Ko te manu e kai ana i te miro, nōna te ngahere
Ko te manu e kai ana i te mātauranga, nōna te ao
- Te Kere Ngātaierua
‍
The bird that partakes of the miro berry, the forest is theirs
The bird that partakes of knowledge, the world is their oyster

Nōku Te Ao is a kaupapa that seeks to broaden the horizons of our Pūhoro rangatahi through international trips. These haerenga are designed to expose them to diverse STEM opportunities abroad and introduce them to other indigenous communities.

Through this kaupapa, we hope to inspire our rangatahi into expanding their STEM prospects beyond what they may have previously considered. For our rangatahi, engagement with other indigenous communities not only highlights the significant contributions they bring to the STEM landscape, but also reaffirms the value and uniqueness of their own tuakiritanga.

Previously known as Āmua Ao (supported by NZQA), this kaupapa has taken Pūhoro rangatahi to various destinations including Hawai'i, NASA (Houston, Texas), Singapore and Taiwan. Many of these tauira have gone on to pursue STEM tertiary study and are well on their way to becoming engineers, doctors, researchers, and other esteemed STEM professionals. They also continue to serve as ambassadors for Pūhoro, creating new STEMM pathways for their teina to follow.

Upcoming Trips

Silicon Valley, San Francisco, USA

NoVEMBER 30 - December 9, 2024

Applications for positions on our Silicon Valley trip are now closed. 12 Year 13 students and 3 tertiary students will be selected to attend the trip.

If you have submitted an application, you can expect an outcome via email or phone call early July.

There was a large number of applications that will go through a robust selection process. We thank all of those who took the time to share their aspirations with us as part of the application process.

"

"Seeing NASA particularly behind the scenes refuelled my desire to become and engineer. Seeing the incredible science behind it all was the best experience."

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Female, Houston

"

“It was cool listening to the way they do karakia here. After blessing the food we handed over the taonga that many of us had been wearing over the past few days and sang them a waiata which brought tears to one of the peoples eyes. That was a beautiful thing to see”

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Female, Hawaii

"

“I couldn’t stop smiling. This experience made me want to learn my language and understand my culture. For so long I felt empty in a cultural sense because I didnt feel strongly connected to my culture or have a real sense of identity. Now I feel like I am starting that journey and I am so excited.”

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Female, Houston

"

"We also had to say goodbye to Mana Vautier, I just think that it is awesome that a man of his status in the world of science (NASA) is interested in us. I aspire to be like him one day."

Male, Hawaii

"

“I think that this experience has changed my life forever and has also left me wanting to learn more about my Māori culture and where I come from. It has enlightened something inside of me to want to keep fighting and protecting my culture.”

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Male, Houston

"

"At the Wai’ope tide pools we got some kisses from the ocean (scrapes and bruises) and we got to see coral, kina and fish. It was awesome learning about peoples indigenous research methods about the loko’ia (fish ponds) and tidal pools."

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Male, Hawaii

"

“This trip has changed my perspective on so many things. I love my culture and my land. I am so proud to be Māori. I’ve grown so much and want to immerse myself in my Māoritanga as much as I can.”

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Female, Houston

Contact Us

Nōku Te Ao

Upcoming Trips

"

"Seeing NASA particularly behind the scenes refuelled my desire to become and engineer. Seeing the incredible science behind it all was the best experience."

"

“It was cool listening to the way they do karakia here. After blessing the food we handed over the taonga that many of us had been wearing over the past few days and sang them a waiata which brought tears to one of the peoples eyes. That was a beautiful thing to see”

"

"

"We also had to say goodbye to Mana Vautier, I just think that it is awesome that a man of his status in the world of science (NASA) is interested in us. I aspire to be like him one day."

"

“I think that this experience has changed my life forever and has also left me wanting to learn more about my Māori culture and where I come from. It has enlightened something inside of me to want to keep fighting and protecting my culture.”

"

"At the Wai’ope tide pools we got some kisses from the ocean (scrapes and bruises) and we got to see coral, kina and fish. It was awesome learning about peoples indigenous research methods about the loko’ia (fish ponds) and tidal pools."

"

“This trip has changed my perspective on so many things. I love my culture and my land. I am so proud to be Māori. I’ve grown so much and want to immerse myself in my Māoritanga as much as I can.”

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