Realise the Dream
Realise the Dream is the annual national Sciences and Technology event in New Zealand. The Royal Society of New Zealand organises the event and Genesis Energy is the principal sponsor. The event comprises of two parts - a five-day camp in December and a celebratory awards dinner held in March the following year.
Nomination Process
Nominations are mostly received from the following competitions:
- Regional Science and Technology Fairs
- ETITO Bright Sparks Competition
- Yr13 Geography Competition
- Young Historian Competition
- Creativity Science & Technology
- Beacon Practice
- Young Enterprise Scheme
- Young Designer Awards
Each competition can submit a maximum of five nominations. For each nomination, students are required to submit, along with their project, a 5-minute video of them outlining what they have done. A panel of judges is then selected to choose approximately 30 students to attend the event. Four guest exhibitors from Beijing and Chinese Taipei also attend the event.
Science Camp
The first part of Realise the Dream is the five-day science camp held in early December. On the first two days, participants receive extensive media training in preparation for the promotion that they undertake after the event. The three main focuses of the training are communication, radio interview and media writing.
There are many science trips that students can choose from during the week. This includes a visit to a cold store, the Island Bay Marine Centre, the Red Rocks, Te Papa, GNS Science, Industrial Research Ltd and Karori Wildlife Sanctuary. Guest speakers are invited to give lectures on science-related topics such as intellectual property and affordances.
The two main workshops are held by Massey University and Genesis Energy. At Massey, students have a choice of building a light-seeking robot, a Stirling engine, investigating surround sounds, blood composition, environmental impacts and taking a physiological assessment. The focus of the Genesis Energy workshop is on green energy. Employees from the company come to speak AbOUT various methods to produce energy. Participants have to listen to the short lectures and then devise A Plan for the energy management of New Zealand in the future.
As part of the judging, each participant has a 10-minute talk with the judges. Each student also prepares a poster for display at the cocktail function, where they have a chance to meet the sponsors and other scientists.
The social outings include a quiz night, a visit to the theatre, having desert at Strawberry Fair and having a farewell function at an exotic place. In 2009, the function was held at Boomrock. At this same dinner, some prizes are also given out informally. Six travel awards are presented, four to the Beijing Youth Science Creation Competition and two to the Taiwan Science Fair. There are also a leadership and a team building prize, each valued at $500.
Promotion
After the camp, all participants become an ambassador of Realise the Dream. They are required to do a certain compulsory amount of promotion in their local communities. This includes putting up 10 posters, speaking to two student groups and sending out two media releases. There are also optional extra activities for those wishing to put more time and effort in the promotion. Choices include but are not limited to radio and television coverage, on-line promotion, merchandise and mentoring younger students. There is an award at the dinner in March for the student who does the most promotion.
Awards Dinner
The second part of the event is the awards dinner held in March the following year. In 2010, the dinner is held at Te Papa. The three-month gap between the camp and the awards dinner is to give participants time to promote their projects and the event to local communities.
At the dinner, top students are awarded with study grants. The awards structure changes from year to year. In 2010, it comprises of one Supreme Award of $7000, two Outstanding Awards of $5000 and seven Excellence Awards of $2000. A travel award to the European Union Contest for Young Scientists is also presented.
References
- "Participant Information", Realise the Dream, October 16, 2009.
- Woodhall, Debbie. "Information about Realise the Dream." Letter to Participant. Nov. 2009. MS. Royal Society of New Zealand, Wellington.