About Create Innovation

Create Innovation is a small STEM education and mentoring initiative based in Auckland. We specialise in hands-on, project-based learning in engineering, electronics, robotics, drones, and environmental technology for students aged 9+.

Our workshops focus on learning by doing. Students design, build, and test real projects using tools such as Arduino, Raspberry Pi, robotics systems, and open-source technologies. We emphasise curiosity, experimentation, and iterative problem-solving rather than rote learning.

Philosophy

We believe the best way to learn STEM is through building real things.

Students develop confidence by designing, testing, and improving their own projects over time. Our approach encourages curiosity, resilience, and independent thinking through practical, hands-on work.

Our Origins

Create Innovation began in 2015 as a small parent-led STEM initiative in Auckland. What started as informal coding and electronics sessions for a small group of students quickly grew into structured weekly workshops focused on engineering, design, and digital technologies.

Between 2015 and 2020, weekly STEM workshops were run for Year 5–8 students in Auckland, with workshop groups of up to 24 students. Many students continued over multiple years of workshops as they progressed through primary into intermediate school. Several former students later went on to study engineering at university.

Achievements

Students participating in Create Innovation workshops have achieved recognition in:

Auckland NIWA Science & Technology Fair
Brightsparks national technology competition
VEX Robotics competitions
News articles and media coverage

Work has also continued in parallel through environmental research projects, particularly in freshwater quality testing and citizen science–based monitoring.

Current Direction

Today, Create Innovation continues to explore engineering, environmental monitoring, robotics, and UAV systems through small-group workshops and ongoing prototyping projects.

Our focus remains on developing practical, real-world learning experiences that connect technology with environmental understanding and creative problem-solving.

Environmental + Open-Source Focus

We are particularly interested in environmental technologies, citizen science, and open-source tools that allow young people to understand, measure, and interact with the world around them.