Ten years of opening doors: IYM’s 2026 Residential Programme wrap up

Thirty-nine Year 11 and 12 students spent a week immersed in Wellington’s science, tech and defence sectors last month, as Innovative Young Minds marked ten years of its Residential Programme.

Billed as a STEMM camp like no other, Physicist and author Laurie Winkless kicked things off with a workshop around science communication, alongside sessions on digital wellbeing and building networking skills.

Over an action-packed week, the cohort toured New Zealand Police, OpenStar, Eight360, Wellington Electricity, the New Zealand Defence Force, Te Kāuru—Ferrier Research Institute, Paikau Robinson Research Institute, the University of Otago’s Wellington medical school, Tiaki Wai, Wētā FX and the Measurement Standards Laboratory.

In between visits they were brainstorming solutions to their teams’ Innovation Challenge,

“It opened my mind to other opportunities in STEMM careers and made me think more about other options rather than just sticking to one,” Lucy said of the week.

Another attendee said she would like to enrol in a chemistry class at her school, as she really enjoyed creating the aspirin at the Ferrier Institute.

“I am going to look into different degrees at universities to see if I can find one that inspires me, and I want to develop more knowledge in general science. I'd love to be an ambassador for IYM to get other girls involved.”

The week showcased a variety of STEMM career pathways, and for a lot of the girls, that means finding out what they don’t want to do just as much as what they do.

And that’s the whole point, IYM Programme Manager Brooke Turner says. “It’s opening their eyes to what a career in STEMM can actually look like.”

The week also included IYM’s Annual Parliamentary reception bringing together Innovative Young Minds’ dedicated network of supporters to celebrate another successful year.

It was a great opportunity for students to meet the IYM supporters, alumnae and industry leaders who help make it all happen.

For many Programme attendees, the value of the week isn’t just what they see, it’s what it tells them about themselves.

Ailie hits the nail on the head of what IYM is all about when she says, “It was incredible experience that I will remember for a lifetime!”