Sequoia Short, pictured here explaining her educational escape room game to Logan Park High School pupils, will present her project at the QS Reimagine Education Conference in London next year.
A Teaching Fellow at Ōtākou Whakaihu Waka has the opportunity to present her mahi on the global stage.
Sequoia Short (Ngāti Apakura, Ngāti Maniapoto, Ngāti Toa Rangatira) from the Department of Management, has been invited to present her mahi at the QS Reimagine Education Conference – the global forum for higher education and edtech innovators – in London this December.
“I think I'm still processing to be honest. The thought that a little idea I came up with in my spare time is going to take me to London is wild,” Sequoia says.
“My whānau and friends are really excited for me, they've definitely come to share my enthusiasm for the kaupapa. Although, I suspect my dog isn't as keen for me to go.”
The QS Reimagine Education Conference celebrates pioneering pedagogical approaches that enhance learning outcomes, improve employability, and advance sustainability education.
Sequoia’s project ‘Data Guardians: A Māori Escape Room on Indigenous Data Sovereignty’ has been shortlisted from 1,600 submissions across 18 categories for the 2025 QS Reimagine Education Awards.
Her project is an escape room game where players become spies on behalf of mana whenua and are tasked with securing stolen data, such as mātauranga Māori, artefacts, and genetic sequences.
A year since her project's creation, Sequoia's escape room has been delivered to more than 500 people in schools, marae, businesses, and Universities across the country. She hopes that those who participate in her project find a new appreciation for Indigenous data sovereignty and become more aware about its importance.
“I have met some amazing people through this mahi that are a huge part of my life today. I'm grateful to have had the opportunity to travel around the country with one of my best friends and co-facilitator Ben Sommerville. Working with rangatahi has become my favourite part of my job. I also really enjoy working with professionals, helping to encourage them to utilise the mātauranga in their mahi as it is great to have a direct and immediate impact on practice.”
Sequoia Short hopes her work encourages researchers to also consider creative research output formats with the goal of engaging rangatahi, who she believes are the most important stakeholders in society.
Sequoia emphasises that using play to learn isn't new within Te Ao Māori. She hopes the example of her work encourages researchers to also consider creative research output formats with the goal of engaging rangatahi, who she believes are the most important stakeholders in society.
Sequoia contributes her success to whānau and kaimahi within Ōtākou Whakaihu Waka, a testament to the support systems and connections that the University provides.
“My amazing supervisor, Katharina Ruckstuhl, who introduced me to the topic has supported me all of the way. She encouraged me to apply to the Indigidata programme, funded the build of the project through Te Maea, secured funding for us to deliver it to schools, and is now helping me resource this trip to London. This project would have looked very different without her invaluable assistance!”
– Kōrero by Māori Communications Adviser Brigham Riwai-Couch
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