Aotearoa New Zealand Teams Excel At Tournament Of Minds International Final In Sydney

Sydney, Australia, 1-2 November 2024 – Six teams of talented students from Aotearoa New Zealand, showcased their problem-solving skills, creativity and collaboration at the Tournament of Minds (TOM) International Final, held on Saturday, November 1, in Sydney, Australia. Teams from Canterbury, Masterton, and Auckland represented Aotearoa New Zealand, earning this opportunity after excelling at the New Zealand National Tournament. The International Tournament consisted of 73 teams from across the world, including Australia, Indonesia, Hong Kong and UAE. This had been narrowed down from over 1,400 TOM teams worldwide that were registered for their branch competitions (that’s 10,000 students).

The Aotearoa New Zealand teams comprised students from Hadlow School (Masterton), Lincoln Primary School, St Mark’s School (Christchurch), Papatoetoe High School, and Lincoln High School, which fielded two teams. Among the highlights, St Mark’s School received first place in the Primary Language Literature category. At the same time, Papatoetoe High School received Honours in Secondary Arts, competing against multiple other teams in their respective categories.

Tournament of Minds is an international competition that promotes collaborative problem-solving, with teams of seven students working over six weeks to develop a creative response to a scenario within one of four disciplines: Language Literature, Social Sciences, STEM, or The Arts. After presenting at Regional Tournaments held in Auckland, Palmerston North, Wellington, and Christchurch, winners move on to the Aotearoa New Zealand National Tournament in Wellington. There, they tackle a new challenge within three hours and a Spontaneous Challenge, where quick thinking and teamwork are key to generating unique solutions within a five-minute timeframe.

Since its inception in Aotearoa New Zealand, in 2008, Tournament of Minds has seen remarkable growth. What began with 12 teams from nine schools in Wellington has expanded to 140 teams from 48 schools from across Aotearoa New Zealand in 2024, reflecting a growing commitment to fostering innovative thinking and teamwork among young Kiwis.

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