SouthSci Fund Extended for 2017 in South Auckland

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Community Science Project Fund Extended for 2017 in South Auckland

December 2nd, 2016

COMET Auckland and The Auckland STEM Alliance are pleased to announce that the Participatory Science Platform: South Auckland pilot (known locally as SouthSci), is open again in 2017: and accepting applications for projects until the 3rd March.

In 2016 the fund kick-started eight participatory science projects, of which Project Manager, Dr Sarah Morgan says “built upon the first projects in 2015, with new science topics, new STEM business and academics, and some amazing new project leads”. The 2016 projects were:

• Unitec with Dawson, Bairds & Rongomai primary schools looking at weta on school grounds, & DNA sequencing of their poo!

• Rongomai Primary with the Liggins Institute (University of Auckland) analysing and re-designing their morning fitness programme

• Manurewa High School working with the Liggins Institute (University of Auckland) looking at exercise for reducing diabetes risk

• Papatuanuku Kokiri Marae and Koru Primary in collaboration with Sustainable Coastlines, analysing the distribution and type of litter, and marine-litter origins

• Conifer Grove School and Food Scientists investigating healthy food consumption in their school, and artificial food additives

• Aorere College and Wai Care investigating macroinvertebrate species diversity in soft and hard-bottomed local awa

• Te Wharekura o Manurewa and Waikato University investigating water quality in the Puhinui awa and its effect on marine organisms

• Alfriston College investigating the use of waste materials as sustainable building resources

In 2017 the group are inviting people, both community-based and science/STEM industry alike, to apply for up to $20,000 to run a science research project in collaboration between a community group in South Auckland and Science or STEM professionals.

Morgan says “the SouthSci team are really excited for 2017 – the projects we had in 2016 were fantastic, we can only imagine the ideas that will come forward this year”.

Nick Pattison, project lead in 2016 at Rongomai Primary, says “doing a SouthSci project completely changed my teaching: it showed me how my students can identify their own relevant issues and get them support to do a real investigation with professional scientists. The project gave authentic meaning to the teaching of other subjects like numeracy and literacy and showed me the amazing possibility for such a teaching approach”.

The projects from 2016 are highlighted in a showcase document available for download from the COMET Auckland website, and project event days are featured on the project twitter account @SouthSci.

More information can be found at www.cometauckland.org.nz/SouthSci

ENDS

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