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • iHeart Radio
  • Restaurant Hub
NZME
  • About NZME
  • NZME careers
  • Advertise with NZME
  • Digital self-service advertising
  • Book your classified ad
  • Photo sales
  • © Copyright 2025 NZME Publishing Limited
TOP