About Us

Around the world, classroom STEM success is frequently measured by how quickly students arrive at the “right” answer. Homework is graded. Rubrics followed slavishly. Exams are scored. The problem is that real world engineering and technology challenges rarely have a single correct solution. Only better questions, smarter processes, and continuous improvement.

At the New Zealand Young Physicists’ Trust we believe physics education should be about more than the theories students can recite and the algorithms they can follow. It should develop a mindset that celebrates curiosity over certainty, persistence over perfection, and process over pre-defined results. Encouraging students to design, test, fail, revise, and try again develops resilience and the understanding that every misstep is a source of insight, not a sign of failure.

Investigating the open-ended problems of IYPT develops this mindset. When students are given challenges with multiple possible solutions, they learn to make decisions, evaluate processes, and defend their thinking. Students learn how to handle ambiguity. To refine an idea rather than abandon it. They learn how to think.

NCEA level 3 and equivalent qualifications open the door to so many STEM careers that they are vital to our national success.

which is why the New Zealand Young Physicists’ Trust registered as charity CC62496 in July 2024. with this mission.

A four tier pyramid diagram showing the Trust's purpose. Reading down tier 1 = WHAT? "Enriching high school physics" tier 2 = WHY? "As a gateway discipline to STEM careers and tertiary studies" tier 3 = WHERE? "In extra-curricula ‘clubs’ that add career skills to classroom theory" tier 4 = HOW? "Through competitions requiring problem solving and experimentation"

The Trust formed from the group of dedicated volunteer teachers who took a NZ Representative Team to the International Young Physicists’ Tournament for over twenty years. This “Team New Zealand” has won medals in thirteen of sixteen appearances and produced five Prime Minister’s Future Scientist Prize winners.

Today the Tournament remains our flagship tournament programme, a framework for

  • Reinforcing practical experimentation for NCEA level 3 NZQA standard 91521 Carry out a practical investigation to test a physics theory relating two variables in a non-linear relationship
  • Supporting for extracurricular school ‘clubs” that provide a safe place to get hands-on with science and experiment.
  • Learning non-academic skills such as real-time problem solving, mathematical modeling, presenting and defending research data and teamwork.
  • Teacher training and mentoring

For students aspiring to represent New Zealand at IYPT we recommend a two year participation cycle. In the first they learn about the Tournament by taking part. In the second they apply that knowledge to improve their research and results.

a process flow showing the two year cycle of participation in the Tournament for students aspiring to be in the NZ rep team 1. in year12 - school team participation followed by the end of year workshop 2. in the summer holiday, experiment and prepare a rep team entry video of one problem 3. year 13 enter video into selection process in February and also take part in the school team

For more information about our work and to get involved contact the Trust at info@iypt.org.nz