Ko te manu e kai ana i te miro, nōna te ngahere
Ko te manu e kai ana i te mātauranga, nōna te ao
- Te Kere Ngātaierua
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The bird that partakes of the miro berry, the forest is theirs
The bird that partakes of knowledge, the world is their oyster

Applications open now

Nōku Te Ao is a kaupapa that seeks to broaden the horizons of our Pūhoro rangatahi through international trips. These haerenga are designed to expose them to diverse STEM opportunities abroad and introduce them to other indigenous communities.

Through this kaupapa, we hope to inspire our rangatahi into expanding their STEM prospects beyond what they may have previously considered. For our rangatahi, engagement with other indigenous communities not only highlights the significant contributions they bring to the STEM landscape, but also reaffirms the value and uniqueness of their own tuakiritanga.

Previously known as Āmua Ao (supported by NZQA), this kaupapa has taken Pūhoro rangatahi to various destinations including Hawai'i, NASA (Houston, Texas), Singapore and Taiwan. Many of these tauira have gone on to pursue STEM tertiary study and are well on their way to becoming engineers, doctors, researchers, and other esteemed STEM professionals. They also continue to serve as ambassadors for Pūhoro, creating new STEMM pathways for their teina to follow.

Upcoming Trips

SINGAPORE

DECEMBER 4 - DECEMBER 13, 2026
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Year 13 Application Form Tertiary Application Form

Applications for positions on our Singapore trip are open from 15 July – 31 July, 2026.

12 Year 13 students and 3 Te Urunga Pae tertiary students will be selected to travel to Singapore to explore the STEMM landscape in a global hub and immerse themselves in local culture.

Previous Trips

Nōku TE AO SINGAPORE 2025
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"I came to Singapore expecting to learn about STEMM. I left with so much more. Hearing te reo Māori on the other side of the world made me incredibly proud of who I am. Nōku Te Ao helped me become more confident in my culture, pushed me outside my comfort zone, and showed me what's possible."

In December 2025, Pūhoro travelled to Singapore with 15 rangatahi Māori interested in pursuing careers in STEMM.

Throughout the week, students visited world-leading universities, innovative industries, and research organisations, gaining first-hand insight into the diverse opportunities available to them. Just as importantly, they strengthened their confidence, built lasting relationships, and experienced what it means to represent Aotearoa and te ao Māori on the world stage.

The experience reinforced that Māori perspectives have an important place in global STEMM and left students returning home with renewed motivation to pursue their goals while giving back to their communities.

HONEYWELL LEADERSHIP CHALLENGE ACADEMY

october 19 - Ocotber 26, 2024
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“Ahakoa he iti he pounamu – although the time was short, I made a lot of memories and friendships with new people. A highlight for me was when I was the commander of our mission and got to help fly the plane, landing it safely on the runway. I enjoyed being pushed out of my comfort zone and challenged to try new things.

For anyone considering an experience like this with Pūhoro keep an open-mind and soak it all in, because there is so much you can learn,” said Anizma-Jae Titoko Isaacs.

In October 2024 Bailee Morgan (Ngāpuhi, Ngāti Porou, Tainui – Auckland Girls' Grammar School – Ngā Tūmanako o Kahurangi), Bostyn Te Whaiti (Ngāti Kahungunu – Karamū High School), Anizma-Jae Titoko Isaacs (Ngāi Tahu, Ngāi Tūhoe – Hillcrest High School), Dustin Marshall (Tamahaki – Burnside High School), and Fletcher Lochhead (Ngāti Mutunga – Palmerston North Boys' High School) made up the first-ever cohort from Aotearoa to participate in the Honeywell Leadership Challenge Academy.

The programme is designed to provide real-world, hands-on activities in aerospace, astronautics, engineering, computing, and other STEM disciplines while developing leadership and teamwork skills.

We endeavour to make this an annual opportunity for Pūhoro rangatahi

Silicon Valley, San Francisco, USA

NoVEMBER 30 - December 9, 2024
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12 Year 13 students and 3 tertiary students were selected to travel to Silicon Valley in December of 2024.

They had the opportunity of a lifetime, immersing themselves in the STEMM industry with Google and Salesforce, exploring world-leading university Stanford, and being hosted at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, as well as connecting with iwi taketake as part of the Cultural Conservancy group at Heron Shadow.

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"Seeing NASA particularly behind the scenes refuelled my desire to become and engineer. Seeing the incredible science behind it all was the best experience."

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Female, Houston

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“It was cool listening to the way they do karakia here. After blessing the food we handed over the taonga that many of us had been wearing over the past few days and sang them a waiata which brought tears to one of the peoples eyes. That was a beautiful thing to see”

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Female, Hawaii

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“I couldn’t stop smiling. This experience made me want to learn my language and understand my culture. For so long I felt empty in a cultural sense because I didnt feel strongly connected to my culture or have a real sense of identity. Now I feel like I am starting that journey and I am so excited.”

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Female, Houston

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"We also had to say goodbye to Mana Vautier, I just think that it is awesome that a man of his status in the world of science (NASA) is interested in us. I aspire to be like him one day."

Male, Hawaii

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“I think that this experience has changed my life forever and has also left me wanting to learn more about my Māori culture and where I come from. It has enlightened something inside of me to want to keep fighting and protecting my culture.”

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Male, Houston

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"At the Wai’ope tide pools we got some kisses from the ocean (scrapes and bruises) and we got to see coral, kina and fish. It was awesome learning about peoples indigenous research methods about the loko’ia (fish ponds) and tidal pools."

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Male, Hawaii

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“This trip has changed my perspective on so many things. I love my culture and my land. I am so proud to be Māori. I’ve grown so much and want to immerse myself in my Māoritanga as much as I can.”

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Female, Houston

Applications open now

Upcoming Trips

Previous Trips

Contact Us

Nōku Te Ao

"

"Seeing NASA particularly behind the scenes refuelled my desire to become and engineer. Seeing the incredible science behind it all was the best experience."

"

“It was cool listening to the way they do karakia here. After blessing the food we handed over the taonga that many of us had been wearing over the past few days and sang them a waiata which brought tears to one of the peoples eyes. That was a beautiful thing to see”

"

"

"We also had to say goodbye to Mana Vautier, I just think that it is awesome that a man of his status in the world of science (NASA) is interested in us. I aspire to be like him one day."

"

“I think that this experience has changed my life forever and has also left me wanting to learn more about my Māori culture and where I come from. It has enlightened something inside of me to want to keep fighting and protecting my culture.”

"

"At the Wai’ope tide pools we got some kisses from the ocean (scrapes and bruises) and we got to see coral, kina and fish. It was awesome learning about peoples indigenous research methods about the loko’ia (fish ponds) and tidal pools."

"

“This trip has changed my perspective on so many things. I love my culture and my land. I am so proud to be Māori. I’ve grown so much and want to immerse myself in my Māoritanga as much as I can.”

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