Kōhine who have been learning about technology through a series of wānanga created by Tōnui Collab were able to show off their skills in the field and give their whānau a first-hand experience of the kaupapa.
At the beginning of 2023, Tōnui Collab established a Kōhine Robotics kaupapa, in an attempt to address the under-representation of kōhine (young women) or wāhine Māori pursuing tech pathways in education or career.
This kaupapa invites kōhine Māori to collaboratively experiment with technology, develop confidence and new skills, and hear from wahine thriving in tech roles across the rohe me te ao (the region and the world).
Fifty kōhine from seven schools and kura from across te Tairāwhiti participated in the kaupapa. They came from Kawakawa Mai Tawhiti, Makarika, Hātea a Rangi, Māngātuna, Whāngārā, Pātūtahi and Gisborne Intermediate.
To celebrate the first year of this kaupapa and to create opportunities for more kōhine across te Tairāwhiti to learn about opportunities in tech,Tōnui hosted the Kōhine Robotics Expo on Friday.
Students from Ngā Uri a Māui, Horouta Wānanga, Hawaiiki Hou and Rerekohu schools also attended the expo to see what the other kura had been doing over the year.
“These young minds have dedicated countless hours to designing, building and programming robots. They have embraced teamwork, problem-solving, and STEMM learning to develop their projects. Now they are eager to demonstrate their accomplishments and share their passion with our hapori whānui,” said Tōnui Collab director Shanon O’Connor.
The expo was at Lawson Field Theatre and the day included a robotics “scrimmage” with the robots each rōpū made, along with activation stations where attendees could get a hands-on experience with different aspects of technology such as game developing, deconstructing technology, coding and robotics.
Māori Ward district councillor Aubrey Ria gave the opening karakia and spoke about the long line of problem-solvers and creatives from Tairāwhiti and Tūranganui-a-Kiwa, to inspire the kōhine.
There was also a panel kōrero with Renee Raroa from the Toha Network, Kate Allan from Digital Future Aotearoa and Jahmanique Chivers from Te Whatu Ora who all spoke about their mahi and the technology involved in it.
“Today is all about championing and celebrating the girls on their robotics journey,” Kiri Wilson, Tōnui teacher and MC of the expo, said.
Working in wānanga with the kōhine had been a great experience, she said. She had seen the growth in skills and confidence with robotics, and with their peers.
“Being able to watch them grow as a whole rōpū has been amazing. We have some really amazing engineers and testers in these groups. They are problem-solvers and we want them to be able to learn the skills in tech and be able to transfer that into their hapū and iwi.”
The kōhine were celebrated at an award ceremony that acknowledged them and the skills each person brought to the kaupapa.
“It was also about acknowledging your tīpuna and showing that they have embedded something special in you and they get to showcase that today for their whānau and kura,” Kiri said.
People involved with the overall kaupapa were invited to the expo.
They included Dr Warren Williams, the chair of Tōnui, who lives in Kirikiriroa Hamilton. He attended to tautoko the kaupapa.
“Seeing the next generation gives me energy and lifts me up — being in a space full of people wanting to learn about tech. They have the innovation and commitment to learning,” Dr Williams said.
He is also the CEO of 2020 Trust and on the Trust Tairāwhiti board. He has a focus in his mahi around encouraging more Māori, in particular rangatahi Māori and wāhine Māori, into the tech space.
“I learnt about Tōnui through Trust Tairāwhiti and saw Shanon in an online hui. The energy and this kaupapa drew me in. I asked how I could help and became a trustee of Tōnui, and now the chair.”
He said one aspect of the expo was about showing the whanau of the kōhine what they have been doing and explaining the possibilities of technology and broadening their understanding of it.
The sponsors were the Gattung Foundation, Internet NZ, Te Huarahi Tika Trust and Te Rūnanganui o Ngāti Porou.
The Kōhine Robotics kaupapa will continue next year. Anyone interested in joining can contact Tōnui on admin@tonuicollab.co