A project of the Kiwanis Club of Roto Whenua Incorporated and BOP Science Fair Incorporated.

NIWA Bay of Plenty Science & Technology Fair

Rotorua Convention Centre, Fenton St, Rotorua 
Thursday 26 - Friday 27 August, 2010

This major event for the Western Bay of Plenty region is co-ordinated by the Kiwanis Club of Roto Whenua. NIWA is the major sponsor and judging is overseen by members of the Royal Society. Entries are received from schools in Taupo, Reporoa, Rotorua, Tauranga, Katikati and Mt. Muanganui.

NIWA is a major sponsor of the Auckland, Waikato, Wellington, Nelson, and Bay of Plenty Science & Technology Fairs. This sponsorship is part of a long term commitment to enhancing science and technology for young New Zealanders. As part of this commitment, NIWA also sponsors the NIWA Discovery Room, an interactive marine discovery centre at Kelly Tarleton's Underwater World.

The Royal Society was founded by Charles II in England in 1660, to promote research in to science and technology. The Royal Society has participated in and funds many research projects in areas of geophysics, astronomy, medicine, biology, chemistry and the establishment of standards in areas of weights and measures. The Royal Society has played a very significant role in the history and development of the science and technology that now dominates modern life.

The Royal Society of New Zealand branches normally coexist with universities or research centres within our larger centres. Membership is open to any person with an interest in science.

Realise the Dream
Realise the Dream – The National School Science and Technology Awards

Realise the Dream is the acknowledgement and celebration of New Zealand’s finest examples of science research or technological development which has been carried out by school students. It is an integral part of the celebration of excellence of science and technology in New Zealand. The Royal Society is keen to build on this success and to further enhance the reputation of the event by ensuring all participants exhibit the excellence that is its hallmark.

Realise the Dream is the culmination of competitions such as regional science and technology fairs and ETITO Bright Sparks. It also is an opportunity for students who have carried out excellent research projects as part of their school work or in programmes such as CREST or to have this judged against the very best of New Zealand student’s work.

To participate in Realise the Dream students must reach a very high standard. To ensure this is the case the judging criteria is transparent, rigorous and is applied equitably to each of the nominated students.

From 2010 The Royal Society is going to raise this standard even higher to ensure the participants can be recognized as the very best of New Zealand’s school students and their work can be appropriately celebrated by the science and education sectors. The supreme winner of Realise the Dream will carry the mantle of the Prime Ministers Future Scientist.

Raising the standard may well mean the number of students involved in Realise the Dream will initially be less than in previous years. It will also mean that participants will be secondary school students (Year 9 - Year 13).

While the Royal Society will miss the involvement of some of the younger students that have participated in the past this new approach will ensure that we are celebrating the very best of New Zealand’s talent.

The activities at Realise the Dream will also reflect the excellence of these students. The programme will involve them in the exciting science and technology taking place in New Zealand and working with talented and inspirational people in these sectors.

Selection Process

From 2010 all secondary school students will have an opportunity to be nominated for Realise the Dream.  This means that nominations can come from a student’s teacher if they feel the student has undertaken an outstanding piece of science research or technological development. 

Nomination forms will be required to be sent to the Royal Society by mid October so that the Realise the Dream judging panel could read them thoroughly before the panel meeting takes place. An addition to the present judging process is the option for the Judging Panel to interview students to ensure they have a thorough understanding of their work.

 Awards

There will be three categories recognized at the Celebratory Awards function. They are the Genesis Energy Supreme Award, DairyNZ Outstanding Award and UNESCO Outstanding Award.   In recognition that getting to Realise the Dream is an award in itself each of the participating students will be acknowledged appropriately at the function. 

Students from Realise the Dream may be invited to attend international science and technology events, or be eligible for tertiary scholarships. 

Last updated 13th April 2010

 

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