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Home / Bay of Plenty Times

New festival brings science to Tauranga

Bay of Plenty Times
19 Sep, 2019 12:24 AM3 mins to read

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Stemfest organiser Tia Lush

Stemfest organiser Tia Lush

A world-class festival designed to engage and inspire the next generation of scientists, tech-nologists, engineers and mathematicians is coming to Durham St next month.
Plans include the closure of a whole block of the CBD, from Elizabeth St to Spring St, for a fun-filled festival that will entertain the whole family.

Tauranga's first STEMFest will feature drones, virtual reality, augmented reality, messy science experiments, large-scale engineering exhibits, and technology demonstrations, as well as practical coding sessions, inspirational presentations from STEM enthusiasts and professionals.

"STEMFest is a celebration of the wonders of science, technology, engineering and mathematics. It is free to attend, and it is designed for the whole whānau. There will be all sorts of workshops and hands on activities," says festival founder Tia Lush.

Tia is a graphic designer and technologist with a passion for inspiring young people through shared learning experiences. She moved to Tauranga in 2017 from the UK, where she founded Peterborough STEM Festival. Now in its fourth successful year, the event welcomed nearly 3000 visitors in 2018.

With the help of a team of passionate co-organisers, Tia is excited about bringing the format to her newly adopted home in Tauranga. She says she's thrilled to have met so many like-minded people in Tauranga who share the same passion for working with young people and driving change for the good.

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STEMFest was originally inspired by Ada Lovelace Day (ALD), an international celebration of the achievements of women in science, technology, engineering and maths launched in 2009. Ada Lovelace was a mathematician, considered to be the first female computer programmer back in 1843, long before computers even existed.

"We're proud to be an Ada Lovelace Day Official Partner Event, the first to be given that status outside of the UK, and our sister event Peterborough STEM Festival will be running on the same day. Just in a different time zone," Tia says.

Tauranga's first STEM Festival is a not-for-profit event, organised with the help of a team of volunteer-based parents and professionals working in the technology, education and project management sectors.

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STEM businesses and organisations have also been incredibly supportive.

"No less than 15 of them are sponsoring and supporting the festival and our pop-ups and debates, we're thrilled to have Beca and the University of Waikato as our main sponsors," Tia explains.

She adds that the event also aims to celebrate women and diversity in STEM and that it encourages young girls to consider STEM as a career option.

The festival team is especially thrilled to have secured a special appearance from the Nanogirl Labs team who will be delivering their Kitchen Science Cookbook Live! show at the festival.

Dr Michelle Dickinson, aka Nanogirl, is also the author of best-seller The Kitchen Science Cookbook and she has developed the bilingual TV show Mātātoa that explores Māori myths and legends through interactive science experiments. According to Michelle, science should be open, transparent and a topic of conversation over the dinner table, not just the lab bench.

STEMFest are on a mission to make STEM accessible and engaging for all. Bring your curiosity!

the fine print
WHAT: Tauranga STEM Festival

WHERE: Durham St, Tauranga

WHEN: October 12, 9am-5pm

MORE INFO: taurangastemfestival.co.nz. Tickets are now SOLD OUT. Listen to The Hits for the chance to WIN some golden tickets.

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