The 2018 US-NZ Youth Council is up and running! Youth Council cohorts in Auckland and Wellington convened for the 1st time this year on May 4th and May 10th respectively. Across the two regions 28 aspiring and emerging young leaders gathered to discuss issues of importance to youth, highlight key pillars of the US-NZ relationship, and identify ...
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By Public Affairs Section | 23 May, 2018 | Categories:
Connecting with Kiwis, News, Youth Outreach
| Tags: Auckland, US-NZ relationship, US-NZ Youth Council, USNZYouthCouncil, Wellington
UPDATE: Applications are now closed. The U.S. Embassy’s Youth Council aims to provide young New Zealanders with a platform and an opportunity to inform policy-makers at the Embassy about issues central to sustaining positive U.S.-N.Z. relations. The Youth Council offers participants with an opportunity to: Contribute to the dialogue on issues of significance to both ...
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By Public Affairs Section | 16 March, 2018 | Categories:
News, Youth Outreach
| Tags: U.S.-NZ Youth Council 2018, USNZYouthCouncil, Youth Council
Guest blog post by U.S. NZ Youth Councilor, Araina Kazia Pereira On International Women’s Day I was lucky enough to take part in a number of events. Firstly, a roundtable discussion with U.S. Consul General Melanie Higgins alongside some incredible NZ women, American Chamber of Commerce members, exchange program alumni and youth council discussing both issues ...
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By Mike Cousins | 15 March, 2018 | Categories:
Business, Connecting with Kiwis, News, Youth Outreach
| Tags: Araina Kazia Pereira, International Women’s Day, IWD
The fifth Young Pacific Leaders Conference in Honolulu, Hawai‘i will take place January 16-18, 2018, through a partnership between the East-West Center’s
Pacific Islands Development Program (PIDP) and the
U.S. Department of State . This comprehensive conference will provide emerging Pacific leaders, ages 25-35, with new skills and knowledge to advance the region’s economic vibrancy and civic engagement, thereby contributing to regional security ...
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By Public Affairs Section | 10 January, 2018 | Categories:
Connecting with Kiwis, East Asia & Pacific, News, Youth Outreach
| Tags: #YPL18, PIDP, Young Pacific Leaders, Young Pacific Leaders Conference
Guest post by, Isabelle Walker, a member of the 2017 U.S.-NZ Youth Council. This October 17th and 18th I had the pleasure of attending the 2017 U.S.-NZ Youth Council Diplomacy in Action Conference in Wellington. The conference, hosted by the U.S Embassy and the American Chamber of Commerce (AmCham), was a unique opportunity for emerging ...
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By Mike Cousins | 22 November, 2017 | Categories:
Connecting with Kiwis, News, Youth Outreach
| Tags: Action Conference, American Chamber of Commerce, U.S.-NZ Youth Council, U.S.-NZ Youth Council Diplomacy
By Mara Hosoda U.S. Consulate General staff. Views from the Field: Opportunities and Challenges facing Youth Employment in New Zealand and the U.S. Jobs and employment are critical to the successful growth and development of every economy. But what happens when there is a gap at the start of the employment stage? When youth and ...
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By Mike Cousins | 3 November, 2017 | Categories:
Auckland, Connecting with Kiwis, News, Youth Outreach
| Tags: LeadersUp, New Zealand, U.S.-NZ Youth Council, USNZYouthCouncil, Youth Employment
Registrations are open for the ‘Future Leaders of the Pacific’ conference in Auckland on Saturday 11th November!
Register here. Join us to develop new skills and knowledge for youth participation in leadership and advocacy, and more importantly, to grow your network of leaders. In partnership with The Wonderful Group and The Moko Foundation, the US Embassy New Zealand is holding ...
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By Mike Cousins | 2 November, 2017 | Categories:
Auckland, Connecting with Kiwis, News, Youth Outreach
| Tags: Auckland, Future Leaders of the Pacific, Māori and Pasifika
By Jenna, Rika, Shane, and Zach (Students of Punahou School) Punahou School of Hawai’i and Riverdale School of New York learn about social responsibility, economics, and the environment on a cultural exchange program in Christchurch, Hamilton, and Auckland. In July 2017 select students of Punahou School based in Honolulu, Hawai’i visited New Zealand as a ...
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By Public Affairs Section | 26 October, 2017 | Categories:
Connecting with Kiwis, News, Youth Outreach
| Tags: and Auckland, Christchurch, Hamilton, Hawaii, New York, Punahou School, Riverdale School, The Ministry of Awesome
By U.S. Embassy Youth Councilor, Victoria Triegaardt. With the new Ambassador settling into his role at the Embassy there’s been a flurry of activity for the U.S. NZ- Youth Council. At the start of September there was a career development morning where the Youth Councilors heard from New Zealand alumni of State Department programs and ...
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By Public Affairs Section | 17 October, 2017 | Categories:
Ambassador, News, Youth Outreach
| Tags: U.S. Ambassador Scott Brown, U.S. Embassy Youth Council, USNZYouthCouncil, Victoria Triegaardt
The U.S. Embassy hosted its ‘Back from Camp’ reception on September 21, 2017. Recently returned camp counselors were greeted by U.S. Embassy Staff, and alumni and staff from local camp placement providers. The U.S. camp counselor program is one of the most popular exchange programs in New Zealand, with nearly 900 participants across almost every ...
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By Public Affairs Section | 11 October, 2017 | Categories:
Auckland, Connecting with Kiwis, Education, News, Scholarships and Exchanges, Study in the U.S., Travel & Tourism, Youth Outreach
| Tags: summer camp counselors
Guset blog post by Alexia Hilbertidou. I was chosen by space agency NASA to ride on-board their 747 jumbo jet aircraft during a special overnight mission. In one 10 hour flight, I travelled at -70C and zero per cent humidity while measuring stardust and taking in the breath-taking displays of the atmosphere, such as the ...
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By Public Affairs Section | 30 August, 2017 | Categories:
Ambassador, Connecting with Kiwis, News, Science & Tech, U.S. & New Zealand, Youth Outreach
| Tags: Girlboss, NASA, SOFIA
Guest blog post by Robbie Morrison, 2017 U.S.-NZ Youth Council member. Christchurch U.S.-NZ Youth Council chatting science, technology, health, and trade promotion with U.S. diplomat Craig Halbmaier. The Christchurch branch of the U.S. Embassy Youth Council is always excited to engage with experts, dignitaries and officials from the United States. On Friday 14 July the ...
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By Public Affairs Section | 4 August, 2017 | Categories:
News, Science & Tech, Trade, Youth Outreach
| Tags: Craig Halbmaier, Health, Science, Technology, trade, U.S.-NZ Youth Council, USNZYouthCouncil
Each March a celebration of the rich history between Hawaii and Aotearoa descends onto the Hawaii Village at the Pasifika Festival in Auckland. Since launching the Hawaii Village in 2014, we continue to support the Hawaii Village Committee members who work tirelessly on a striking two day display of Hawaii arts, culture and food. This ...
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By Ola Thorsen | 19 April, 2017 | Categories:
Art & Culture, Auckland, Chargé D’Affaires, Connecting with Kiwis, Deputy Chief of Mission, Events, First People's Connect, News, Public Affairs, U.S. & New Zealand, Youth Outreach
| Tags: Hawaii, Maori, Northland, Pasifika Festival, Samoa
UPDATE: Applications are now closed. To apply for the Youth Council, please 1) submit the online
Application Form and 2) email your CV to
HosodaMK@state.gov by Friday March 31, 2017 at 5pm. Website:
nz.usembassy.gov Facebook: @newzealand.usembassy Twitter: @usembassynz Hashtag: #USNZYouthCouncil. Background The U.S. Embassy in New Zealand Youth Council program started in 2010 by former U.S. Ambassador David Huebner. ...
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By Public Affairs Section | 6 March, 2017 | Categories:
News, Youth Outreach
| Tags: U.S.-NZ Youth Council 2017, USNZYouthCouncil, Youth Council
Guest Blog by Thomas Goodin, Young Entrepreneur and Alumni of Young Enterprise Scheme and VentureUp Justin Milano was the first speaker for the 2017 Project Connect series, presenting at AUT on the Four Pillars for Entrepreneurial Success. Justin helps entrepreneurs build thriving companies. As a serial entrepreneur and executive coach, he uses a unique blend ...
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By Public Affairs Section | 6 March, 2017 | Categories:
Auckland, News, Science & Tech, Youth Outreach
| Tags: ATEED, Events and Economic Development, Justin Milano, Matt Stenton from Auckland Tourism, Thomas Goodin, VentureUp, Wile E. Coyote, Young Enterprise Scheme
“How will the new U.S. President affect New Zealand? What is the impact of gerrymandering on the U.S. elections? How does the Electoral College work? Who do you think will win the Presidential Election?” These questions and more have been posed by New Zealand youth in high schools and universities. Students’ questions reflect their interests ...
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By Public Affairs Section | 8 November, 2016 | Categories:
Connecting with Kiwis, Elections, Former Ambassadors, Youth Outreach
| Tags: U.S. Ambassador Gilbert, U.S. Elections, U.S. Elections 2016, USNZYouthCouncil, Youth Engagement
By staff in the Public Affairs Section, U.S. Consulate Auckland. Sewam American Indian Dance was founded by award winning dancer and educator, Eddie Madril to bring the music, arts, and culture of Native American dance to audiences around the world. Specializing in the dances of United States Plains Indians, Sewam Dance has performed across the ...
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By Mike Cousins | 1 November, 2016 | Categories:
Art & Culture, Youth Outreach
| Tags: Eddie Madril, Native American culture, Otonga Primary School, Pakuranga Heights School, Rotorua High School, Sewam American Indian Dance
Guest post and views of U.S. Embassy Youth Council member, Josiah Tualamali’i. Everyone’s heard of the US Space Agency NASA’s space missions and the exciting push for Mars, but lesser known about is the exploration and research they do inside earth’s atmosphere. Members of the US Embassy Youth Council and University of Canterbury students got ...
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By Mike Cousins | 28 September, 2016 | Categories:
Science & Tech, Uncategorized, Youth Outreach
| Tags: Atmospheric Tomography, Atom, Big Bang Theory, DC-8, Dr. Paul Newman, Josiah Tualamali'i, NASA, University of Canterbury, US Embassy Youth Council, US Space Agency
By Mike Cousins | 27 September, 2016 | Categories:
News, Youth Outreach
| Tags: #FFTF16, #USNZCouncil, Connecting Young Leaders, CYL, Festival for the Future, U.S. Embassy Youth Council
By Daniel Millward, U.S. Embassy Youth Council Member. Risk is a fact of our everyday lives. But what happens when an everyday risk becomes a one-off crisis? The Auckland Youth Council met with a master of the science (and art) of risk mitigation and crisis management – and learned he had some, but not all ...
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By Public Affairs Section | 19 September, 2016 | Categories:
Connecting with Kiwis, Environment, Key Officials, News, Youth Outreach
| Tags: Auckland Youth Council, counter-proliferation, counterterrorism, cybersecurity, Daniel Millward, Federal Bureau of Investigation, LLC, natural disasters, pandemics, President Barack Obama, President Obama, Strat3, U.S. Embassy Youth Council, U.S. national security, U.S.-NZ Youth Council
By U.S. Embassy Youth Council Members Sarah Peraira and Hannah Craighead. During the 22 and 23rd of August, we were lucky enough to attend the
Open Source Open Society (OS/OS) conference in Wellington. The Conference theme was how technology and open ways of working can transform your life, your work, your organisation and our society. Through speeches, panels and workshops, ...
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By Mike Cousins | 15 September, 2016 | Categories:
Connecting with Kiwis, News, Science & Tech, Youth Outreach
| Tags: Department of Homeland Security Digital Servic, Development and Operation, DevOps, Ele Munjeli, Eric Hysen, Google, Open Source Open Society, OS/OS
By Public Affairs staff, U.S. Consulate General, Auckland. The month of August was action-packed with youth outreach in Auckland, which gave U.S. Consulate General staff members and kiwi youth the opportunity to engage on issues of significance to both the United States and New Zealand. Topics of discussion this month included the U.S. presidential elections ...
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By Public Affairs Section | 9 September, 2016 | Categories:
Auckland, Connecting with Kiwis, Elections, Environment, Former Ambassadors, Sports Diplomacy, Youth Outreach
| Tags: Alex Dunlap, American Insights, Auckland Grammar School, Baseball New Zealand, Conor Dickinson, Hobsonville Point Secondary School, Kennon Kincaid, Trans Pacific Partnership Agreement, U.S. Ambassador Gilbert, U.S. Consulate General, U.S. Elections process, Youth Outreach
By Alex Dunlap, Winter Fellow, U.S. Consulate General, Auckland. The Baseball New Zealand 13 and under team recently completed tournament play in the Cal Ripken World Series in Aberdeen, Maryland. This year, the tournament field consisted of 10 champions from across the United States and 8 international teams representing Australia, Canada, Republic of Korea, the ...
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By Public Affairs Section | 29 August, 2016 | Categories:
Auckland, Connecting with Kiwis, Former Ambassadors, Sports Diplomacy, Youth Outreach
| Tags: Aberdeen, Alex Dunlap, Ambassador Gilbert, Auckland, Baseball New Zealand, Cal Ripken World Series, Chicago White Sox, Maryland, Sports Diplomacy, Study in the U.S., The Fieldhouse, U.S. Consulate General, Winter Fellow, Youth Outreach
Guest blog post by Josiah Tualamali’i. A 21 year old Samoan Kiwi studying Politics and History at the University of Canterbury & member of the U.S. Embassy Youth Council. Around our main Universities in Aotearoa, the US Embassy NZ has their Youth Councils. This helps the US Embassy NZ to build a two-way relationship with ...
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By Public Affairs Section | 28 August, 2016 | Categories:
Connecting with Kiwis, News, Science & Tech, Youth Outreach
| Tags: Aotearoa, Dr Aime Black, Dr Dava Newman, German Aerospace Centre, Hurunui Youth Council, International Development Disaster Assistance Response Team, Los Angeles County Urban, NASA, Rob Tate, SOFIA, Te Tohu Tokomaha Award, the Deputy Director of NASA, the Public Affairs Officer, U.S. Embassy Youth Council, University of Canterbury, USNZYouthCouncil
By Mara Hosoda, Public Affairs Section, U.S. Consulate General, Auckland. On July 4, 2016 NASA’s Juno mission arrived at Jupiter to study the large, distant planet. Studying what Jupiter is made of and what lies beneath its swirling clouds is critical to understanding how the solar system and Earth came about. Auckland was fortunate to ...
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By Public Affairs Section | 4 August, 2016 | Categories:
Auckland, Connecting with Kiwis, News, Science & Tech, Youth Outreach
| Tags: AUT University, Dr. Bolton, Dr. Scott Bolton, Juno, NASA, NASA's Juno mission, Professor Sergei Guylyaev, Space, the Director of the Institute for Radio Astronomy and Space Research
By Mike, Emily and Shivani, Public Affairs. Adriana Gascoigne, Founder and CEO of
Girls in Tech , recently visited New Zealand to keynote at
Project Connect in Auckland and Wellington – a speaker series founded by the U.S. Embassy and the Auckland University of Technology’s (AUT). Alongside the Project Connect talks, Adriana had a series of meetings, round-table discussions and dinners throughout the country – including a ...
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By Public Affairs Section | 6 July, 2016 | Categories:
Auckland, Business, Connecting with Kiwis, Education, Events, Former Ambassadors, News, Science & Tech, Youth Outreach
| Tags: Adriana Gascoigne, Auckland Consular Corps, BizDojo Wellington, Creative HQ Wellington, Girls in Tech, GRID Auckland, Jade Software, Project Connect, St Margret's College Christchurch, STEM, the Christchurch City Council, The Mind Lab, The Ministry of Awesome Christchurch, USNZYouthCouncil
By Mara Hosoda, Public Affairs Section, U.S. Consulate General, Auckland. Non-communicable diseases (NCDs)–heart disease, cancers, lung disease and diabetes–are a major issue for the Pacific. NCDs are the leading cause of death in the Pacific and in some Pacific Island countries life expectancy is declining as a result of NCD-related premature deaths. Developing a sustainable ...
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By Public Affairs Section | 28 June, 2016 | Categories:
Connecting with Kiwis, Consulate General, East Asia & Pacific, Science & Tech, Youth Outreach
| Tags: Health, NCDs, Non-communicable diseases, Nukualofa, Pacific, Tonga
Guest blog post by James Coventry, Auckland U.S.-NZ Youth Council Member and Shivani Ranganathan, Public Affairs/ Political-Economic Sections, U.S. Consulate General, Auckland. During the week of June 1st through June 20th, the U.S. Consulate General in Auckland participated in multiple events to celebrate World Refugee Day. On Monday June 13th, members of the Auckland National ...
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By Public Affairs Section | 24 June, 2016 | Categories:
Auckland, Child and Family Matters, Connecting with Kiwis, Consulate General, East Asia & Pacific, Human Rights, U.S. Agencies, Youth Outreach
| Tags: Craig Halbmaier, James Coventry, Kelston Girls’ College, United Nations, USAID, USNZYouthCouncil, World Refugee Day
By Mara Hosoda, Public Affairs Section, U.S. Consulate General, Auckland. On June 16, 2016, diplomats Emily Armitage and Cavan Fabris spoke to Auckland High Schools about the American Civil Rights Movement. These presentations were a part of the American Insights Program which offers opportunities for schools to engage directly with U.S.diplomats. The diplomats introduced the ...
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By Public Affairs Section | 21 June, 2016 | Categories:
Auckland, Connecting with Kiwis, Consulate General, Education, History, Human Rights, Youth Outreach
| Tags: Auckland, Cavan Fabris, Civil Rights Movement, Connecting with Kiwis, Consulate General, Education, Emily Armitage, History, Human Rights, U.S. Civil Rights, U.S. Elections, Youth Outreach
By Mara Hosoda, Public Affairs Section, U.S. Consulate General, Auckland. Held every May, Youth Week is a New Zealand nationwide festival of events to celebrate the talents, passion, and success of local young people. Youth Week recognizes the contributions and achievements of young people in New Zealand and is organized by Ara Taiohi, a National ...
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By Public Affairs Section | 20 June, 2016 | Categories:
Auckland, Consulate General, East Asia & Pacific, Education, Environment, Public Affairs, U.S. & New Zealand, Youth Outreach
| Tags: Ara Taiohi, Auckland, Consul General Melanie Higgins, Consulate General, Culture, East Asia & Pacific, Education, Emeline Afeaki, Environment, Global Citizenship at Young, Mangere Otahuhu, MP Su’a William Sio, Pasifika & Free, Public Affairs, U.S. & New Zealand, U.S. Consulate Auckland, University of Auckland, Young, Youth Outreach, Youth Week
By: Shivani Ranganathan, Mara Hosoda and Amanda Leavall, Public Affairs Section, U.S. Consulate General, Auckland. On Friday, June 3rd, 2016, Associate Professor Jennifer Curtin from The University of Auckland- Politics and International Relations and Dr. Rhonda Evans, Director from the Edward A. Clark Center for Australian and New Zealand Studies at The University of Texas ...
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By Public Affairs Section | 5 June, 2016 | Categories:
Auckland, Connecting with Kiwis, Culture, Education, Events, U.S. & New Zealand, Youth Outreach
| Tags: Associate Professor Jennifer Curtin, Austin, Craig Halbmaier, Dr. Rhonda Evans, Edward A. Clark Center for Australian and New Zealand Studies, University of Auckland, University of Texas
By Victoria Triegaardt, Public Affairs Section, U.S. Embassy Wellington and Mara Hosoda, Public Affairs Section, U.S. Consulate General, Auckland. The last three months were action-packed with opportunities for U.S. Diplomats to reach out to youth in Auckland and Wellington high schools. Upon request from New Zealand high schools, U.S. Diplomats presented U.S. history topics through ...
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By Public Affairs Section | 27 May, 2016 | Categories:
Auckland, Connecting with Kiwis, Consulate General, Education, History, Human Rights, Public Affairs, Youth Outreach
| Tags: American Literature, Conor Dickinson, Deputy Chief of Mission Candy Green, Economics Officer Andy Covington, Education, History, Human Rights, Megan Salmon, Onslow College, Pakuranga College, Public Affairs, Public Affairs Officer Rob Tate, Rongotai College, Scott Ceier, Sergeant Jay Rusniak, U.S. Civil Rights, U.S. Diplomats, Wellington Girls’ College
By Mara Hosoda, Public Affairs Section, U.S. Consulate, Auckland. On April 25, 2016 the Auckland Youth Council met with Ambassador Mark Gilbert. In recognition of the recently-signed COP 21 Agreement on Climate Change, signed by 155 countries in New York on April 20, Earth Day, the group discussed climate change, especially in relation to the ...
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By Mike Cousins | 24 May, 2016 | Categories:
Business, Consulate General, Events, Former Ambassadors, Human Rights, Our Ocean, Public Affairs, Science & Tech, Youth Outreach
| Tags: Ambassador, Ambassador Mark Gilbert, Business, Consulate General, Earth Day, Events, Haunui Waka, Human Rights, Our Ocean, Public Affairs, Science & Tech, Sir Peter Blake Trust, Te Toki Voyaging Trust, Youth Outreach
By Mara Hosoda and Victoria Triegaardt, Public Affairs U.S. Consulate Auckland and U.S. Embassy Wellington. The U.S. Embassy in New Zealand has run the U.S.-New Zealand Youth Council program since 2010. The program is based on the university structure with a student group at the University of Auckland, Auckland University of Technology, Victoria University of ...
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By Public Affairs Section | 18 May, 2016 | Categories:
Connecting with Kiwis, Education, U.S. & New Zealand, U.S. Consulate Auckland, U.S. Embassy Wellington, Youth Outreach
| Tags: Ambassador Gilbert, Auckland University of Technology, Craig Halbmaier, Robert Tate, U.S.-New Zealand Youth Council, University of Auckland, University of Canterbury, University of Otago, USNZYouthCouncil, Victoria University of Wellington
By Mara Hosoda, Public Affairs Section, U.S. Consulate General, Auckland. NASA is on a mission to foster innovation around challenges affecting us at home and in space; this year it created the world’s largest international annual hackathons. On Friday April 22, 2016, Acting Consul General, Emily Armitage kicked off the 2016 NASA Space Apps Challenge ...
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By Ola Thorsen | 3 May, 2016 | Categories:
Auckland, Connecting with Kiwis, Consulate General, Education, Environment, Events, Public Affairs, Science & Tech, Youth Outreach
| Tags: AUT, Hackathon, NASA Space Apps Challenge, New Zealand, RocketLab, STEM
NASA Space Apps Challenge is a 48-hour multi-disciplinary global weekend hackathon—for developers, entrepreneurs, astronomers, coders, marketers, product designers, data analysts, engineers, artists, enthusiasts etc. You don’t need to be an expert about space, just willing to work cooperatively as team to come up with creative solutions to one of the challenges set by the international ...
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By Mike Cousins | 4 April, 2016 | Categories:
Events, News, Science & Tech, Youth Outreach
| Tags: Aeronautics, Earth, Mars, NASA Space Apps Challenge, Solar System, Space Apps, Space Station, Technology
