Launched in 2016, Pūhoro was developed in response to national low engagement of Māori in STEM-related career pathways that subsequently leads to lower numbers of Māori representation in science and technology industries in Aotearoa. Pūhoro seeks to change this space and recognises that a STEM workforce is required for an innovation-focused future society.
Pūhoro is a hugely successful programme that helps Māori high school students excel in science, technology, engineering and maths is now being overseen by an independent Māori trust, which will strive to become a global exemplar at the interface of science and Indigenous knowledge.
The Pūhoro STEM Academy was set up at Massey University in 2016 to work with local high schools to accelerate Māori student success in STEM subjects, and prepare them for a smooth transition to tertiary study. Six years later, Pūhoro rangatahi are five times more likely than other Māori school leavers to transition from secondary to tertiary education at degree level.
In April, Education Minister Kelvin Davis announced a three-year funding package for Pūhoro to grow the number of students from 1,000 to 5000, and expand the programme to include at least two new regions annually.
Manahautū and Pūhoro founder Naomi Manu says that this development is years in the making noting that ‘we will continue to engage rangatahi and whānau in much the same way noting that enhancements to the kaupapa will come as we look to expand and grow’.