Curious Minds South Auckland

Our mission is to show young people the value of science skills and to highlight career pathways through collaboration with local STEAM businesses, researchers and engineers.

Our vision is for all south Auckland children to be leaders in science, technology, engineering, arts, mathematics and mātauranga Māori (STEAM). We champion STEAM education & innovation through community-focused, project-based learning.

Curious Minds South Auckland is an initiative of Te Hononga Akoranga COMET and the NZ Government’s Curious Minds – He Whenua Hihiri i te Mahara participatory science platform.

WHAT WE OFFER #

The Curious Minds South Auckland fund supports community-based STEAM research and design projects. We offer:

Funding grants of up to $20,000 (ex GST)
Advice and in-depth support to develop your funding application
Connections with educators, STEAM professionals and community partners
Ongoing project support
Learning and networking opportunities for Curious Minds project participants

WHAT WE ARE LOOKING FOR #

Anyone can apply for Curious Minds funding. We are looking for research projects that are:

Community-driven – projects that are locally relevant and involve community members
Connected with the STEAM industry – project participants work collaboratively with STEAM professionals and practitioners, making the most of their local and technical knowledge to generate new scientific and/or technological outputs. We support all areas of STEAM, including kaupapa Māori and Pasifika-led research and mātauranga Māori.
Educational – projects that offer enduring educational value for the young people involved and two-way learning between the wider community and science partners.

Projects must be based primarily within the eligible funding area shown on the map at left.

Not based in the eligible funding area? In 2022, Te Hononga Akoranga COMET launched a similar initiative in west Auckland focused especially on increasing STEAM engagement amongst Pacific Island students. Find out about WeSTEM and get in touch today if you’d like to know more.

If you’re a STEAM expert and are interested in supporting a Curious Minds South Auckland project, you can find out more here.

APPLICATION PROCESS #

Applications are assessed in multiple funding rounds throughout the year. Get your application in early for the best chances of being funded. Deadlines for applications in 2023 are:

Round 1: 27 February | Round 2: 27 March | Round 3: 15 May

To get started on your application, please submit an Expression of Interest form. This must be sent in at least 2 weeks before a funding deadline to be eligible for consideration in that funding round.

Find out more: