Seven schools across Taranaki have received funding through the Methanex STEM Learning Fund, chosen from dozens of applications from across the region. Behind it all is a golf day that brought a company together for a cause bigger than the game itself.

A Fund Born from Community and Curiosity

Methanex is New Zealand’s only methanol manufacturer, based right here in Taranaki, with around 95 percent of its product exported to customers across the Asia Pacific region. Its footprint in the region goes well beyond production. Methanex has long backed initiatives which support the community, from a ten-year, $2 million partnership supporting the neonatal unit at Taranaki Base Hospital, to projects like the Science Fair, Maths Fair, and scholarships for local students.

The Methanex STEM Learning Fund, established in partnership with Taranaki Foundation, takes that commitment a step further. The Fund was set up to support local schools and educational organisations with funding for projects that bring Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics learning to life for Taranaki students. It gives them hands-on opportunities and experiences that spark curiosity, build real skills and open doors to future careers in STEM.

The Difference a Golf Day Makes

What makes this Fund especially meaningful is where the money comes from: Methanex’s Golf Ambrose Day, an event that has run for the last couple of years because Methanex employees want to do all they can to support the future of STEM learning in Taranaki.

The impact of the Fund starts well before a dollar reaches a classroom, in the effort it takes across the business to organise, promote and deliver the day itself.

“The Golf Ambrose Daytakes a lot of coordination,” says Alistair Simmers, Director, Manufacturing at Methanex. “It takes a genuinely strong team effort across the business to organise, promote and deliver it. Seeing that collective effort translate into real opportunities for Taranaki students is exactly why our team backs this kind of initiative.”


The team at Methanex

Taranaki Foundation received a large number of applications from across the region, and being able to support seven of them was a great result.

“We received a large number of applications from schools and organisations across Taranaki and it was genuinely inspiring to see so many innovative, exciting projects put forward,” says Theresa Cayley, Funding Manager at Taranaki Foundation. “Being able to support seven of them through this Fund was a great result, and we are looking forward to seeing what these projects make possible for students.”

Seven Schools, Seven Stories

Across Taranaki, schools are already putting their funding to work. At Welbourn School, the grant is replacing four outdated, unreliable classroom whiteboards with modern, high-definition interactive display panels across the school’s senior classrooms. It’s a change that turns each classroom into a genuinely collaborative space, giving Year 5 and 6 students the practical, hands-on digital skills they will need for future STEM pathways.

At Urenui Primary School, the funding is going towards new iPads and Chromebooks, replacing ageing devices that are no longer reliable enough for everyday classroom use. The upgrade will give students consistent access to essential digital learning platforms and every child at the school the chance to build real digital literacy skills.

At Mimi School, the funding is going towards an electronics expansion kit for the school’s EPro8 gear, used across Years 1 to 6 to build problem-solving skills through hands-on STEM challenges. The kit will open up a whole new world of electrical problem-solving for students and help prepare them for their annual EPro8 competition against other schools from across Taranaki.

Students from Mimi School putting their electrical problem-solving skills to the test.

At Manukorihi Intermediate, the grant is going towards an EPro8 Construction Kit and two LEGO Education Science kits. This expands and modernises the school’s existing STEM equipment, so more students can take part in hands-on, meaningful learning at once. It’s a particular benefit for students who thrive with practical approaches, and for those who need extra support to engage with more traditional classroom learning.

Students from Manukorihi exploring the Pro8 Construction Kits and two LEGO Education Science kits.

Celebrating the People Behind the Giving

While the projects themselves are exciting, this year has been as much about recognising the people who made them possible. Behind every grant is a team of Methanex staff who gave their time and energy to an event designed purely to give back to the schools and students who needed it most.

 

The Methanex STEM Learning Fund was delivered in partnership between Methanex and Taranaki Foundation.