News & Updates

Global Initiative Boosts Opportunities for Tech Leadership

Award winning non-profit, Digital Natives Academy (DNA) has secured international recognition and funding to launch a world-first accredited Internet governance training programme for rangatahi (young people). DNA is one of only 23 organisations worldwide, and the sole recipient from Aotearoa and the Pacific, to be

DNA Recognised for Excellence in Māori Tech and Shaping the Country’s Digital Future

A Rotorua-based non-profit that’s helping rangatahi re-engage with education and build real-world tech skills has been recognised on the national stage. Digital Natives Academy (DNA) received the Kaupapa Tōtara Award at the 2025 Matihiko Awards in Ōtautahi Christchurch. A prestigious honour celebrating long-term, kaupapa driven

DNA founder joins UNESCO’s High-Level Reflection Group on AI Ecosystem Transformation

Digital Natives Academy (DNA) is excited to announce that its founder, Potaua Biasiny-Tule (Ngāti Whakaue, Ngāti Pikiao, Ngāi Tūhoe, Niue), has been invited to join UNESCO’s newly established High-Level Expert Group on Ecosystem-Level Transformation (HILEG-ELT) in Artificial Intelligence (AI). This distinguished group will address critical

DNA hosts ground breaking Māori Esports event in Rotorua

Digital Natives Academy (DNA) proudly hosted a uniquely Aotearoa, uniquely Māori esports experience on Tuesday, 9 April, at the Rotorua Energy Events Centre. The event brought together 132 students, primarily from kura tuatahi and kura takawaenga (years 5–8), representing 16 kura and forming 33 teams

DNA partners with Spark to deliver NZ’s biggest Esports event

Digital Natives Academy is proud to partner with Spark for Spark Game Arena Live, Aotearoa’s ultimate gaming festival, set to take place at Spark Arena on 7th September. This landmark event will bring together over 8,000 gamers for an action-packed day of world-class gaming experiences,

DNA and Native Tech Updates

Kia Ora e te whanau! Welcome back to Term 4!!!  We hope you are in good spirits and high energy after the school holidays, and ready to get back into the swing of things! We hope you’ve had an enjoyable school holidays and are ready

What’s happening down at DNA and Native Tech

Kia Ora e te whanau! We hope you are in good spirits and high energy for the school holidays! We are thrilled to bring you the latest updates on our weekly activities, registration requirements, upcoming courses, and professional development opportunities for teachers. Get ready to

Te Wairoa’s First Digital Tech Hub of it’s kind Launched

Te Papatipu Matihiko Announces the Grand Opening of  Te Makaro, Te Wairoa’s newest Digital Tech Hub Original posted here. Te Wairoa, Aotearoa New Zealand, September 1, 2023 – Te Papatipu Matihiko is thrilled to announce the grand opening of Te Makaro, Te Wairoa’s first-ever Digital Tech

New Māori PTE launched to Pathway Rangatahi into Digital and Creative Tech

Rotorua-based non-profit Digital Natives Academy (DNA) is proud to announce the launch of its education arm, the Native Institute of Digital Technology (Native Tech), which has just recently been certified as a Private Training Establishment (PTE) by the New Zealand Qualifications Authority (NZQA). This certification

New Digital and Creative Tech programme for young people launches in Rotorua

Rotorua non-profit Digital Natives Academy (DNA) launched their newest programme in a brand new 1100 sqm space last week on 2 March. Over 100 attended including elders from the community, Ministers of Parliament, Rotorua Lakes Councilors, community leaders and young people. DNA’s newest programme takes

Celebrating Te Reo Māori innovation using gaming & esports

An innovative collaboration is about to help unleash the digital creativity and potential of tamariki Māori in Rotorua. On 1 December ten Kura from Ngā Kura ā Iwi will come together to take part in an esports experience in the form of a collaborative Minecraft speed build

Get into Games Aotearoa an amazing success

Digital Technology continues to outpace virtually every industry in the world and is one of the fastest growing parts of Aotearoa’s economy, generating billions of dollars in exports and creating thousands of jobs each year. The global gaming industry is now worth more than the

Cyberbullying, what does it look like?

Definition: Cyberbullying or cyberharassment is a form of bullying or harassment using electronic/digital means. Cyberbullying is also known as online bullying. It has become increasingly common, especially among teenagers, as the digital sphere has expanded and technology has advanced As technology has become more embedded

Alan Turing Institute partners with Digital Natives Academy

Digital Natives Academy is excited to be partnering with the Alan Turing Institute, to help gather feedback from Māori developers, policymakers and communities about data and it’s use in Artificial Intelligence and machine learning. In 2021, a call-out was made to the global data community

Digital Natives Academy partners with Media Design School

Media Design School is excited to be partnering with Digital Natives Academy, to deliver our Digital Creativity Foundation (DCF) programme online to learners based in DNA’s digital hub in Rotorua. Click here to learn more about the course As a first-of-it’s-kind relationship for Media Design

DNA Partners with MOE to Get into Gaming

Digital Technology is one of the fastest growing parts of Aotearoa’s economy, generating billions of dollars in exports and creating thousands of jobs each year. The global gaming industry is now worth more than the film and music industries combined. Yet in 2019 only 30%

Unlocking Science for Tamariki

Rūamoko & Erupting Mentos Geysers with SCION Budding young scientists, explorers and tutu came together for this short workshop facilitated by Ngaio Balfour, a scientist from the University of Auckland who has been working at SCION over the summer. We dove into the land of

DNA hosts first regional esports competition in Rotorua

Young Māori came from across the region to battle it out in DNA’s inaugural esports comp, Te Wero. Rotorua Intermediate, Te Rangihakahaka, Murupara Area School, Galatea School, Kaingaroa Forest School, Te Kura Toitu o Te Whaiti-nui-a-Toi and Te Kura Kaupapa Motuhake O Tawhiuau have all

Schools battle it out in BOP’s first interregional esports event

Esports, also known as competitive online gaming has emerged as a major contender during the time of Covid and while the world has been locked down, students from Rotorua, Murupara, Galatea and Minganui have been working with Digital Natives Academy and Manawa Rere Digital Hub

LOLNZ Community Nights #LockdownLegends

The NZ esports community is about to have some fun. Esports event organisers Shadownet and Digital Natives Academy (DNA) will host a month-long series of esports events to celebrate coming out of NZ’s first ever nationwide pandemic lockdown. Shadownet founder Ian Seaton explained, “we wanted

Twitch is showcasing local creators as Coronavirus shutters the arts

In an effort to showcase Australian and New Zealand artists that may have been impact by the spread of coronavirus, Twitch has launched a new creative showcase to enable artists of all kinds to share their works with a wider audience, according to Kotaku reporter

Starting the 5G kōrero for whānau

With growing concern regarding the impact of 5G on people’s health. DNA founder, Potaua Biasiny-Tule shared his thoughts on the new spectrum allocation and his concerns at the lack of information whānau Māori have been provided leading to concern, confusion and OTT conspiracy theories. Click

DNA Lockdown Tournaments – 3 events

To give some much needed relief to those lock down blues Digital Natives Academy are hosting three competitive esports events. ― Potaua Biasiny-Tule, Founder DNA, Nativez Esports, Digital Basecamp, 4CompanyB $250 Apex Legends – 18 April 2020 $250 Team Fight Tactics – 19 April 2020

DNA goes Online to combat COVID-19

In response to this worldwide pandemic DNA closed to the public on March 23th and as the world began to self-isolate and engage in social distancing, our team came together to plan and strategise the best way to provide access to our programme while students

DNA holds first all-female esports tournament

GIRL GAMERS THROUGHOUT OCE (THE OCEANIA REGION) CAME TOGETHER TO COMPETE IN THE WORLD’S MOST POPULAR PC GAME, LEAGUE OF LEGENDS. GIRL GAMERS THROUGHOUT OCE (THE OCEANIA REGION) CAME TOGETHER TO COMPETE IN THE WORLD’S MOST POPULAR PC GAME, LEAGUE OF LEGENDS. DIGITAL NATIVES ACADEMY

DNA AND RIOT TEAM UP FOR EDUCATION ESPORTS PROGRAMME

A NEW ZEALAND CHARITABLE TRUST IS TEAMING UP WITH ONE OF THE LARGEST GAMING COMPANIES IN THE WORLD TO LAUNCH AN INNOVATIVE EDUCATION ESPORTS PROGRAMME IN ROTORUA, NEW ZEALAND. Riot Games, the creators of League of Legends  – which has more than 100 million active players a

Rotorua hosts major esports event $10k prize pool

ROTORUA WENT BIG ON THE NEW ZEALAND ESPORTS SCENE DURING NZ’S TECHWEEK19.  THE 20TH OF MAY SAW 4 TEAMS BATTLING IT OUT LIVE ON STAGE FOR A PRIZE POOL OF $10,000, THE LARGEST PRIZE EVER SEEN IN NZ LEAGUE OF LEGENDS HISTORY. Over 250 young

ESPORTS ATHLETES TRAIN IN ROTORUA FOR THEIR BIG BREAK

“HEY MUM, I’VE BOUGHT YOU A HOUSE … HEY DAD, I’VE BOUGHT YOU A CAR.” ROTORUA’S KARAZ MIKAERE DREAMS OF CREATING YOUNGSTERS IN ROTORUA WHO CAN TURN AROUND AND SAY THOSE WORDS TO THEIR PARENTS. Rotorua Daily Post The dream is real and is something

Esports in the classroom hands on workshops for schools

DIGITAL NATIVES ACADEMY (DNA), A ROTORUA BASED NON-PROFIT HAS TEAMED UP WITH RIOT GAMES, ONE OF THE LARGEST GAMING COMPANIES IN THE WORLD TO LAUNCH AN INNOVATIVE WELL-BEING AND ESPORTS EDUCATION PROGRAMME. TECHWEEK 2019 To celebrate this partnership, and help put some shizzle into Techweek

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