click the drop-down arrow below for more details about each item
NEW OPPORTUNITIES
Hyundai Pinnacle Programme Ages 15 - 18 Free Individual| Tags: leadership, youth development, STEM,
Hyundai NZ created the Pinnacle Programme to identify young New Zealanders with potential, develop their skills and nurture them to be this country’s next generation of leaders. The programme supports youth passionate about art, science, business, sport, music, film, performing arts, the environment or politics by providing a mentoring experience unique to each person.
Among other things, the programme involves taking a 10-day voyage on board the Spirit of New Zealand, a 21-day course at Outward Bound, and attending Kai Waho, a four day unique Māori, cultural and wilderness experience.
As part of the Hyundai Pinnacle Programme family, successful students are connected to a broad network of alumni and mentors to help guide them to lead significant, positive change and excel on the world stage.
Who? Aspiring leaders aged 15 - 18.
When? Applications for the October 2025 intake are open now, and close in September.
Where? NZ, nationwide.
More info here
Future Designers NZ - App Design competition Years 9 - 13 Free Individual | Tags: creative arts, design
Future Designers NZ is challenging you to design an app that you would like to use. It’s can be as serious or silly as you like but you need to explain what the app does and submit four screen mock-ups that illustrate its functionality or aesthetics.
There are no rules of what materials or technology you can use. This is entirely up to your creative intent, and what resources you have access to. You can design your app on paper or using any software you like.
There are cash prizes up for grabs for the winning entries.
Who? High school students.
When? Submissions are open now and close 19 September.
Where? NZ, nationwide.
Future Designers NZ - Comic competition Years 9 - 13 Free Individual | Tags: creative arts
Future Designers NZ is asking you to create your own comic book page.
You have to use their templates, but what goes in those panels is entirely up to you and your imagination!
You can take inspiration from any and everywhere! Your favourite animal, everyday life, song lyrics, a question, maybe even a catchphrase.
You can use any medium you want:
Pens
Pencils
Markers
Charcoal
Watercolours
Collage
Digital
Whatever inspires you to tell your own original story.
There are cash prizes up for grabs for the winning entries.
Who? High school students.
When? Submissions are open now and close 19 September.
Where? NZ, nationwide.
Create Happy Journalists - August intake Ages 13 to 24 Free Individual | Tags: journalism, writing, art, social justice
Create Happy Media is the largest youth-operated media outlet in Aotearoa. Their digital magazine amplifies young voices, offering diverse perspectives on social issues and inspiring positive change.
Their next intake of young journalists and artists/photographers is coming up in August.
Who? Aspiring writers and artists aged 13 - 24.
When? Ongoing.
Where? NZ, nationwide.
Summit - Otautahi Youth Business Conference Ages 15 to 24 Free Individual | Tags: entrepreneurship, leadership
The Summit 25 Youth Business Conference is back for the second year running! This conference aims to empower the next generation of business leaders by providing a unique platform for young entrepreneurs to grow their knowledge, skills, and confidence.
FREE for taiohi aged 15-24 to attend.
Keynote speakers include:
Darren Pratley - CSP Speaker of the Year
Alli Kennedy - founder of Sharenanigans
Who? Aspiring young entrepreneurs.
When?
Register by 11 July.
The event takes place 25 July.
Where? Papa Hou, Christchurch, Central City.
Christchurch Youth Council - General Membership Ages 15 to 24 Free Individual | Tags: local government, community
Christchurch Youth Council are excited to announce that applications are now open for new General Members! They are looking for passionate 12 – 24 year olds who want to help make Otautahi an awesome place for young people.
What will members get out of it?
Grow skills in leadership, public speaking, communication, finance, and more.
Gain training opportunities in areas that interest you.
Build experience for your CV and future mahi.
Form lasting friendships and connections.
Deepen your understanding of diverse communities and perspectives.
Who? Young Christchurch residents aged 12 or above, who are passionate about local communities/politics
When? Applications close 21 July.
Where? N/A.
NEW ACADEMIC/WRITING COMPETITION
NZ Programming Contest Years 9 to 13 Group| Tags: programming
The NZPC is an annual contest, held in August or September, and open to all programmers in New Zealand (with a separate category for school students).
The competition takes place 6 different locations across New Zealand (Auckland, Hamilton, Wellington, Christchurch, Dunedin, Invercargill). The dates and locations of the particular competitions can be found here.
The contest is for teams of up to 3 contestants who have 5 hours to solve problems on a single computer.
To solve a problem, a team must write a solution in one of the available languages (usually C#, C++, Java and Python) and submit it to the automatic judging system. If this solution gives the same output to all test cases as does the judge’s solution, then the problem is considered solved.
RANZCOG Liam and Frankie Davison Award 2025 Years 11 - 13 Free Individual | Tags: women's health, writing
Each year the Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (RANZCOG) invites senior secondary students residing in Australia or New Zealand to apply for the Liam and Frankie Davison Award for outstanding achievement in literary writing on Women’s Health.
This is a creative opportunity for a student who is interested in medicine, health science, politics, law, psychology, or sociology to submit a piece on any aspect of women’s health that interest them. Past entries include fictional stories, non-fiction essays or poems on topics ranging from disordered eating, gynaecological and reproductive issues to gendered violence.
All applications must include a completed application form and an original literary piece of not more than 1000 words on any topic of interest in women’s health (examples might include an opinion piece on a social issue, a short story or a report).
Up to two awards are offered each year; the winning entrant(s) will receive $1,000 in AUD or NZD as applicable, based on country of residence.
Who? Students Years 11 - 13.
When? Applications are open now, and close 31 August.
Where? NZ, Nationwide.
NZ Young Physicists' Tournament Years 12 or 13 Group| Tags: Physics
The New Zealand Young Physicists’ Tournament is a researched-based Physics team competition open to all New Zealand students studying NCEA level 3 Physics. A schools may enter up to two teams of three students. Schools can also combine to form a team so long as one of the teacher from those schools supports them.
The Tournament is organised by the New Zealand Young Physicists’ Trust. Through the tournament, the Trust aims to:
Encourage real world skills in critical thinking, problem solving, team work and genuine experimentation for Physics students
Provide a fun physics competition between schools (“a bit like debating, but there’s a point to it”)
Select and train a team to represent New Zealand at the International Young Physicists’ tournament.
Who? Physics enthusiasts studying NCEA Level 3 Physics.
When? The competition takes place in August.
Where? NZ, nationwide.
Registrations of interest here
More info here
NZAMT Senior Mathematics Competition Years 11 to 13 Free Individual or Group| Tags: academic competition, Mathematics
NZAMT's senior Mathematics competition returns in 2025.
This is a one-off 90-minute competition on Thursday, 31 July (term 3, week 3), open to individuals or groups of 2–3. Recommended for Years 11 – 13 students, but open to any. Entry is free.
Participation in this competition is via school. If you are interested, check whether your school intends to participate this year.
Who? Years 11 - 13 Math students.
When?
Registrations via school are due by 25 July.
The competition takes place 31 July.
Where? NZ, nationwide.
NZ Biology Olympiad Years 11 - 13 Individual | Tags: Biology
NZIBO fosters interest, participation, and excellence in biology through participation of secondary school students in the New Zealand Biology Olympiad Programme.
Participation in the NZIBO programme develops a greater understanding of biology and will assist students with their school examinations, NZQA scholarship examinations and university biology studies. It is recognised by universities in New Zealand and overseas as a sign of academic excellence.
Who? High school students studying Biology.
When?
Registrations are open now and close on 6 August.
The National Entrance Exam takes place 13 August.
Where? NZ, nationwide.
CAM Spelling Bee 2025 Years 5 - 8 Individual | Tags: Spelling
The aim of the spelling bee is to help students improve their spelling, increase their vocabularies, learn concepts and develop correct English usage that will inspire confidence and a love of language that lasts a lifetime.
There will be two competitions aimed at Year 5 - 6 and Year 7 - 8 students.
Participation in this competition is via school, and there is a small fee involved. If you are interested, check whether your school intends to participate this year.
Who? Students Years 5 - 8.
When?
Registrations close 1 August.
Competition takes place 1 - 19 September.
Where? Nationwide.
FROM LAST MONTH'S NEWSLETTER (still open)
NZ Engineering Science Competition Years 12 - 13 Free Individual| Tags: academic competitions, Physics, Mathematics
The annual New Zealand Engineering Science competition is a problem solving event for teams of 3-4 senior secondary students who study either Maths, Physics. or both.
It is a fun and challenging competition is for teams of three or four Year 12 or 13 students who are interested in Mathematics and Science.
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).
Who? Students Years 12 - 13.
When? Registrations open on 1 June. The competition takes place 2 August.
Where? Nationwide, online.
OnScreen National Short Filmmaking Challenge Years 7 - 13 Free Individual or Group| Tags: filmmaking, screenwriting, creative arts
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.
Who? Students Years 7 - 13.
When? Registrations are now open and close on 3 September. The final deadline for films is 17 September.
Where? Nationwide.
NZ Youth Film Festival Ages 15 - 24 Free Individual| Tags: filmmaking, screenwriting, creative arts
The NZ Youth Film Festival is a not-for-profit initiative dedicated to finding, celebrating, and empowering the next generation of New Zealand filmmakers and creators. Open to young creatives aged 15-24, the festival provides a national platform for emerging talent to showcase their work, gain industry exposure, and access invaluable learning opportunities.
Students can enter any type of short film, animation, video advert, documentary, or music video. This includes entries of any genre, story, or theme. NCEA student assessments, coursework, vlogs and explainer videos are accepted.
Awards are available across different categories, and the achievements of the students are celebrated at a final awards ceremony.
Funding in the form of financial support is available for students to help develop their short film.
Who? Young people aged 15 - 24.
When? Registrations are now open and close on 1 August 2025 at 11:59pm.
Where? Nationwide.
Play it Strange National Songwriting Competition 2025 Years 9 - 13 Free Individual | Tags: songwriting
Play it Strange is a NZ organisation which encourages young songwriters to write, record and perform their own songs.
Enter the competition 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 competition will be judged by a panel of judges. All finalists will have their song recorded in a professional recording studio and go on to the 2025 National Songwriting Competition digital album. The winner will receive a 1:1 mentor session with one of our competition judges and a $500 Rockshop gift card.
Who? Aspiring songwriters Years 9 - 13.
When? Submissions are open now and close 16 July 2025.
Where? NZ, nationwide.
Strange Album Art Competition 2025 Ages 13 - 19 Free Individual | Tags: art, design
This competition seeks artwork for the album cover art of the annual Play It Strange competition digital albums.
Artwork should be in a square format, with space for logos and the album title. Past winners can be viewed here.
Submissions could feature as the cover art for our Years 9-11 Songwriting competition, Peace Song Competition, Years 9-13 Songwriting Competition or the Waiata Māori Songwriting Competition.
Submissions close 31 August.
The purpose of this EC newsletter is to connect students Years 7 - 13 with the varied, and often free, EC opportunities which might touch upon a student's areas of interest. If you have any queries, please contact us at jacob@trajectory.co.nz.