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21-22 Oct 2025 | Crowne Plaza, Auckland

STEAM Education Summit

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Reimagining Learning Through STEAM: Curiosity, Inclusion, and Real-World Connection

In a time of fast-paced change, this two-day conference brings together educators, leaders, and industry partners to explore how integrated STEAM learning can drive engagement, lift literacy and numeracy outcomes, and connect students to real-world pathways. 

From inclusive, student-led inquiry to curriculum alignment and creative assessment, discover practical strategies, inspiring stories, and innovative partnerships that are transforming classrooms across Aotearoa.

If you want your STEAM program to be engaging, equitable, and future-focused, this event is for you. 

Here's why you can't miss it

More than just a conference

It’s a chance to recharge your thinking, connect with like-minded educators, and gain practical tools to transform teaching and learning in your school. 

Real stories, not just theory

Hear directly from teachers, school leaders, and students who are making STEAM work in real-world classrooms.

Curriculum clarity

Learn how to align integrated STEAM with national priorities, improve literacy and numeracy, and design purposeful assessment.

Inclusive by design

Explore how student-led enquiry supports diverse learners, including neurodiverse and culturally diverse students. 

Powerful partnerships

Discover how working with industry, iwi, and community can elevate STEAM projects and open career pathways.

Actionable ideas

Walk away with ideas you can implement immediately—whether you’re just starting out or looking to refine and scale your current approach.

Reasons to attend

This is more than just a conference — it’s a chance to recharge your thinking, connect with like-minded educators, and gain practical tools to transform teaching and learning in your school. 

Real stories, not just theory – Hear directly from teachers, school leaders, and students who are making STEAM work in real-world classrooms. 
Curriculum clarity – Learn how to align integrated STEAM with national priorities, improve literacy and numeracy, and design purposeful assessment. 
Inclusive by design – Explore how student-led enquiry supports diverse learners, including neurodiverse and culturally diverse students. 
Powerful partnerships – Discover how working with industry, iwi, and community can elevate STEAM projects and open career pathways. 
Actionable ideas – Walk away with ideas you can implement immediately—whether you’re just starting out or looking to refine and scale your current approach. 

If you want your STEAM program to be engaging, equitable, and future-focused, this event is for you. 

2025 Key Topics:

  • Integrated STEAM Learning 
    Designing cross-curricular programs that lift literacy and numeracy outcomes through real-world, hands-on learning. 
  • Student-Led Inquiry and Curiosity 
    Using enquiry-based learning to build engagement, purpose, and ownership in the classroom. 
  • Community and Industry Partnerships 
    Building meaningful collaborations to expand access to tools, expertise, and real-world projects. 
  • Curriculum Alignment and Assessment 
    Making STEAM work within curriculum frameworks and capturing meaningful learning for assessment. 
  • STEAM as a Pathway to Equity 
    Ensuring STEAM learning reflects and honours Māori, Pasifika, and other diverse identities and ways of thinking.

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Who is this conference for?

  • Principal / Tumuaki
  • Deputy / Associate Principal
  • Head of Department / Faculty / Lead
  • STEAM / STEM / Science / Technology Teacher
  • Classroom / Subject Teacher
  • Specialist Teacher (Digital, Robotics, Performing Arts, SENCO, etc.)
  • Coordinator / Advisor / Manager in the school system

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We are currently working on the programme and agenda. 
If you would like to have input into our research programme please email xxxx@brightstar.co.nz 

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Just announced - AI strategy workshop for school leaders

A practical 1-day workshop to equip Principals and Senior Leaders of New Zealand primary and secondary schools or kura with the knowledge, tools, and confidence to lead the development of a future-focused digital strategy that incorporates AI.

With a strong focus on governance, this session explores the opportunities, limitations, and risks of AI, and provides hands-on experience with leading AI tools to support effective planning, policy development, and engagement with your school board and community.

Learn more

Venue

The location and how you can get there

Address

Crowne Plaza, Auckland
128 Albert Street, Auckland Central, Auckland 1010

8:30

Registration and Coffee

8:50

Mihi Whakatau 

9:00

Welcoming remarks from from Chair

9:10

Ministerial Address: Leading the Future: Innovation, Resilience and Equity in Education

  • The future of education in New Zealand: top priorities

  • The role of strong, inclusive leadership in driving school success

Minister under invitation

Curiosity at the Core

9:30

Demystifying STEAM: What it is, What you Need and Why it Works 

  • An overview of STEAM education in New Zealand schools and opportunities for learners 

  • Leaning in to curiosity for program success and building confidence in the classroom 

9:45

Panel - From Questions to Discovery: The Power of Enquiry-Driven Learning

  • Explore how integrated STEAM learning can accelerate progress in literacy and numeracy 

  • Understand how student-lead enquiry provides real-world, purpose-led learning that links to careers and community 

  • The evolving role of the teacher, skills needed to guide enquiry, facilitate feedback loops, and build strong student partnerships 

  • Embedding a sustainability lens into STEAM projects to empower students as changemakers in their communities and beyond 

Jo McIntyre-Brown, Director MI Papakāinga (Rural Campus), Manurewa Intermediate

Kemp Reweti, Manahautū (Chief Executive), Pūhoro STEMM Academy

Ben Hancock, Principal, Tauhara College

10:30

Morning break

Diverse Minds, Inclusive STEAM

11:00

Thinking Outside the Box: Understanding and Supporting Neurodiverse Learners

  • Practical tools to help include neurodiverse learners in your projects

  • Creating inclusive and safe spaces for different learners in the classroom 

Katheryn Berkett, Neuroscience Trainer, ENGAGE

11:40

Wayfinders of the Pacific: Reimagining STEM Through Culture, Identity & Innovation

  • Culturally responsive STEAM education has the power to help students who are often underrepresented in STEM to feel included, capable, and connected to learning that reflects who they are and where they come from

  • Explore the Wayfinders Club at Waitakere College, a culturally grounded STEM program for Pasifika students, blending ancestral knowledge—such as traditional navigation and tapa storytelling—with modern tools like circuitry and Minecraft to reimagine what inclusive, identity-led STEAM learning can look like

  • Discover how STEAM education empowered Pacific students to see themselves as scientists, innovators, and cultural leaders through a hands-on, community-led, and culturally affirming experience.

Kayla Schwalger, Co-Founder and Creative Director, Tapasā – Navigating the Future

12:20

Table discussion – Your Context: Engaging Every Learner Through STEAM

  • How is your STEAM program engaging learners in new or different ways?

  • What challenges are you facing, and what opportunities are emerging to make learning more inclusive, creative, and culturally connected? 

12:30

Lunch

Curriculum Alignment & Assessment 

13:30

From Curriculum to Capability: STEAM Curriculum Alignment and Assessment 

  • Integrating STEAM within rigid subject boundaries and busy timetables 

  • Capturing the collaborative, creative, and process-based learning in STEAM projects for assessment 

13:40

Bridging Creativity and Curriculum: Real STEAM Stories from the Classroom 

  • Primary school case study - Kimberley Sullings, Year 5&6 Teacher | Senior Syndicate Leader, Christ the King Catholic School  

  • Intermediate school case study - Mareena Henare, Manurewa Intermediate

  • Secondary school case study - Details coming

14:40

Interactive Q&A Panel

  • This panel will provide the audience the opportunity to ask questions of this session’s speakers to dive deeper into the details of their STEAM programs and projects. 

15:00

Afternoon break

Collaborations with Purpose

15:30

Beyond the boundary of the classroom: Building Community and Industry Partnerships in STEAM 

  • Explore how community and industry partnerships give students access to tools, experiences, and expertise they wouldn’t normally encounter in a traditional classroom. 

  • Discover how real-world projects help students make sense of what’s happening in their communities and the wider world. 

  • Understand how partnerships can support teachers by filling skill and knowledge gaps, bringing in specialist insight, and enriching STEAM teaching and learning. 

15:45

Case study - From school to speed: Partnering to create sustainable pathways

  • Discover how partnering with EVolocity engages students in hands-on electric vehicle design and racing, building practical STEAM skills and industry connections.

  • Explore how the program fosters sustainability awareness, innovation, and pathways into clean technology careers.

Jason Maraku, Chief Executive Officer, EVolocity & Specialist Engineering Teacher, Monrad Te Kura Waenga o Tirohanga

16:00

Case study - From School to Sector: Partnering with Industry for Purposeful Learning

  • Explore how schools and the Wonder Project are working together to deliver hands-on, curriculum aligned STEAM learning that inspires students and connects them to industry experts.

Renée King, Wonder Project Advisor, Engineering New Zealand

16:15

Case study - From Classroom to Career: Partnering with Universities

  • Discover how partnerships with universities support schools by providing expert knowledge, representation of workforce pathways and helping fill teachers’ skills gaps to enhance student learning experiences. 

Ashleigh Fox, Project Manager, Women in Engineering, Faculty of Engineering and Design | University of Auckland

16:30

Interactive panel Q&A

  • This panel will bring together this session’s speakers to dive deeper into the details of these partnerships and allow questions from the audience. 

16:50

Summary remarks from the Chair & Networking Drinks

8:00

Registration and Coffee

9:00

Welcoming remarks from the Chair

9:10

Keynote - Inspired by STEAM: A School Leaver’s Path to Success 

  • Hear how an integrated STEAM approach supported real-world learning and opened up pathways from school to career 

  • Be inspired by a this presenter’s story of how teachers who championed curiosity and problem-solving made a lasting impact 

9:40

Mini Masterclass – Creativity as an educational tool 

  • Using creativity and play in integrated STEAM programs and projects 

Toby Falconer, Director of Play, The Open Fort

10:30

Morning break

Creativity and Innovation Across Contexts

11:00

Rural Innovation: Bringing STEAM to Life Beyond Urban Centers 

  • Exploring how rural schools are overcoming geographic barriers to provide rich, future-focused STEAM learning experiences 

  • Hear how teachers and school leaders are creating a STEAM culture within small schools – fostering leadership, student voice, and whānau involvement to build sustainable interest and aspiration

11:30

Interactive session - Including the ‘A’ in STEAM  

  • What does the A mean for program design? 

  • Exploring how integrating the Arts fosters divergent and creative thinking through practical tools and activities 

  • Building curiosity and problem-solving skills as essential foundations for lifelong learning 

Claire Wigley, Kaiārahi, Technology Education New Zealand (TENZ)

12:30

Lunch

13:30

Quick fire case studies: Sustainability and Futures in Focus 

  • Explore case studies of STEAM programs that embed sustainability, showing how students solve real-world environmental challenges through creative, cross-curricular learning 

14:00

Table discussion – What would you scrap and start in your current STEAM plan? 

  • Reflect on insights from the past two days and identify what elements of your current approach may no longer serve your learners 

  • Collaboratively explore bold changes you’d make to better align your STEAM plan with student engagement, real-world relevance, and inclusive practice 

14:45

Summary remarks from the Chair

15:00

Conference close

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Speakers

Speakers to be announced

Jason Maraku

Chief Executive Officer, EVolocity
Specialist Engineering Teacher, Monrad Te Kura Waenga o Tirohanga
Jason is the Chief Executive of EVolocity, a groundbreaking programme inspiring rangatahi to design, build, and race electric vehicles while developing future-ready skills in STEAM and sustainability. EVolocity has expanded its reach to a number of schools nationwide, empowering thousands of students to become innovators in Aotearoa’s clean energy future.
With 25 years of experience in education across Aotearoa and internationally, Jason has pioneered initiatives that empower rangatahi to see themselves as innovators. His work includes establishing championship-winning robotics programmes in Qatar, serving on the World Math Team Championships board to create global opportunities for young talent, and co-designing community-led initiatives with Norm Hewitt and Celia Lashlie to break down barriers for Aotearoa’s underserved youth. Jason’s approach uniquely bridges cultural identity with technical excellence – whether mentoring future engineers at Samsung, guiding students to elite universities, or ensuring EVolocity’s electric vehicle challenges reflect Aotearoa’s diverse communities. His leadership demonstrates that when rangatahi connect STEAM skills with their cultural values, they don’t just participate in the future – they design it.
Alongside the EVolocity team, Jason is driven by a vision of growing a generation of problem-solvers—grounded in their communities, equipped with technical skills, and ready to shape a sustainable future.

Renée King

Wonder Project Advisor
Engineering New Zealand
Renēe King is an experienced kaiako with a strong background in education, having worked as an NZQA moderator and marker for technology. Currently, she brings her passion for learning and innovation to Engineering New Zealand, where her goal is to bring engineering to life for ākonga across Aotearoa. Renēe is an integral part of the Wonder Project — a dynamic STEM schools programme dedicated to designing and developing engaging educational challenges that align with the New Zealand Curriculum. As part of a small but mighty team, she pushes boundaries with creativity and dedication to ensure all tamariki have meaningful, accessible, and inclusive STEM experiences. Together with her wonder-ful rōpū, Renēe envisions a thriving STEM industry that celebrates diversity and fosters a future where rangatahi are inspired, empowered, and excited about the possibilities STEM offers.

Ben Hancock

Principal
Tauhara College
Ben Hancock is the Principal of Tauhara College in Taupō, where he has led the school for the past five years through a significant transformation—from a traditional secondary model to a progressive, adaptive curriculum that prioritises student agency, personalised learning, and innovation. With a background in Physical Education, Ben’s journey into the STEAM space may not have been the obvious starting point, but it laid the foundation for his interest in interdisciplinary learning.
Tauhara’s strong STEAM department played a pivotal role in the school’s rapid curriculum shift, with STEAM becoming a model for integration and innovation. A key feature of this transformation is the junior integrated curriculum, which provides a rich, contextualised learning environment and supports meaningful engagement in the early years of secondary school. 

Claire Wigley

Kaiārahi
Technology Education New Zealand (TENZ)
Claire has been teaching Technology Education, both overseas and in New Zealand, on and off since 2003, after training as a costume designer at university. During this time she has taught everything from food to coding, and has taught from year 1 to year 13 in a variety of different roles. Claire is currently working as a Kaiarahi for TENZ, working with technology teachers around the motu with planning PLD and resources. Before this role she was teaching Art and Technology at Spotswood College, New Plymouth, using Design Thinking and Inquiry teaching.  She is currently studying for her masters, her change project is around how to create divergent thinking and  looking at the role of the A in STEAM.  Claire is an advocate for creative thinking, being ok with making mistakes, and helping educators to bring out the best in their mahi.

Kemp Reweti

Manahautū (Chief Executive)
Pūhoro STEMM Academy
Ngāti Raukawa ki te Tonga, Ngaati Parewahawaha, Ngāpuhi

Kemp Reweti is the Manahautū (Chief Executive) of the Pūhoro STEMM Academy, a pioneering Māori-led initiative dedicated to empowering rangatahi through pathways into STEMM—science, technology, engineering, mathematics, and mātauranga Māori. Under his leadership, Pūhoro has grown from supporting 97 rangatahi across nine schools to now reaching over 3,000 rangatahi in more than 90 schools across 11 regions.

Kemp’s unwavering commitment to rangatahi development is reflected in initiatives like Nōku Te Ao, a programme designed to give Year 13 and tertiary Māori students international exposure to STEMM and opportunities to engage with other Indigenous communities worldwide.

Alongside the Pūhoro team, Kemp continues to lead with a vision of growing a generation of Māori innovators, grounded in cultural identity and equipped to shape a future where te ao Māori and STEMM are seamlessly interwoven.

Toby Falconer

Director of Play
The Open Fort
As Director of Play at creative agency The Open Fort, Toby designs games and playful interactions for education, public engagement and placemaking activations.  Creativity through play is a key element to his work, which extends to running collaborative game design workshops in schools and community settings.

Kayla Schwalger

Co-Founder and Creative Director
Tapasā – Navigating the Future
Kayla Schwalger (24) is the Co-Founder and Creative Director of Tapasā – Navigating the Future, a Pacific-led organisation that empowers Pacific communities to navigate their worlds with confidence through cultural revitalisation, community connection, and innovative wayfinding tools. A storyteller, mental health activist, youth advocate, and creative strategist, Kayla is passionate about uplifting the wellbeing of Pacific young people by making cultural identity central to how they learn, lead, and thrive. She co-facilitates Wayfinders of the Pacific Club – a culturally grounded STEAM programme delivered in collaboration with Waitākere College – which blends ancestral navigation, creative technology, and Pacific storytelling to make STEM learning more relevant and empowering for youth. Her Master’s thesis research explores Pacific youth mental health in the digital age through a cultural lens and continues to shape her work across initiatives like Atafa o le Moana, a cultural governance and leadership youth programme, and the Tusitala Creatives Collective, which nurtures emerging Pacific creatives to embrace a by Pacific – for Pacific approach, when it comes to telling positive Pacific stories. Kayla’s work champions the belief that culture is not just identity – it’s innovation, healing, and a foundation for positive change.

Ashleigh Fox

Project Manager, Women in Engineering | Faculty of Engineering and Design
University of Auckland
Ashleigh manages a strategic project in the Faculty of Engineering to encourage more women into STEM, and inspire them to consider Engineering as a career path. Her previous work experience in analytical laboratories includes eight years working at ESR as a Forensic Technician, and then supporting the teaching and research in the Anthropology laboratories and helping coordinate departmental outreach activities. She has been working with schools, teachers and students for over 15 years, and has extensive experience in Science Communication and schools outreach.

Kimberley Sullings

Year 5 and 6 Teacher & STEAM Lead
Christ the King Catholic School
Kimberley Sullings is a Year 5/6 teacher and STEAM Lead at Christ the King Catholic School in Mt Roskill, Auckland. She runs Pūtātara, a student-led inquiry project focused on conservation and environmental action. Kimberley is passionate about integrating STEAM with literacy, maths, and mātauranga Māori, giving tamariki the tools to explore real-world issues and speak up with solutions. Her work focuses on making STEAM meaningful, empowering, and sustainable within the constraints of a busy primary curriculum.

Jo McIntyre-Brown

Director MI Papakāinga (Rural Campus)
Manurewa Intermediate
Jo McIntyre-Brown is an educator with over 30 years of experience in both school and community learning contexts, including 25 years in New Zealand, predominantly in Auckland and Whāngarei. She has worked with students of all ages and supported teachers through professional development and upskilling initiatives. Her passion lies in embodied learning, with a strong focus on sustainability, systems thinking, and the design process. For the past eight years, in her role as Across School Leader for STEAM and Integration for Te Kāhui Ako o Manurewa, she has explored and refined these approaches in classroom settings. More recently, Jo has taken on the role of Director at MI Papakāinga, a rural campus for Manurewa Intermediate School, where she is leading the design of a curriculum centred on outdoor learning. Her work in this space includes connecting students with the environment and their cultural heritage through activities such as Ngā Taonga Tākaro (traditional Māori games) and Te Māra Hūpara (traditional playground installations), as well as fostering personal reconnection through gardening and crafting activities.

Kathryn Berkett

Neuroscience Trainer
ENGAGE
Kathryn has her Masters in Educational Psychology, and has certified as a Neurosequential Model of Therapeutics practitioner with Dr Perry.  Kathryn has extensive experience in understanding how trauma can impact on development.  She has worked and trained, nationally and internationally, on the subject of neuroscience for over twenty years, delivering to a variety of organisations including:  the Police; Oranga Tamariki; Teachers; Corrections; Parents; Recreation Groups; Mental Health Professionals; NZ Rugby; and Corporates.  Kathryn also has a TEDx talk titled: ‘Neuroscience of Device Zombies’.

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