Eastbay REAP Acts As A Catalyst Bringing Nanogirl To The Eastern Bay Of Plenty

Eastbay REAP is bringing renowned Nanogirl Communicators to the district in a bid to improve science literacy in learners within the area.

Forty kaiako from across the Eastern Bay of Plenty will attend a professional development day, which will be delivered at Eastbay REAP in Whakatāne, today (Monday, June 30) and then the Nanogirl experience will be delivered to our whānau across the rohe.

Nanogirl is a movement to inspire, educate and empower through science, technology, engineering and math (STEM). It delivers workshops and shows, through qualified scientists to improve understanding of STEM in learners of all ages.

This opportunity is being driven by the local community and supported by Eastbay REAP and its partners including the three Community of Learning: Kahui Ako (CoL) and local House of Science sponsors.

The House of Science team at Eastbay REAP is focused on bringing science experts like Nanogirl to rural communities.

In this instance the science communicators visiting will be Georgia Third and Tammy Rush. Georgia "aka Super Snapper" is a Marine Scientist, specialising in Fisheries Ecology. She has just finished her Masters degree with the University of Auckland and NIWA, and is passionate about science communication with children and adults.

Tammy has almost a decade of experience bringing science to kids as “Tornado Tammy" and a background in developmental psychology, as well as clinical disorders. She has worked with a range of people from kids with ADHD/ODD to adults with psychosis and everything in between.

Schools Sector Lead Courtney Andrews says the focus is to help kaiako grow their STEM skill base so collectively we can open the eyes and minds of learners through impactful STEM learning.

“Science education has never been more important, with the pandemic and climate change issues bringing science conversations into our communities and homes. STEM skills help develop critical thinking and problem solving which we know are essential for our students' future success in a fast-changing world.”

The week will begin with an all-day professional development workshop at the Eastbay REAP offices in Whakatāne on Monday. The workshop will involve 40 kaiako and will aim to inspire, educate and empower educators to grow their STEM confidence and capabilities.

Workshops for kaiako will also be delivered at Apanui Primary School, Whakatāne Intermediate, Ōhope Beach School and Te Kura o Te Whānau-ā-Āpanui during the week so their educators can have access to the opportunity without having to leave their workplace. The hands-on workshops are designed to give kaiako practical enquiry-led experiments that use common items found in homes and schools.

In addition, 10 schools have also signed up to have The Nanogirl Science Assembly Show. An interactive one-hour live show, presented by scientists who are experts in their field, it will showcase a range of exciting experiments that bring science and engineering to life.

Courtney says Eastbay REAP’s vision -Ka ako te katoa, tuhonhono te katoa -is about learning and connection.

“Eastbay REAP supports connecting the community to lifelong learning through educational programmes, courses, resources and events for educators, parents, whānau, groups and individuals. There is no one-size-fits-all when it comes to learning, so our programmes are tailored to meet a range of needs. We work through an easy step-by-step approach to establish what is needed and how we can help.

“We are dedicated to supporting and guiding kaiako across the rohe removing identified barriers for equal access to opportunities. As a result, we have kaiako coming in from the East Coast as well as us going to their rohe.”

Eastbay REAP moves within the rohe from Whangaparoaoa to Rotoma over to Ōtamarakau and inwards to Ruatāhuna.

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