Solar technology installed through the Trust Tairāwhiti School Pool Solar Project is becoming a hands-on learning tool for East Coast tauira (students).
The Trust invested $3.5m towards the school pool heating and resilience project. It has seen the installation of solar and battery systems at Tolaga Bay Area School & Kahukuranui, Hatea-a-Rangi, TKKM o Te Waiu and Te Waha o Rerekohu Area School, extending swimming seasons for tamariki and enabling kura to support their communities during power outages.
The Trust has partnered with Kia Kotahi Ako Trust to deliver Capturing Te Rā, an education programme that builds understanding of renewable energy and the solar technology installed at each kura.
“The kura now have solar arrays on their roofs, but they also need to build the fundamental understanding around how those systems can best work for them,” says Kia Kotahi Ako co-lead Nikora Ngaropo.
“Our role is to provide access to renewable energy understanding and the tools to apply it.”
Capturing Te Rā explores renewable energy through the story of Māui slowing the sun, connecting innovation and STEM with Te Ao Māori.
“We wanted to start from an indigenous lens when we looked at what would work here in Tairāwhiti,” says Kia Kotahi Ako co-lead Sarah Grant.
Kaiako (teachers) are supported to deliver the programme through practical training using Solar Suitcase kits.
In July, Nikora spent two days with kaiako at Hatea-a-Rangi in Tokomaru Bay, introducing the curriculum ahead of its rollout to tauira.
Resources are available in English and Te Reo Māori and can be adapted to incorporate local mātauranga (knowledge) and pūrākau (legends), and to cater to different learning levels.
Learning is already underway in Tolaga Bay, with Kahukuranui delivering Capturing Te Rā to Year 7 and 8 tauira.
Early feedback indicates tauira are asking thoughtful questions and connecting their learning with the technology around them.
“Tauira can see the solar heating their school pool in real life. It moves from being an abstract idea to something they can actually see,” says Sarah.
Kia Kotahi Ako is working towards developing lessons using live data from the solar systems, further connecting classroom learning with the systems operating at each kura.
“These are smaller communities that are quite isolated and vulnerable to weather events and power interruptions,” says Nikora.
“What Trust Tairāwhiti has enabled is something worthwhile that can be utilised by communities. Together, we’re looking at how we can make the most impact and create opportunities that communities can own.”