Teaghan Shaw, Izzy Hopkins and Amity Busch

Matihiko Challenge

Mallory Gander

/ Nov 30, 2022

The Matihiko Challenge is a Malvern Kāhui Ako initiative designed to celebrate the creative and innovative mahi happening in our learning spaces across Kākāpotahi. The challenge saw ākonga throughout Malvern use their design thinking skills to address needs in their communities, with entries from the early childhood, primary, and secondary sectors.

There were four MAKEiT categories:

MAKEiT Digital - Design and create something digital that will be useful
MAKEiT Physical - Design and create something useful, using digital tools
MAKEiT us - E Tangata Aotearoa: Design and create a digital and/or physical outcome that solves a need or issue, unique to a person or place in Aotearoa
MAKEiT Futures - Plan and record a ‘Shark Tank’ style pitch for an idea, product, system, or business concept that will improve life for people, animals, or the environment in Aotearoa or globally.

Winning entries included posters, a board game, a crochet/knitting club, a website, a native garden improvement, a video for preschool visitors to school, and a pitch design for a pest trap.

The competition--culminating in an exhibition at Darfield Primary School on Thursday 24 November 2022--was judged by Ministry of Education and Technology experts with prizes awarded to the best creations, courtesy of our Gold Sponsor, Torlesse Travels.

Congratulations to Ashleigh Rhodes and Susanna Tully who won a top award in the 'MAKEiT Us' category for their posters promoting native birds, and to Teaghan Shaw, Izzy Hopkins, and Amity Busch who took out the Overall Sector Award for their wonderful mahi creating a crochet and knitting club at DHS. A special thanks to Caroline White who encouraged and supported the Year 8s with their entries. The Matihiko Challenge will run again next year--we look forward to even greater innovation and creativity from our ākonga!