Impact through partnership: Our work with Government, Defence & NGOs
Matter Workshop partners with government, defence, and NGOs to create real impact through human-centred learning design, understanding challenges and leveraging technology to transform lives.
Development aid
projects
Matter workshop is a trusted partner in learning design projects to improve lives in communities around the world. Human-centred design delivers culturally responsive, deeply impactful programmes. Ongoing impact assessment proves results.
Talent Pipeline programmes
Proud partners to defense and other mission-critical organisations to nurture and develop a diverse STEM talent pipeline through immersive, creative programmes design.
Our Projects
Key examples of our work in this sector
For more case studies, or to talk to us about how Matter Workshop might support your project, please get in touch. We love to hear from you!
STEM Camp | Suva, Fiji
Matter Workshop’s consultants partnered with local NGOs Graduate Women (Fiji) and the Fiji Women’s Fund to deliver a transformative STEM camp for girls living in Suva’s informal settlements. The program aimed to inspire young girls, equipping them with practical STEM skills while also training local women as educators to ensure long-term community impact.
The camp sees participants take on hands-on activities addressing real-world challenges such as clean water, electricity, and hygiene. By focusing on practical problem-solving, the camp not only expanded the girls’ scientific knowledge but also sparked aspirations in STEM careers. “Now when I grow up, I want to be an engineer.”
“I send my daughter to show her this another life out there. Now when she comes home she says ‘When I grow up, I want to be an engineer.”
Pacific e-Learning Programme
Developed in partnership with educational experts across the Pacific region, and funded by New Zealand’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, this project worked to enhance science education for Year 10 students in the Cook Islands, Samoa, Solomon Islands, and Vanuatu. The Pacific e-Learning Programme (PeP) was designed to support national and regional education priorities by providing non-specialist science teachers with locally relevant learning resources and curriculum. This initiative aimed to increase student engagement and improve science outcomes by integrating indigenous knowledge and culture into the curriculum. 
Through co-design with local science teachers and experts, we developed 100 practical science lessons that incorporated local context. Engaging these local ‘Science Fellows’ in our Human-Centred Design process ensured the content was accessible, engaging, and aligned with the curriculum. The lessons were delivered via a custom offline e-learning platform, accompanied by professional development resources to support teacher implementation.
Teachers using the programme report significantly increased confidence in teaching science, while students demonstrated improved engagement and academic performance. This project exemplifies Matter Workshop’s commitment to creating meaningful educational opportunities that respect and incorporate local cultures.
Diversity in STEM Roles | Defence Partnership
We are proud of our deep ongoing collaboration the Royal New Zealand Air Force (RNZAF) and Royal New Zealand Navy (RNZN) to support diversity in recruitment for STEM roles. Working in collaboration with Defence personnel to solve this challenge, the result is the innovative and highly successful “School to Skies” and “School to Seas” programmes.
The programmes offers participants hands-on experience in aeronautical & marine engineering, including (in School to Seas) designing, building, and piloting their own remote-operated underwater vehicles (ROVs). By engaging young women in real-world applications of STEM, these programmes – residential camps for female high school students – have proven successful in encouraging participants to consider defence careers, and raised the positive profile of defence overall.
Matter Workshop’s Dr Michelle Dickinson MNZM is deeply honoured to hold honorary rank as Wing Commander in the Royal New Zealand Air Force in recognition of her contribution to encouraging women into STEM careers.