What is Hand-On at Otago?
Find out more about Hands-On:
What will I do at Hands-On?
Learn more about the activities during Hands-On:
How much will it cost?
Learn about the costs and ways to help fund your trip:
How do I get to Dunedin?
Find out more about travel options for Hands-On students here:
Where will I be staying?
You will stay at one of our residential colleges. Find out more:
How do I apply?
Information for applications is available here:
What can I study at Hands-On Otago 2027?
You might be unsure of what you want to study and that is absolutely okay.
Every year there are over 20 different subjects offering a Project at Hands-On. Have a look at our Projects page to see which subjects could be of interest to you.
Projects for Hands-On at Otago
How do I change an allocated project?
Each project has a limited number of places. We will do our best to place you in one of your preferred projects; however, if this is not possible, we will try to allocate you to a closely related project. Projects cannot be changed once they are allocated.
What does ‘school endorsement' mean?
The school endorsement requires your principal or teacher to fill out the school endorsement form as evidence that your school supports your application for Hands-On at Otago, and makes them aware you are applying for the programme.
Visit the application page to download the school endorsement form
What do I submit for a scholarship application if my school report doesn’t show credits?
For schools that don’t include NCEA credits in their reports, we suggest students upload their regular school report and their NCEA credit record.
The application form only allows one document to be uploaded in each section, but we can manually add them to your application. Feel free to send additional documents through to:
Email hands-on@otago.ac.nz
Who do I get to sign off on the programme for Duke of Edinburgh?
Your Duke of Edinburgh assessor for Hands-On at Otago will be your Camp Manager.
You will find out more about this once you arrive at Hands-On.
What supervision is in place during the week?
The Hands-On programme has been running for over 35 years and we have well established processes and care in place to ensure all Blue Shirts are well looked after.
We meet all students at the airport/ bus stop they are arriving at and transport them to their accommodation, then return them to the airport/ bus stop on departure.
Camp Managers and a team of around 40 supporting staff live on site with the students and are around to provide any assistance throughout the week.