Techweek NZ at Rangi Ruru

Organised by our Head of Innovation and Entrepreneurship, Owen Flattery, TechWeek NZ was a great opportunity to expose students to just some of the limitless possibilities of tech and provide fun and accessible ways to learn these new skills and ways of thinking. Students experienced VR gaming, created augmented reality for social media, and even coded to create music.

Students embraced Techweek with a range of activities and initiatives running throughout the school—and the launch of two exciting new programmes to foster entrepreneurial and tech skills.

The programmes were the Academy for Enterprising Students and Deloitte Grow – Wāhine in Tech. The Academy for Enterprising Students is a 10-week after school programme for students in Years 7 to 11 designed to foster tech-centric entrepreneurial and business skills.

The four week Deloitte Grow Wāhine in Tech programme aims to develop tech, human and entrepreneurial skills for young wāhine and was facilitated by two Rangi Ruru alumnae who now work at the global consulting agency. This opportunity saw a Year 13 Te Ara class pilot the initiative for New Zealand, coming up with tech solutions which were pitched to Deloitte staff in the Chirstchurch office.

Year 13 student Lily Pringle also instigated a donate-a-device drive to collect unused laptops and tablets for refurbishment by Aotearoa charity Recycle a Device (RAD). RAD will donate these restored devices to those in need.