Mountains to Sea Wellington CREST Awards

Mountains to Sea Wellington delivers inspiring freshwater and marine education programmes for schools and communities across the greater Wellington region. Students are encouraged to connect with nature, build understanding through science and exploration, and foster kaitiakitanga (guardianship) for the environment. Experienced co-ordinators create inspiring and hands-on experiences for students in their local environment and will support classroom programmes, managing equipment and all health and safety planning.

The programmes lead to a greater connection to nature and a meaningful understanding of conservation issues, fostering kaitiakitanga and action for the environment. Schools can choose from the three programmes and work, with support, to initiate student-lead kaitiaki projects.

CREST

CREST is a Royal Society Te Apārangi awards scheme designed to encourage excellence for Years 0-13 students to be innovative, creative, and to problem solve in science, technology, environmental and other STEM related investigations.

CREST operates at five levels of difficulty where the students work as individuals or in small teams. At all levels the student are learning skills in scientific research and/or technological practice. Each level requires larger commitment as the students need to tackle more difficult projects in terms of content and research practice or skill.

At all levels, the students are learning skills in scientific research and/or technological practice.

How to CREST a Mountains to Sea Wellington programme.

Eligibility

• Y0-8 students are eligible for a Mountains to Sea Wellington Primary CREST Award.
• Y9-13 students are eligible for a Mountains to Sea Wellington Team Bronze CREST Award.

The Process

• Teachers might like to consider ways in which they can use the Mountains to Sea Wellington CREST experience for curriculum and/or assessment links.
• Towards the end of the Mountains to Sea Wellington programme and subsequent Kaitiaki project, teachers complete the Mountains to Sea Wellington/CREST order form, have it signed off by their Mountains to Sea Wellington Co-ordinator and forward it to CREST .
• No additional work is required.

Cost

•  Primary CREST     $3.00 per (Y0-8) student
•  Team Bronze        $6.00 per (Y9-13) student

• Project Leaders, Teachers / Schools are reminded to follow their normal school procedures for collecting payment from/for students’ activities.
• CREST will invoice the school on receipt of the Mountains to Sea/CREST order form. 

At the end of the Mountains to Sea Wellington and CREST project, each student will receive a badge and certificate. Thus, students and teachers receive additional recognition for their work as well as establishing a pathway to further opportunities or CREST involvement.

Future Pathways

Students who have completed a Mountain to Sea Wellington programme AND extended that knowledge into the local environment and/or community will be eligible to:

• Be nominated for ‘A Local Adventure”
• Use their CREST award as a pathway to the next CREST level:
  • Mountains to Sea Wellington Primary to First, or Team First CREST
  • Mountains to Sea Wellington Team Bronze to Silver, Team Silver, Silver Challenge or Team Silver Challenge
  • And eventually (by Y12) Silver to Gold or Team Gold.

Order Form  

 Mountains to Sea/CREST order form

Contacts

For further information, please contact

Zoe Studd                                       zoe.studd@mtsw.org.nz

Jessie McKenzie                               crest@royalsociety.org.nz

Flyer

Mountains-to-Sea-Wellington-Flyer-.pdf