Genesis School-gen Trust lifts kids’ science skills.
It used to be one of the most common questions asked of children by adults: “So, what do you want to be when you grow up?”
That question has become increasingly hard for kids to answer – because a 2018 Dell Technologies report estimated over 80 per cent of the jobs people will do in the future either don’t exist yet or will be done completely differently.
That global conundrum is allied to another – the declining rate of enthusiasm in STEM subjects (Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths) among New Zealand schoolchildren. That’s a problem because, as Youth Employability Aotearoa pointed out last year, another troubling forecast also involves the figure of 80 per cent: of future jobs, 80 per cent will require maths and science skills.
Yet help is on the way. The 8- and 9-year-olds in the attached video are clearly having fun – fun which may translate into confidence and interest in STEM subjects which in turn may lead to STEM careers.
The need is real. According to recent reports, science achievement in schools is declining; there is a pattern of disengagement with science that, for many, begins in primary school. Government research from 2016 showed that while the majority of Year 5 and Year 9 students liked STEM subjects at school, they lacked confidence in exploring them.
As a result, fewer young people continue with STEM subjects through high school, university, and then into the workforce. A 2017 survey of Auckland high school students in Auckland found only around a third of students attempting NCEA Level 1 maths and science go on to achieve level 3 in those subjects.
So there’s a clear disconnect – and that’s why the Genesis School-gen Trust has gifted hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of solar and STEM equipment. That helps schools provide rangatahi with hands-on learning experiences needed to develop critical STEM skills – using equipment like robotics, coding, engineering and science gear, as well devices such as iPads and Chromebooks.
Since its inception in 2019, the trust has invested over $500,000 in 93 schools around New Zealand. The video showcases how this helps: tamariki in Debbi Connolly’s class at Te Waka Unua school in Christchurch are using the equipment they received to think critically, problem-solve and develop a curiosity for how things work – potentially igniting new interests and lead to careers not only rewarding for the students, but also the country.
Connolly says her class of 8- and 9-year-olds were set the challenge of building a “sail car” from the special Lego equipment gifted by the trust – and to see whose design could catch the most wind and make the sail car travel farthest.
“I think STEM equipment like this Lego kit fires up their creativity and the curiosity they typically have when they first start school,” she says. “It promotes teamwork, communications and problem-solving, all things they will need in the future.”
Connolly also felt the Lego and the project helped her pupils develop communications skills: “At this age, they are still a bit egocentric and principles like sharing, waiting your turn and teamwork are still not fully developed – and I think Covid may have played a role in that [with the lockdowns and comparative lack of social interaction at school].
“So they had to organise themselves and realise that it wasn’t their turn, they had to share and they had to listen to others.”
“It’s a question of helping teachers too,” says Lee Mauger, Chair of the Genesis School-gen Trust. “We know that 45 per cent of all jobs filled in 2021 were STEM-related, yet New Zealand students lag behind in education critical to prepare them for jobs of the future.
“For many students, that disengagement with science starts in primary school – and part of the reason is lack of access to equipment to engage tamariki in STEM learning, plus a lack of confidence among many teachers in teaching STEM.”
Thanks to the Genesis School-gen Trust, the Lego Education BricQ equipment gifted to Te Waka Unua school, as well as a more advanced robotics kit for students in Year 7 and 8 (12-13-year-olds), means the school is now well placed to offer some continuity in creative projects that boost STEM learning.
The Lego equipment engages students in STEM learning as they experiment with forces, motion and interactions in easy, hands-on learning experiences that spark cool “aha” moments, as the students set Lego bricks in motion without the need for technology. Other Lego equipment included coding tasks, so slightly older students can, for example, programme robots they build to move or make a noise.
“It certainly made a mark,” says Connolly. “I get asked every week when we are doing it again – and I’ve promised them that we will do something with coding next.”
The trust, a registered charity, is financially powered by donations from Genesis customers who top up their monthly bill. Genesis covers the trust’s administration so that every dollar donated goes to schools.
Between the trust’s donations of equipment and teachers’ skills in using it to inspire their students’ curiosity, it’s clear that good things will STEM from that.
For more information: genesisschoolgentrust.org.nz