Hannah Lowe, Year 13, attended the five-day School to Skies camp at Whenuapai Airbase during the first week of the school holidays. This camp is run by the New Zealand Defence Force, which also runs the School to Seas camp. It is specifically designed for Year 13 female students with an interest in math and science, and only 40 students are chosen each year from across the country. The immersive experience provided by the camp helps students explore potential careers in STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) or aviation, ultimately aiming to increase the number of women in the predominantly male military STEM workforce.

Under the Kaupapa of this year’s motto, “Urungihia tō rangi / Navigate your Sky,” the students engaged in hands-on aviation and engineering experiences. They wore flight uniforms, slept in barracks, dined in the mess hall, and earned their very own School to Skies patch, marking a first for the program.

Workshops covered a range of topics, including aircraft systems, principles of flight (with close access to a C-130J Hercules), electronic circuitry, mission planning, navigation, and maintenance. The students also tested their analytical skills in a new military intelligence module.

Flight Lieutenant Raven noted that the School to Skies program began in 2017 to address the gender imbalance in STEM and military technical trades. “Today, those efforts are bearing fruit: 42 percent of currently serving female aircraft technicians are School to Skies alumnae," she said. While some participants may choose careers within the Royal New Zealand Air Force (RNZAF), many will apply their newfound confidence and skills to civilian STEM pathways.