Key information and statistics

The Wonder Project is the industry-led STEM education initiative, founded by Engineering New Zealand. Delivered free to schools nationwide, the programme inspires rangatahi with STEM and career opportunities. It champions a diverse and thriving future STEM industry. That means making STEM learning relevant, accessible, and understandable for all rangatahi.

The Wonder Project operates four main challenges, delivering hands-on STEM learning that kaiako deliver in their classrooms over a school term. These challenges are currently the Rocket, Power, Ice Cream and Water Challenges.

Aotearoa is facing a huge skills and diversity shortfall across STEM. We simply don’t have enough young people pursuing careers in these fields. The Wonder Project aims to change that by taking rangatahi on a creative, dynamic and fun STEM journey.

Engineers make up just over 3% of New Zealand’s population at around 77,000, and many fields of engineering are on Immigration New Zealand’s skills shortfall lists.

To keep supporting our economy, we’ll need at least another 2,300 engineers each year (plus keep the ones we already have). In fact, 80% of future jobs in Aotearoa will require STEM skills.

Over the past 10 years there’s been up to a 20% reduction in ākonga being assessed for NCEA science and maths subjects.

The diversity of the STEM sector in Aotearoa is not good enough. Women make up just 19% of New Zealand’s engineers, 23% of technology professionals and 40% of scientists.

The statistics become even more disheartening when looking at Māori and Pacific Peoples – making up around 3% of engineers, 3% of technology professionals and 2% of scientists.

Current to end of 2026

The Wonder Project has delivered 7,000 STEM learning experiences to over 200,000 young Kiwis. 1,700 schools have taken part so far, which is 77% of the target market. A network of more than 2,000 STEM professionals have supported classrooms in their Wonder Project challenge.

In 2026, 35% of participants were ākonga Māori, and 14% Pacific Peoples. Around 170 Māori-medium classes took part, leveraging the te reo Māori resources available for ākonga. 36% of classes were in schools with high socio-economic barriers.

On average, the Wonder Project experiences the following impact results:

• 75% ākonga and 95% kaiako feel more confident in STEM subjects
• 92% kaiako say their ākonga are engaged with the learning
• 50% ākonga are more interested in STEM jobs
• 88% kaiako notice a positive improvement in ākonga STEM perceptions
• 96% ambassadors would recommend the experience to other professionals
• 76% ākonga and 97% kaiako would take part again