Pūhoro is expanding and we are delighted to announce funding support for provision in Te Tai Tokerau in 2023. The last two years have seen significant growth for the STEMM academy and the expansion becomes the tenth region Pūhoro serves. The high concentration of Māori in Northland made this an obvious next step for Pūhoro with the opportunity made possible by the Ministry of Education, Tindall Foundation and Foundation North.

“Our funding partners have been critical in seeing this expansion come to life. We are extremely grateful to have a group of partners who truly believe in our vision and are passionate about rewriting the narrative for Māori in STEMM,” says Manahautū Naomi Manu.

The expansion will be marked by a public announcement in Whangārei on 21 October. The event will provide an opportunity for Pūhoro to connect with local iwi, hapū and kura and to align our aspirations for rangatahi Māori.

Ngātiwai CEO Huhana Lyndon said, “We are excited to welcome the Pūhoro kaupapa into Te Tai Tokerau. With Māori making up just 2% of the STEM workforce, services like Pūhoro’s are integral in creating more opportunities for our rangatahi to engage with STEM. Māori are natural scientists and by integrating mātauranga Māori into their learning, rangatahi are able to connect with what is a significant part of their culture.”

Founded in 2016, Pūhoro is driven to create equitable access to STEMM for rangatahi Māori. With a strong network of strategic partners across Aotearoa rangatahi are exposed early to the many opportunities that exist across the sector. Rangatahi are supported on their journey with regular school visits and wānanga, tutoring, scholarships, internships and networking opportunities.

“This is an exciting time for Pūhoro and, as the kaupapa continues to go from growth to growth, we are focused on providing rangatahi with the tools they need to carve their own STEMM futures. We are interested in exploring ways in which we can align our kaupapa to iwi and hapū aspirations for their uri. Across the country rangatahi within the Pūhoro kaupapa have higher than average NCEA pass rates and are five times more likely to transition to tertiary schooling at degree level than other Māori school leavers,” said Naomi.

Pūhoro will continue engagement with iwi and hapū, community groups and whānau. Engagement with local high schools will soon commence as will recruitment for local kaimahi. Kaihautū will begin school visits in Term 1 2023.