Registration of Interest
2015 NZIFST/CREST Student Product Development
Challenge
Whilst this is really busy time of year for you, you may like to consider students who would be interested
and capable of participating in the 2 0 1 5 N Z I F S T / C R E S T S t u d e n t P r o d u c t D e v e l o p m e n t
Challenge.
Teams of secondary school students are invited to enter the 2015 NZIFST/CREST Student Product
Development Challenge.
As in 2014, there are likely to be several regional challenges.
Check out http://www.royalsociety.org.nz/teaching-learning/crest/silver/2014-nzifstcrest-studentproduct-development-challenge/
The Challenge, run by the New Zealand Institute of Food Science and Technology (NZIFST), and CREST, the
nationwide awards scheme administered by the Royal Society of New Zealand, challenges teams to develop
a consumer food product, following the principles of food product development as used in the food
industry.
The Challenge is collaboration between NZIFST, CREST, Futureintech, the Institute of Food, Nutrition and
Human Health at Massey University, the Department of Food Science at the University of Otago and the
Department of Wine, Food & Molecular Biosciences at Lincoln University and is designed to
encourage and introduce secondary students to the exciting options of careers in food science, technology
and engineering.
You may like to refer to the Understanding the New Product Development Process article on
http://technology.tki.org.nz/Resources/Teaching-snapshots/Senior-Years-12-13/Understanding-theNew-Product-Development-process
Product development investigations are based on the Team Silver Challenge CREST project framework and
students successfully completing a project to that standard receive a Team Silver Challenge CREST Award.
Teams which do not achieve the Team Silver CREST standard are not eligible to enter the Product
Development Challenge. Refer to http://www.royalsociety.org.nz/media/Key-Steps-to-a-Silver-ChallengeCREST-Project.pdf
Teams must comprise no more than 4 students (but only 2 if the project is to be submitted to a Science
and Technology Fair [although the Timeline may not be conducive for this]). Be aware of any NCEA
constraints re “team work”.
Individual students are not eligible, as this is a team challenge.
Students should be Y11-13 (although, the Challenge is, perhaps, better suited to Y12+ students).
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In line with the new curriculum and realigned Standards, the Challenge could be presented as a “course”
thus earning multiple NCEA credits! (E.g. in Technology combining Generic Technology, Processing
Technology, Graphics and Science and English standards).
Where possible, Teams should be multi-disciplinary, including both science and technology students.
Supervising teachers could work in pairs (mutual support and shared work load) and be multi-disciplinary
too! Previous experience has shown us that part time teachers need to work with, and be supported by, a
full time colleague.
By the end of the Challenge, students are required to have developed a new product (following the new
product development process), a full length report and an academic (type) poster. This means the
Challenge requires more work than routine NCEA Food Technology and is best suited to students wanting
an authentic product development project and/or technology/science extension.
Students are required to work in teams of no more than 4; so how schools organise this will depend on
individual school organisation.
The Challenge will be time consuming, so excellent and timely time management is essential!
There is a Challenge timeline, with set milestone dates, which need to be strictly adhered to (other
organisations are involved too).
Each team receives technical support from a local food company, with staff taking time out of work to
mentor the students and help guide them through their product development projects. We will do our best
to find a company in your area to mentor your team. In the past, many of the teams have visited their
mentors at work, used their laboratories or toured their processing plants.
In past years, staff from Massey University (Albany and Palmerston North), Otago and Lincoln Universities
have provided professional development opportunities for the teachers, to help them guide their students
through the Challenge. The PD options are still in the process of being discussed, but it is likely the initial PD
opportunity will commence March/April 2015.
The Challenge will “start” in February 2015 and will be finished by end of Term 3, 2015.
Registering interest now in the 2015 N Z I F S T / C R E S T S t u d e n t P r o d u c t D e v e l o p m e n t
C h a l l e n g e means that NZIFST, CREST, Futureintech, Massey, Otago and Lincoln universities can begin
planning for you - now!!
Teachers are invited to submit a Registration of Interest (RoI) now!
Either send the next page as an email or complete the on-line form.
1. Please submit by 12:00 Friday 28nd November 2014.
2. Please send to crest@royalsociety.org.nz
3. Registration of Interest is not a finalised commitment: however, confirmation of participation is
required by Friday 27th February 2015.
4. On receipt of this form, CREST will contact you and will share your details with its partner
organisations and begin identifying possible mentors for your team/teams.
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School Details
PLEASE PRINT CLEARLY
SCHOOL NAME:
_______________________________________________________________________________
SCHOOL ADDRESS:
_______________________________________________________________________________
SCHOOL LANDLINE:
________________________________________________________________________________
SCHOOL EMAIL:
________________________________________________________________________________
Contact Teacher Details:
(Lead) Teacher 1 NAME:
________________________________________________________________________________
Contact Phone:
________________________________________________________________________
Contact Email:
________________________________________________________________________
Teacher 2 NAME:
________________________________________________________________________________
Contact Phone:
________________________________________________________________________
Contact Email:
________________________________________________________________________
Signed:
_________________________________________________________________________________
Date:
_________________________________________________________________________________
Possible Number of Teams and Year Level/s
_______________________________________
All details will be confirmed in February 2015.
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