Amanaki STEM Academy was founded by Viliami Teumohenga and his wife Tanya Koro. It began as a homework group with their children and their children's friends studying around the kitchen table - and morphed into an ever-growing group as more and more students sought help in STEM subjects.
Today, ASA has 120 registered students from around the Manawatu region including Palmerston North, Bulls, Levin, Feilding and Ashhurst. They represent several Pacific Island communities such as Samoa, Cook Islands, Tonga, Tokelau, PNG, Niue, Tuvalu, Rotuma, Fiji and NZ European.
ASA students attend weekly study sessions which run from Mondays to Thursdays during the school term. On top of that, ASA also provides four study programs that are two weeks long and run during inter-term school holidays.
ASA offers a multitude of study resources for its students such as textbooks, study notes, exercise books, individual whiteboards, past examination papers, internet access to name but a few. Laptops and tablet computers are also readily available to all ASA students to assist with their learning, along with free Wi-fi.
All ASA tutors hold tertiary degrees, bachelor's and master' degrees, or are working towards their doctorates in various fields of STEM study. They are 100% dedicated volunteers, who offer their free time to help shape the next generation of Pasifika leaders.
The ASA vision is to nurture and develop successful Pasifika youth by prioritising work ethic and normalising excellence in STEM. ASA encourages sustainability and uptake of STEM subjects for Pasifika secondary school students. To complement the academic focus, ASA instils strong values in students’ character and to strengthen their overall wellbeing - mentally, emotionally, physically and spiritually.
