Scitec Expo Prizewinners Announced 

27 September 2022

Rai Valley Area School has gained special recognition for going the extra mile – in this case over sea – to participate in this year’s Cawthron Scitec Expo. 

When Rai Valley became isolated by flooding and slips in the two weeks leading up to this year’s expo, science teacher Lisa Hooker caught water taxis to meet with her students as they were completing their projects. Her property was still affected by slips when the expo rolled around on September 6, but she again caught a water taxi to bring the students and their projects to the expo. 

To recognise their efforts, the school received a Special Award sponsored by CNX for Overcoming Adversity, at the Scitec prizegiving presentation held at the Pūtangitangi Greenmeadows Centre in Stoke on 27 September. The prize came with a trophy and new handheld digital microscope for the school. 

Organisers said they were impressed by the lengths that Rai Valley Area School went to participate in the expo when they had more reason than most to withdraw from the event. One of their students, Electra Maisey, also received two awards; Highly Commended Science and the Aquaculture Award sponsored by Soroptimist International Nelson for her project, Ocean Temperature and Byssal Threads. 

Nayland College also received a prize, sponsored by the Nelson Institute, for the Best Collective Effort. Their students submitted 29 of the 57 projects in this year’s expo at Founders Park. 

This year’s four Supreme Awards – $500 cash and a trophy sponsored by Nelson Pine Industries, Ngāti Rārua, Plant & Food Research and Cawthron – went to Edward Henderson from Nelson College for his science project Krazy Kōura, Brooke Robinson from Waimea College for her research project, Why do we Dream, May Foy from Waimea College for his Radio Telescope technology project and Keshia Linyard for her art project, Fight or Flight. 

This was the last year of the Dick Roberts Memorial Trust Awards which went to Ra Edmonds (Nayland College) and Brooke Robinson (Waimea College). 

Several other prizes sponsored by Nelson Tasman Climate Forum, Nelson Regional Development Agency, Statistical Association of New Zealand, Soroptimist International Waimea, Nelson City Council, Tasman District Council, Forest and Bird, NMIT Te Pūkenga, Nelson Science Society and the Royal Aeronautical Society were awarded at the prizegiving.  

The full prize list is available here.  

To view and download photos from the prizegiving, click here. 

A sincere thanks to all the sponsors, schools, teachers and volunteer judges who make it possible for Cawthron to support and inspire our future generation in this way.  

Smiling woman holding a trophy in front of two pull up banners.

Lisa Hooker of Rai Valley Area School.

Three students holding trophies

Cawthron Scitec Supreme prize winners Edward Henderson, Keisha Linyard and Brooke Robinson.

Teenage boy holding a trophy in front of science boards and a science instrument.

Cawthron Scitec 2022 Supreme Technology Winner Max Foy.

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