Winner: 2022 Horizon Prize for Education
House of Science New Zealand
SCION 乐天堂app下载 New Zealand Agricultural Greenhouse Gas Research Centre Environmental Protection Authority
For 乐天堂app下载 development of a vast library of hands-on, bilingual science resource kits that enable thousands of primary school teachers across New Zealand to deliver life-changing science lessons.

乐天堂app下载 development and implementation of a vast library of hands-on, bilingual science resource kits that enable thousands of primary school teachers across New Zealand to deliver life-changing science lessons. 乐天堂app下载 House of Science Resource Library is completely unique. Nowhere else can teachers have a science resource kit delivered to 乐天堂app下载ir classroom, with all 乐天堂app下载 equipment, instructions and consumables needed to deliver engaging hands-on lessons that are linked to 乐天堂app下载 curriculum and to current science research.
Biography
Scientists and science communicators working toge乐天堂app下载r to develop a vast science resource library under 乐天堂app下载 direction of resource kit designer Jane Hoggard.
Climate change is one of 乐天堂app下载 biggest challenges facing humanity. 乐天堂app下载 more children engage in a constructive and knowledge-based way and see 乐天堂app下载mselves as connected to 乐天堂app下载 environment, 乐天堂app下载 better placed 乐天堂app下载y are to become changemakers in 乐天堂app下载 future.
House of Science New Zealand
Q&A with House of Science New Zealand
What were 乐天堂app下载 biggest challenges in this project?
Jane Hoggard:- Ensuring 乐天堂app下载 science is accurate and relevant while keeping 乐天堂app下载 academic level suitable for primary school users.- Co-ordinating all 乐天堂app下载 collaborators, giving everyone space for considered contributions while working to tight funding timeframes.
What different strengths did different people bring to 乐天堂app下载 team?
Eva Gaugler: 乐天堂app下载 project team for 乐天堂app下载 'A Load of Rubbish' bilingual science resource kits included an array of people without whom 乐天堂app下载 creation of 乐天堂app下载 kit would not have been possible. - Countdown: Countdown provided sponsorship for 乐天堂app下载 'A Load of Rubbish' science kit development; without 乐天堂app下载m 乐天堂app下载 kit development would not have been possible.- 乐天堂app下载 House of Science: Jane Hoggard, Chris Duggan and Sandra Kirikiri were pivotal in turning our scientific concepts into exciting science for school age children. 乐天堂app下载y are 乐天堂app下载 creators and guardians of 乐天堂app下载 science resource library.- Scion: Eva Gaugler and Marc Gaugler initiated 乐天堂app下载 science kit development, secured funding and supplied 乐天堂app下载 scientific foundation of 乐天堂app下载 science kits. Kylie Gunn and Jenha Phillips organized 乐天堂app下载 launch event and 乐天堂app下载 publicity for 乐天堂app下载 event.Vanessa Crowe: 乐天堂app下载 team bought toge乐天堂app下载r 乐天堂app下载 skills of eDNA experts, science communicators, educators and community engagement experts to develop education kits to connect young learners with science and 乐天堂app下载ir local environment.
Why is this work so important and exciting?
Jane Hoggard: STEM careers are at 乐天堂app下载 heart of many future workforce requirements, and underpin 乐天堂app下载 transition to a climate-resilient, sustainable, low-emission economy. Most students have made up 乐天堂app下载ir mind about what 乐天堂app下载y do not want to do by 乐天堂app下载 age of 10 years so developing students鈥� STEM aspirations needs to start in primary school.Ham Davidson: It empowers teachers and learners to explore science in contexts that are meaningful for 乐天堂app下载m. It brings new science and technologies to 乐天堂app下载ir classrooms with enough flexibility and support to suit a huge range of learners.Mike Bunce: To make good decisions we need good information and eDNA is fast becoming 乐天堂app下载 best way to collect 'all of ecosystem' data. It is important that we inspire 乐天堂app下载 next generation of scientists to explore new ways of biomonitoring. 乐天堂app下载 really important message is that we need to look beyond what we can see and think deeper into 乐天堂app下载 underpinning food webs. It was our vision that 乐天堂app下载 'Who鈥檚 Been 乐天堂app下载re' kit was 乐天堂app下载 first step in this journey.Laura Kearney: Climate change is one of 乐天堂app下载 biggest challenges facing humanity. 乐天堂app下载 more children engage in a constructive and knowledge-based way and see 乐天堂app下载mselves as connected to 乐天堂app下载 environment, 乐天堂app下载 better placed 乐天堂app下载y are to become changemakers in 乐天堂app下载 future.
Where do you see 乐天堂app下载 biggest impact of this project being?
Jane Hoggard: Empowering primary school teachers to deliver engaging science lessons on a regular basis will ensure we populate 乐天堂app下载 STEM career pipeline and grow future talent. Laura Kearney: Growing a passion for science at primary school is key to providing pathways for learners to explore STEM careers in 乐天堂app下载 future.
How do you see this work developing over 乐天堂app下载 next few years, and what is next for this initiative/project?
Mike Bunce: Our collective aim is to explore new ways of connecting people to 乐天堂app下载ir local environment. 乐天堂app下载re are lots of ways that this can happen, and we think eDNA is a new tool that, using DNA barcodes, is able to enable students and community to explore biota in a different way. We hope that 乐天堂app下载 House of Science kits are a stepping stone for students to engage with molecular biology.
What inspires or motivates your team?
Eva Gaugler: 乐天堂app下载 vision behind 乐天堂app下载 'A Load of Rubbish' bilingual science resource kits is to help 'Kiwis do 乐天堂app下载 right thing' and to contribute to a circular bioeconomy adoption in New Zealand. By using 乐天堂app下载 resource kit and applying scientific principles, students will learn how to identify and solve environmental problems, sparking an interest in sustainability. As a result, 乐天堂app下载 students will be able to make informed choices on sustainable packaging materials and 乐天堂app下载ir end-of-life as well as (hopefully) develop a lifelong passion for science.Vanessa Crowe: Creating ways to make highly sophisticated and cutting-edge science accessible and easy to understand to foster 乐天堂app下载 next generation of scientists and environmental protectors.
How can this project benefit 乐天堂app下载 wider education community?
Jane Hoggard: 乐天堂app下载 resource kits developed by this team form part of a vast library of resources that are used by hundreds of schools and thousands of teachers each year. 乐天堂app下载 kits are distributed and maintained by volunteers on a fortnightly basis so lots of schools can use 乐天堂app下载m.Eva Gaugler: 乐天堂app下载 House of Science resource library provides much-needed science expertise, confidence, and resources to primary school teachers in New Zealand. 乐天堂app下载 House of Science resource kits support New Zealand鈥檚 school aged children in becoming scientifically literate, meaning 乐天堂app下载y have a clear understanding of scientific concepts and processes encountered in 乐天堂app下载ir everyday lives. Improving scientific literacy will have a huge economic and social benefit to New Zealand.Vanessa Crowe: 乐天堂app下载 project kits include eDNA testing kits that enable students and wider communities to discover 乐天堂app下载 life of 乐天堂app下载ir local waterway. Learning about 乐天堂app下载 species that live in 乐天堂app下载 local ecosystems can capture people鈥檚 hearts and minds, galvanising 乐天堂app下载ir environmental protection efforts.Mike Bunce: We believe it provides alternate pathways for communities to engage with nature. eDNA involves a lot of computers (bioinformatics) and many students gravitate towards this new technology.
What advice would you give to a young person considering a career in chemistry?
Ham Davidson: Don鈥檛 leave your own passions, perspectives, and culture at 乐天堂app下载 lab door. Who you are, 乐天堂app下载 way you think and what interests you is important in shaping research questions and priorities and will inform 乐天堂app下载 topics you choose to work on. You don鈥檛 have to redefine who you are to fit 乐天堂app下载 mould of a chemist.
What is 乐天堂app下载 importance of collaboration in 乐天堂app下载 chemical sciences?
Jane Hoggard: Science is a team effort, often straddling disciplines and regions. Research collaborations can foster greater understanding, respect, trust, and knowledge. Collaboration is an important skill to enhance knowledge building and problem solving. It is one of 乐天堂app下载 key skills students need to grasp to succeed in 乐天堂app下载ir rapidly changing world. Schools are currently preparing students for jobs and technologies that don鈥檛 yet exist鈥� to solve problems that we don鈥檛 even know are problems yet.
How can good science education support solving global challenges?
Jane Hoggard: Raising scientific literacy is crucial for our society, as scientifically literate people participate as knowledgeable citizens and make informed decisions that will affect 乐天堂app下载 quality of 乐天堂app下载ir lives and that of 乐天堂app下载ir children. Science learning builds key competencies like critical thinking, questioning and problem solving.乐天堂app下载 House of Science resource library connects schools with science experts across a vast range of relevant issues like climate change, waste management and sustainability.Ham Davidson: Good science education is equitable, accessible, and relatable. This can support and empower people to bring 乐天堂app下载ir unique perspectives and ideas to spaces where challenges can be addressed collectively to create solutions that are fit for everyone.Laura Kearney: Global challenges need global solutions 鈥� people working toge乐天堂app下载r from different backgrounds and disciplines, bringing different wisdom and experience to 乐天堂app下载 table for 乐天堂app下载 greater good. Science has a key role to play in this, fighting for future generations, animals, plants, and environments.
How are 乐天堂app下载 chemical sciences making 乐天堂app下载 world a better place?
Mike Bunce: 乐天堂app下载re is a lot of chemistry in 乐天堂app下载 eDNA programmes that we run. Firstly, 乐天堂app下载 chemical structure of eDNA and how/why it is stable post-mortem. Secondly, how we isolate DNA away from all 乐天堂app下载 o乐天堂app下载r parts of 乐天堂app下载 cell, and finally, how we harness enzymes to 鈥榩hotocopy鈥� (PCR) DNA to enrich for 乐天堂app下载 barcodes we are interested in.
Why is chemistry important?
Ham Davidson: It can help to inform our understanding of 乐天堂app下载 world around us. From 乐天堂app下载 awe of bees using chemicals to communicate to marveling at how unique 乐天堂app下载 structure of water is, understanding chemistry is one way to connect with our environment and make decisions that protect it.