Interactive, hands-on field and lab work were the highlights for eight Tauranga and Mount Maunganui students who attended the Hill Laboratories Waikato Science Summer School

The week-long action-packed Summer School at the University of Waikato gave 40 Year 12 students the chance to get a taste for what it can be like to study science and engineering at a tertiary level.

Clockwise from back left, Laura Kampshof and Courtney Wright (Tauranga Girls' College), Rowan Skentelbery, Georgi Pearson and Akasha Warner-Mason (Mount Maunganui College), and Fran O'Neil, Kendall Hofland and Euan Fairbairn (Otumoetai College).

For students Laura Kampshof and Courtney Wright (Tauranga Girls' College), Rowan Skentelbery, Georgi Pearson and Akasha Warner-Mason (Mount Maunganui College), and Fran O'Neil, Kendall Hofland and Euan Fairbairn (Otumoetai College), the journey began with a full-on two day field trip during which they explored the areas of Kawhia and Waitomo.

The group searched for fossils at Puti Point, collected zoo plankton samples at the Kawhia jetty and enjoyed a walk through the Ruakuri Caves.

The remainder of the week, which ran from December 1 to December 6, was spent in Waikato University's science and engineering labs, analysing samples, conducting experiments and building prototypes to better understand the environmental and social changes the local coastal and cave environments have undergone over time.

Group presentations by the students brought the week to an end.

'My favourite part of the week was in the Earth Sciences laboratory where we learnt about the amazing variety of different sands from around New Zealand, including the iron sands from Kawhia,” says Rowan Skentelbery.

Main sponsor Hill Laboratories is the country's largest privately owned analytical testing laboratory. The Summer School included a visit to the company's laboratories for a tour of their facilities.

'For those passionate about science, it is a lifelong journey. We are proud to be supporting these talented young students who have begun their own journey of scientific discovery, and look forward to the contributions they will make in their chosen fields in future years,” says Dr Jonathan Hill, Hill Laboratories Environmental Divisions Manager.