The purpose of this newsletter is to connect Aotearoa's students Years 7 - 13 (and their parents) with the varied, and often free, extra-curricular (EC) opportunities which arise from time to time. Join our mailing list.
* indicates a new addition.
click the drop-down arrow below for more details about each item
UPCOMING OPPORTUNITIES (Term 2, 2026)
Arts, Culture, & Fashion
*WoolOn Creative Fashion | Fashion
What? A fashion design competition, focussing particularly on the use of wool fibre.
Who? Anyone in NZ, nationwide (there are categories for U13, U18 and U25, and Novice).
When?
Entries are open now and close on 31 July. Garments are to be received by 14 August.
The awards ceremony takes place 29 August.
Where?
Entries are open to designers NZ nationwide.
Awards take place in Alexandra, Otago.
Cost? Free to enter. Tickets to the awards ceremony do come at a cost (discounted for entrants).
Apply as... An individual.
WoolOn is one of New Zealand’s iconic fashion events, encouraging both new and experienced designers to create visual, wearable pieces using New Zealand's most sustainable wool fibres.
*Pink Plaster Challenge (WoolOn) | Fashion
What? A fashion design competition, incorporating the use of WoolAid donated pink wool plasters.
Who? Primary and Secondary Students, NZ nationwide.
When?
Entries are open now and close on 31 July. Garments are to be received by 14 August.
The awards ceremony takes place 29 August.
Where?
Entries are open to designers NZ nationwide.
Awards take place in Alexandra, Otago.
Cost? Free to enter. Tickets to the awards ceremony do come at a cost (discounted for entrants).
Apply as... An individual, pair or group.
*48Hours | Arts (film)
What? NZ's largest guerrilla filmmaking competition. Teams of filmmakers having just 48 hours to write, shoot, and cut a film with a given genre and a a collection of assigned elements.
Who? School students of all ages (there are student prize categories).
When?
Entries are open now and close on 29 July.
The competition takes place 31 July - 2 August.
Where? There are four regions to register in:
Tamaki Mākaurau / Auckland
Te Whanganui-a-Tara / Wellington
Ōtautahi / Christchurch
Across Aotearoa
Cost? $225 per team (earlybird, before 1 July) or $265 per team. As a school team, you're entitled to register an additional team for free.
Apply as... A group of students.
*Album Art competition (Play it Strange) | Arts (design & visual art)
What? An album art competition, seeking 4 artworks to feature as the cover art for the Play It Strange competition albums.
Who? Secondary school students in NZ.
When? Entries are open now and close on 3 August.
Where? NZ nationwide.
Cost? Free to enter.
Apply as... An individual.
Walk the Line | Fashion
What? A fashion design show for youth in Auckland.
Who? Students aged 13 - 18
Where? Shed 10, Auckland
When?
Entries are now open, and close 26 June.
The Dress Rehearsel and Event take place in August.
Cost? $80 (if selected in the top 60)
Apply as... An individual.
Walk the Line provides a platform for young aspiring fashion designers, and many participants have utilised this to forge successful careers within the fashion industry.
OnScreen National Short Filmmaking Challenge | Arts (film)
What? A short filmmaking competition for young creatives in NZ.
Who? Students Years 7 - 13
Where? Nationwide.
When?
Registrations are open now, and final film submissions are due in September.
Register early and get access to free mentoring, workshops and filmmaking opportunities throughout the year.
Cost? Free.
Apply as... A group or an individual.
OnScreen is a challenge for kiwi students to create an original short film, documentary or music video of up to 7 minutes.
OnScreen is free to enter and open to all intermediate and high school students across Aotearoa. Its goal is to facilitate students learning new skills, trying new things and taking on creative leadership. Students are encouraged to run their production like a real film set and learn how to be a Director, Producer, Screenwriter, Cameraperson, Audio Technician, Editor, Lighting Technician, Performer and Animator.
The total prize pool is over $12,000, with various categories and age divisions.
Registrations are open now, and filmmaking tools, workshops and mentoring is available for students as soon as they register.
Bandquest | Arts (music)
What? NZ's premiere live music event, encouraging aspiring musicians onto the stage.
Who? Students Years 1 - 8.
Where? Nationwide.
When?
Entries open on 30 April.
Regional finals take place across the country, in August or September.
Cost? Free.
Apply as... A group of 3 - 10 students.
Thousands of dollars of prizes are up for grabs.
The kaupapa is to encourage Primary and Intermediate aged musicians onto the stage; learning through experience and developing their performance skills alongside their teamwork, communication, goal-setting and leadership skills.
Rockshop Bandquest is designed for students who are not quite at the point of writing their own songs yet, to give them a chance to get up on stage and get a taste for it. Entrants get to perform in a supportive and encouraging competition format, with a focus on education, inspiration, and entertainment.
Play It Strange | Arts (songwriting)
Play it Strange is a NZ organisation which encourages young songwriters to write, record and perform their own songs.
They have a number of fantastic songwriting competitions coming up.
Waiata Māori Competition
What? A songwriting competition inviting young people to share their kōrero and bring reo rangatira to life through waiata.
Who? Students Years 9 - 13.
When? The deadline for entries is 28 June.
Where? Nationwide.
Cost? Free to enter.
Apply as... An individual.
National Songwriting Competition 2026
What? A songwriting competition for junior aspiring song-writers in New Zealand.
Who? Students Years 9 - 13.
When? The deadline for entries is 26 July.
Where? Nationwide.
Cost? Free to enter.
Apply as... An individual.
Enter these competitions by submitting your details, a recording of your song and the lyric sheet. The recording and performance quality of the entry is not taken into account in the judging process.
This year's competitions will be judged by a panel of judges. All finalists will have their song recorded in a professional recording studio, and feature on to the 2026 Junior Songwriting Competition digital album (or another digital album). Prizes also include 1:1 mentor sessions with one of the competition judges, performance at Play It Strange's annual awards, a $10,000 music video package thanks to NZ on Air, and artist development sessions.
Environment & the Outdoors
None this month - check back next month.
Leadership, Community, & Activism
*Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting | Community (Politics), Activism
What? A three-day event providing an opportunity for high school students to immerse themselves in international relations and develop a greater understanding of world issues.
Who? Years 11, 12 and 13 students, anywhere in NZ.
When?
Registrations are open now and close on 7 August.
The event takes place 26 - 28 August.
Where? New Zealand Parliament Buildings, Wellington
Cost? $200 (earlybird) or $225. Scholarships are available to cover the cost of the event fee, and also to cover flights/transport to and from Wellington.
Apply as... An individual.
Student CHOGM is Commonwealth Youth’s annual flagship event. The three-day event is rife with debate, discussion, and personal development.
During SCHOGM, students from across Aotearoa New Zealand will meet at a conference and represent a Commonwealth country, acting as their Head of Government or Foreign Minister. The conference is designed for students to steer through political crises, and grapple with grave concerns facing today's Commonwealth countries.
*GirlBoss: Tech for Good | Leadership & Community, Technology
What? A fully-funded, online, 10-day accelerator programme, designed for young women who are passionate about technology.
Who? Young women aged 15 - 21 with a passion for Technology, Business, Engineering, Innovation, or Social Impact.
Where? Nationwide, online.
When?
Applications for the programme are open now and close 21 June.
The programme takes place from 3 July to 12 July.
Cost? Free (fully-funded).
Apply as... An individual.
*The GirlBoss Awards | Leadership & Community
What? A nationwide search for trailblazing young women in NZ, with over $15,000 in prizes up for grabs.
Who? Young women aged 11 - 18.
Where? Split into...
Canterbury Awards.
Nationwide Awards.
When? Applications for the awards are open now and close 2 August.
Cost? Free to apply or nominate.
Apply as... An individual.
The GirlBoss Awards highlight young women who are defying stereotypes and creating positive change in their communities. We're on the hunt for inspiring young leaders, facilitators, role models, and innovators who are pushing the boundaries and blazing new trails.
Awards categoies include the Trailblazer award, Inclusion award, Sport award, Arts & Culture award, Innovation award, Community award, and STEM award. Each category's winner will receive a $1,000 cash grant.
Mathematics
*NZ Engineering Science Competition | Science (Engineering & Biomedical), Maths
What? A problem solving event for teams of senior secondary students with an interest in Maths or Science.
Who? Years 12 and 13 Maths or Science students.
When?
Registrations are open now and close 31 July.
The competition takes place 8 August.
Where? NZ nationwide.
Cost? Free to enter.
Apply as... A group of 3 or 4 students from the same school. Note, you will need a teacher at your school to supervise you and manage registration.
The annual New Zealand Engineering Science competition is a problem solving event for teams of senior secondary students organised by the University of Auckland's Department of Engineering Science and Biomedical Engineering.
On the day of the competition, teams will receive an open-ended science-related question. No specialist knowledge will be required to understand the question. However, a good range of problem-solving skills will be required to formulate an appropriate answer.
The Pullan prize for first place comes with $1,000 for each team member (and $500 for their supervising teacher). Two runner-up teams will be identified, with each team member getting $500 (plus $500 for the supervising teacher).
*NZ Mathematical Olympiad | Mathematics
What? A NZ and international Maths competition.
Who? Secondary school students.
When?
Round 1: A take home exam which will be open 1 July - 15 July.
Round 2: A three hour exam in August or September (participation in Round 2 is by invitation only, based on the results of Round 1).
Where? NZ nationwide.
Cost? Free to enter.
Apply as... An individual.
Participation in Round 1 is open to any New Zealand student. There is no need to pre-register for the NZMO1. To participate simply download the problems from this website once they are released and submit your solutions, rough work and contact details through the online form before the deadline.
Awards for the NZMO (gold/silver/bronze/honourable mention) will be made based on the results of Round 2.
In addition, the results of both rounds of the NZMO will be used to select about 30 students to participate the following year in:
January NZMOC Training Camp, to be held in January
Female and Non-Binary Camp, to be held in May
The training camp is the first step in the selection process to choose the team of six students to represent New Zealand at the International Mathematical Olympiad, (IMO).
Problem-solving, Innovation, & Business
*Tournament of Minds | Problem-solving
What? A problem solving program for teams of students from both primary and secondary years.
Who? Students Years 5 - 11.
When?
Registration closes Term 3, week 2. On the leadup to this, there are a number of workshops about TOM.
Regional finals take place across the country on 29 August.
Where? Nationwide.
Cost? $350 per school, and $75 per extra team.
Apply as... A group of students. Note that participation in this competition is via school only. If you are interested as a parent or student, check whether your school intends to participate this year.
Challenge disciplines include Language Literature, Social Sciences, STEM, and The Arts. A short, snappy, Spontaneous Challenge is also competed in on Tournament Day.
Teams of 5-7 students work collaboratively over six weeks to create a response to a given challenge in their chosen discipline. They then present their solution in a dramatic presentation at one of the Regional Tournaments in Auckland, Wellington, Palmerston North, or Christchurch.
Winners of each division and discipline are then invited to attend the National TOM Tournament held in Wellington at the end of Term 3. Winners of the National Tournament are invited to attend the TOM International Final held in Darwin, Australia, in late October.
Samsung: Solve for Tomorrow | Technology & STEM, Problem-solving & Innovation
What? A competition encouraging young people to use STEAM and design-thinking to solve a problem in their community.
Who? Students Years 7 - 13
When?
Entries are open now.
Project Plan deadline (optional, for feedback): 12 June.
Entries close: 18 September.
Where? Nationwide.
Cost? Free to enter.
Apply as... An individual or a group of students.
Solve for Tomorrow is a nationwide competition challenging New Zealand’s next generation of innovators to unleash their creativity and use STEAM to help improve their communities.
Delivered in partnership with MOTAT and TENZ, the finalists will share $24,000 in prizes, including prize money and Samsung technology for them, their teacher and school.
Science
*NZ Engineering Science Competition | Science (Engineering & Biomedical), Maths
What? A problem solving event for teams of senior secondary students with an interest in Maths or Science.
Who? Years 12 and 13 Maths or Science students.
When?
Registrations are open now and close 31 July.
The competition takes place 8 August.
Where? NZ nationwide.
Cost? Free to enter.
Apply as... A group of 3 or 4 students from the same school. Note, you will need a teacher at your school to supervise you and manage registration.
The annual New Zealand Engineering Science competition is a problem solving event for teams of senior secondary students organised by the University of Auckland's Department of Engineering Science and Biomedical Engineering.
On the day of the competition, teams will receive an open-ended science-related question. No specialist knowledge will be required to understand the question. However, a good range of problem-solving skills will be required to formulate an appropriate answer.
The Pullan prize for first place comes with $1,000 for each team member (and $500 for their supervising teacher). Two runner-up teams will be identified, with each team member getting $500 (plus $500 for the supervising teacher).
*Prime Minister's Space Prize for Student Endeavour | Science (Space)
What? A prize for a student with a science, technology, or engineering project related to space or advanced aviation. The winner will receive $50,000 to use towards their tertiary education in NZ.
Who? Years 12 and 13 students in NZ.
When? Applications are open now and close 30 September.
Where? NZ nationwide.
Cost? Free to apply.
Apply as... An individual
Technology, Computer Science & STEM
*GirlBoss: Tech for Good | Leadership & Community, Technology
What? A fully-funded, online, 10-day accelerator programme, designed for young women who are passionate about technology.
Who? Young women aged 15 - 21 with a passion for Technology, Business, Engineering, Innovation, or Social Impact.
Where? Nationwide, online.
When?
Applications for the programme are open now and close 21 June.
The programme takes place from 3 July to 12 July.
Cost? Free (fully-funded).
Apply as... An individual.
Robocup | Technology & STEM (Robotics)
What? An underwater robotics competition for New Zealand school aged students.
Who? Students Years 3 - 13.
When & where?
Regionals take place around the country, in August - October (precise dates depend on the region).
Nationals take place in Malborough in November.
Cost? Costs vary and support is available - inquire to learn more.
Apply as... A school. Please note that participation in this competition is mainly through school. If you are interested as a parent or student, please check whether your school intends to participate this year.
Samsung: Solve for Tomorrow | Technology & STEM, Problem-solving & Innovation
What? A competition encouraging young people to use STEAM and design-thinking to solve a problem in their community.
Who? Students Years 7 - 13
When?
Entries are open now.
Project Plan deadline (optional, for feedback): 12 June.
Entries close: 18 September.
Where? Nationwide.
Cost? Free to enter.
Apply as... An individual or a group of students.
Solve for Tomorrow is a nationwide competition challenging New Zealand’s next generation of innovators to unleash their creativity and use STEAM to help improve their communities.
Delivered in partnership with MOTAT and TENZ, the finalists will share $24,000 in prizes, including prize money and Samsung technology for them, their teacher and school.
Writing, Literature & Speech
*CAM Spelling Bee | Spelling
What? A spelling and vocabulary competition.
Who? Students Years 5 - 8
When?
Entries are open on 8 June and close 14 August.
The competitions take place 31 August - 18 September.
Where? NZ nationwide.
Cost? There is an entry fee per student - inquire to find out more.
Apply as... An individual or group of students. Note that participation in this competition is via school, and there is a small fee involved. If you are interested as a parent/student, find out whether your school intends to participate this year.
*Te Pae Tawhiti Short Story Competition | Writing
What? A speculative fiction, short story, writing competition.
Who? Students Years 9 - 13.
When? Entries are open now and close 3 July.
Where? NZ nationwide.
Cost? Free to enter.
Apply as... An individual.
Cash prizes are on offer for the top stories in each age bracket. The winners will also get the opportunity to get recognition for their speculative fiction writing with prizes presented at an awards ceremony on 22 August at Gallaghers Performing Arts Centre, Hamilton.
Sargeson Prize - Short story competition | Writing
What? New Zealand's biggest short story prize, sponsored by the University of Waikato.
Who? Aspiring and emerging writers aged 16 - 18 (secondary schools division).
When? Entries are open now and close 30 June 2026.
Where? NZ nationwide.
Cost? Free to enter.
Apply as... An individual
Entries must be original pieces of work, under 3000 words. The prizes for the Secondary Schools Division are:
First Prize: $2,000
Second Prize: $1,000
Third Prize: $500
The winning story will also be published by Newsroom in its literary section 'ReadingRoom'. In addition, the winning author will be offered a one-week live-in summer residency at the University of Waikato (meals, accommodation, and travel fully-covered), to be taken up in January or February of the following year.
NZ Writers' College Short Story Competition | Writing
What? A short-story competition for emerging NZ writers.
Who? Unpublished writers aged 16 and up.
When?
Entries are open now and close 30 September (small entry fee).
Where? NZ nationwide.
Cost? $15 entry fee.
Apply as... An individual
The top three winners will collect cash prizes of $1,000, $500, and $250, and publication in an anthology of winning stories.