Trustee Wanted

The RCW Eureka! Trust wishes to appoint an additional Trustee

 

The Rotary Club of Wellington (RCW) Eureka! Trust Board is seeking expressions of interest from suitably qualified people for appointment as a Trustee for a period of up to 3 years.

Capabilities sought
The successful candidate will demonstrate the following capabilities to a high standard

  • Sales and marketing
  • Business, entrepreneurship and innovation in science and/or technology
  • Influence and personal communication skills within an extensive network

The Board seeks to ensure it achieves an appropriate ethnic and gender balance to reflect the broad community it works with.

The position
This is a voluntary position involving attendance at 6 Board meetings a year in Wellington. Travel costs for Trustees from outside Wellington are reimbursed. The person who is appointed as a Trustee may also be appointed to Board sub-committees to assist with the development of the Eureka! Programme of activities.

The overwhelming reward for participation is the knowledge that the Trust is delivering outcomes which are fundamental to the future of New Zealand.

Eureka! Purpose
“To increase young New Zealanders interest in STEM subjects and to foster young leaders who, through their knowledge of science, technology, engineering or mathematics, persuasive communication skills and their entrepreneurial vision, will make "New Zealand, the most beautiful, stimulating and exciting place in the world in which to live"

Events & Activities
The RCW Eureka! Trust works closely with partners and sponsors to deliver programmes and activities aimed at engaging and enthusing young New Zealanders about the vital importance of STEM in our economy and society including:

  • Junior Eureka! (Years 4-8) – enabling, encouraging and enthusing young students to talk with confidence about science and technology
  • Eureka STEM Video Awards (Years 7-13) – mini-documentaries which demonstrate how science and technology is relevant to local communities
  • Sir Paul Callaghan Eureka! Awards (Years 9-13 and tertiary undergraduate) - encouraging young leaders to show how STEM can benefit New Zealand’s economic, environmental and social wealth and wellbeing

Prizes and Scholarships for tertiary study worth more than $100,000 are awarded each year to students who compete in the Sir Paul Callaghan Eureka! Awards.

The Eureka! Trust
The RCW Eureka! Trust was established by the Rotary Club of Wellington in 2013 and is the recipient of Vice-Regal Patronage from Her Excellency Dame Patsy Reddy the Governor General of New Zealand.

The new Trustee will be joining a group of highly experienced, qualified and respected existing Trustees including

·         Dr Russ Ballard CNZM former DG Ministry of Education and Chancellor Massey University

·         Lee Wilkinson, Communicate Consultants

·         John Boshier FIPENZ, Board member on various boards

·         Anthony Scott, CE Science New Zealand and Past DG Rotary D9940

·         Dr Jim Callaghan, former School Teacher and brother of the late Sir Paul Callaghan

·         Evan Brenton-Rule, Sir Paul Callaghan Eureka! Premier Award Winner 2013

More Information
More information about the Trust and the work of the Trust can be found at www.eureka.org.nz

Registration of Interest Process
Potential Trustees should register their interest in being considered for appointment by emailing their CV and a brief statement outlining the relevance of their experience for the position we are seeking to fill to

Francis Wevers
National Convenor
RCW Eureka! Trust
convenor@eureka.org.nz

Closing Date
The closing date for expressions of interest is Friday 31 March 2017

 

 

 

 

Sir Paul Callaghan Eureka! Awards

The Sir Paul Callaghan Eureka! Awards were initiated to identify young people who would follow in the footsteps of one of New Zealand’s most renowned scientists and science communicators, the late Sir Paul Callaghan.

Participating students (Year 9 secondary up to tertiary undergraduate) prepare and deliver a 12-minute presentation on an application of science, technology, engineering or mathematics which they believe will add value to New Zealand’s economy, social well-being and/or environment. The best presentations are selected to participate in the National Finals Symposium held in September in Wellington.

Prior to the National Finals Regional Competitions are held in the main university centres and a parallel Virtual Region ensures every student in New Zealand has an opportunity to participate.

At the Regional and Virtual Region Competitions students’ presentations are a 6-minute summary of the 12-minute presentation they intend to deliver at the National Finals. Students can submit (and Teachers can assess) these presentations for several NCEA Achievement Standards credits.

Each National Finalist receives a $1500 Merit Award. In addition, the top two Secondary School and top two Undergraduate presentations receive Highly Commended Awards worth a total of $5000 (inclusive of the Merit Award).

The Premier Award of $10,000 (inclusive) and the Trophy are awarded to the presentation judged the best of the year by a panel of outstanding Judges including Dr Michelle Donaldson, Kim Hill, Dr Russ Ballard, Dr William Rolleston and Professor Kate McGrath.

The Premier Award is presented by our Vice-Regal Patron, HE Rt Hon Dame Patsy Reddy at the Awards Dinner hosted at Government House.

Junior Eureka!

Junior Eureka’s primary aim is to enable, encourage and engage young students to talk about science, technology, engineering and mathematics, with knowledge and confidence, to their classmates, friends and families. The secondary aim of Junior Eureka is to prepare students to participate and do well in the Sir Paul Callaghan Eureka Awards.

The students that participate in the Junior Eureka program will be presented with a certificate to recognise their achievement.

The Junior Eureka programme is designed to be integrated into teachers’ existing science curriculum and to be flexible in how they want to do science. It is fundamental to participation in this programme that teachers feel free to exercise as much creativity and flexibility as they need to ensure that students are fully engaged and excited about what they are doing. The Trust is happy to supply (where possible) Eureka alumni, who have all been finalists or scholarship winners in the Sir Paul Callaghan Eureka Awards, to assist teachers in their investigation or to talk about what the Alumni are doing with science. 

The Junior Eureka! programme has been carefully designed to ensure it reflects National Standards and the National Curriculum.

Eureka Trust