OfficeMax General Manager of Education Blair Horsfall said that the new Digital Technologies curriculum is one of the most important changes to the New Zealand education system in decades, and is designed for the 65 percent of New Zealand children entering primary school today who will end up working jobs that don’t currently exist *.

“The time to up the education ante is now, and OfficeMax is proud to keep supporting the ongoing education of future generations,” he said.

“The pace in which schools are rolling out the new Digital Technologies curriculum is incredibly fast, with the survey also revealing 28 percent of schools surveyed will have done so by the end of this year. By 2019 over half the schools we surveyed will have adopted the new curriculum.

“OfficeMax is looking forward to being active in taking STEAM to every school in the country.”

In developing their new STEAM range, OfficeMax sought feedback from the education sector to ensure it includes everything teachers need to prepare the next crop of creative thinkers.

“Our aim is to make it as easy as possible for the STEAM educational approach to be integrated into the classroom,” says Mr Horsfall.

“As well as our full suite of STEAM products, we will be providing guidance and education to make this transition as easy as possible for everyone involved, from principals to parents.”

STEAM is being adopted worldwide to equip the children of today with the skills required for the jobs of tomorrow as it encourages problem solving, critical thinking, innovation and creativity by integrating the subjects of science, technology, engineering, arts and mathematics.

OfficeMax will be offering innovative products from leading brands such as Sphero, Makeblock, Osmo and LittleBits.

OfficeMax is not only a one-stop destination for all things STEAM, but the OfficeMax team will also be providing hands-on workshops for teachers, as well as free resources and lesson plans.

It will also be shouting five lucky schools $1,000 in Term 4, to go towards STEAM learning.

OfficeMax will become the country’s leading provider of educational STEAM products – a one-stop shop for primary and secondary schools, as well as early childhood centres.

For more information on OfficeMax and its STEAM resources, please visit officemax.co.nz/STEAM

During Term 4, schools spending $50 ex GST or more on selected STEAM brands will go in the running to win a $1,000 worth of STEAM products.

Brands include: Sphero, CircuitScribe, ZomeTool, Kano, LittleBits, MudWatt, Primo, Robobloq, Strawbees and Teknikio. Must purchase by December 20 to enter. 5 x $1,000 credits to be won. Terms and conditions available at officemax.co.nz/STEAM-promo

*Source: McLeod, Scott and Karl Fisch, “Shift Happens”