Trade Me teams up with the Wonder Project

Trade Me is proud to announce it has partnered with Engineering New Zealand on the Wonder Project.

Trade Me’s Chief Customer Officer Regan Savage said they loved the vision of the Wonder Project. “The Wonder Project’s aim is to get New Zealand kids, from all walks of life, excited about Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths (STEM) and to do it in a fun and engaging way.

“As a large technology employer we know that tech and other STEM fields have a diversity issue - we want to help get more kids interested in the opportunities these careers provide. The Wonder Project’s ambition is to be in 2,500 New Zealand schools in the next five years and we’re really excited to put our weight behind such a worthy goal.”

The Wonder Project has three programmes; the Rocket Challenge where year 5-8 kids create a rocket from a bottle to blast into the sky above their school, the Community Challenge which will ask year 7-10 students to solve a problem in their community using STEM principles and the STEM careers programme for students getting ready to leave school to meet interesting STEM professionals and visit workplaces that interest them before making decisions on what they’ll study at University.

Engineering New Zealand Chief Executive Susan Freeman Greene says she’s thrilled to have Trade Me on board as key sponsor. “We’re really pleased to have a sponsor of Trade Me’s calibre committed to this project, which is all about exciting and inspiring the next generation.”

“We see TradeMe as a genuine partner in our goal to spark wonder in science, technology, engineering and maths from an early age, to build confidence and help all young Kiwis realise they can achieve remarkable things. Our Wonder Project is all about inspiring tomorrow’s innovators – about switching children on to the possibilities that science, technology, engineering and maths offer.

“New Zealand desperately needs more engineers, as well as more professionals in all the STEM fields. Creating a strong pipeline of young people into these careers is critical for our future. And it’s also critical that these industries embrace diversity and welcome everyone.

“At the moment the Rocket Challenge is in 460 classes, with 450 Ambassadors working alongside the teachers and 13,500 kids – 30% of whom are Māori or Pasifika and 50% are girls.

“We’re planning to expand the Wonder Project into every New Zealand intermediate and primary school over the next few years.”

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