Wayfinders of the Pacific: Reclaiming STEM Through the Stars, Culture and Collaboration

The Wayfinders of the Pacific Club is creating space for Pacific youth to see themselves as scientists, innovators, and cultural leaders - bridging ancestral knowledge with modern tools to shape the future of STEM. 

Over seven weeks at Waitākere College, a group of Pasifika students took part in a transformational afterschool program that reimagined what STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, Maths) learning could look like when cultural identity leads the way. Wayfinders brought together traditional Pasifika navigation, hands-on engineering, electrical circuitry, digital design, and storytelling through tapa cloth - embedding cultural connection into every moment of learning.

But this wasn’t just about learning activities. It was about visibility, pride, and giving Pacific students a space where they could see themselves in a field where they’re rarely represented.

Wayfinders Club is a pilot program, co-designed and delivered through a unique collaboration between Tapasā, Craffft NZ, Little Engineers NZ, and Banana Boat Org. All seven sessions were proudly facilitated by the Tapasā team, ensuring the learning environment was culturally grounded, relational, and deeply relevant to Pacific rangatahi.

With the generous support of Te Hononga Akoranga COMET and the Ministry for Pacific Peoples, Wayfinders Club was made possible not only through funding but through a shared belief: that Pacific excellence deserves to thrive in education.

“Our ancestors were scientists, engineers, and environmental observers. STEM is not something new to us - it’s in our blood. This program was about reminding our youth of that.”

Tapasā Executive Director Ruta Tonumaivao.

Session Highlights:

Session 1–2: Waka Building & Wayfinding

Led by master navigators Hools and Tim from Banana Boat Org, students began by learning the structural engineering of Polynesian waka and the collective values that kept our ancestors moving forward. They explored big questions like “Why did our ancestors leave home, and how did they do it together?” and physically learned to lash waka beams using the ‘afa.

This was followed by a deep dive into traditional wayfinding -reading stars like Matariki and the Southern Cross through song and memorisation, and understanding how natural indicators like birds, swells, and clouds guided long-distance voyages. It was science, story, and spirit interwoven.

Lashing Activity

Session 3–4: Electrical Engineering & Matariki Constellations

With guidance from Dr. Dulsha and Rajith of Little Engineers, students explored the basics of circuitry using copper tape, batteries, and LEDs.

They built their own working Matariki constellations to take home, seeing firsthand how ancient star navigation aligns with modern STEM concepts. Older students mentored younger ones, strengthening the sense of whānau and peer leadership.

Matariki Constellations made with LED Circuits

Session 5–6: Minecraft: Build your own Island

In a digital session led by Alex from Craffft NZ, students recreated their ancestral or home islands in Minecraft - starting by sourcing water, gathering natural materials, and building a fale. They mapped out their islands with food sources, waka landing sites, and landmarks rooted in Pacific ecology and knowledge.

What began as a game became a platform for cultural preservation, identity, and future learning. Their islands were designed to become starting points for the next generation of Wayfinders.

Minecraft Session

Session 7: Storytelling Through Tapa

To close the journey, students engaged in a powerful session with Mary Ann from Langa Fonua, learning about the cultural role of tapa cloth as a vessel for genealogy, values, and storytelling.

They created their own tapa pieces, each reflecting the learnings of the past seven weeks - resilience, curiosity, teamwork - and the personal voyage they were now ready to carry forward.

Tapa Making as Storytelling

Why does this matter?

Pacific students are underrepresented in STEM and often disconnected from their own histories within the classroom. Wayfinders Club flips the narrative - not by inserting culture into science, but by showing that science has always existed within culture.

This is a model that works. It brings community-led delivery, culturally responsive pedagogy, and real-world STEM engagement together in one cohesive experience. Every student left with new skills, a deeper sense of identity, and the knowledge that their ancestors were innovators long before STEM had a name.

And it wasn’t just minds that were nourished. Every session was accompanied by kai, generously catered by Kevin Davies catering, creating a warm and welcoming space that reminded students: this is a place where you belong.

Wayfinders of the Pacific club is ready to grow. We invite schools, funders, and community partners who are committed to educational equity, cultural inclusion, and innovation to collaborate with us.

Whether you’re looking to bring this program into your school, invest in future delivery, or explore how cultural identity can transform STEM engagement -Wayfinders Club is proof that collaboration creates change.

We know the future of STEM in Aotearoa includes Pacific youth. Let’s build the waka that gets us there together.

Links to Wayfinders Videos here:

Waka Lashing: https://www.instagram.com/p/DJnldI8y2Qy/

Navigation through Stars and Song: https://www.instagram.com/p/DJ8iQIVuYyT/

Electricity and Circuits: https://www.instagram.com/p/DKL7g3bT60Z/

Building Matariki Constellations: https://www.instagram.com/p/DK1Mm4Yycv_/

Build your own Island in Minecraft: https://www.instagram.com/p/DLPXu8CSP4l/

Storytelling through Tapa: https://www.instagram.com/p/DMwr5DYSloH/?img_index=1