Legacy Project to Create Tech-Savvy Generation for Dunedin
A $90,000 GigCity Community Fund grant has been awarded by Chorus to a network of technology educators in Dunedin who
plan to create a new generation of tech-savvy youth.
Under the governance of Connected Education Trust, The Hive will bring together education providers including Hatch
Education, Tinkerschool, Fab Lab Dunedin, and Fun Science, alongside partners The Malcam Trust and Otago Polytechnic, to
deliver youth-education programmes that work to inspire digital citizenship, creativity and tech skills.
The funding – part of the $500,000 awarded to the city for gig community projects as part of winning the Chorus Gigatown
competition – was announced at a GigCity celebration event held at Precinct Food on Vogel Street in Dunedin last night.
The Connected Education group will connect on a regular basis to run HIVE events and showcase their latest innovations,
while also developing a mobile education outreach service. In this way, the group can support local schools in their own
teaching efforts with tech programmes developed around specific tech-related areas such as robotics, virtual reality,
Minecraft, 3D design and printing, plus more.
Chorus NZ Dunedin Liaison Manager Kim Stewart says the Connected Education grant creates an inspiring opportunity for
Dunedin’s youth that becomes a legacy of the Gigatown competition win.
“As New Zealand’s first GigCity and winner of our Gigatown competition, Chorus has tried to create a foundation for
Dunedin’s tech community to thrive. Enabling the youth of the city to access fantastic tech-related education programmes
is a vital part of ensuring the benefits of the Gigatown win continue well into Dunedin’s future.”
Other grants awarded in this round include $22,000 for Anglican Family Care for its Primary Community Data Project – a
partnership between Anglican Family Care Centre’s Family Start programme and WellSouth. The project aims to develop an
electronic data exchange warehouse that allows client data sharing to improve health outcomes for Dunedin’s vulnerable
children.
A collaboration between the University of Otago’s Geography Department, and six other organisations (Manaaki Whenua
Landcare Research, Te Rūnanga o Ngāi Tahu, Orokonui Ecosanctuary, Te Tumu, The Otago Museum and Te Kura Kaupapa Māori o
Ōtepoti) received $20,000 for the ‘Ahe Pepe MothNet’ project to develop a UFB-supported game and app that encourages
engagement in Te Reo Māori by testing users’ knowledge of moths while teaching the story of the origin of moths from the
Kai Tahu Lorero.
An additional $12,000 was awarded to ChatBus to redevelop its website and mobile counselling platform to streamline the
organisation’s online needs and allow counsellors to update information remotely.
The latest $147,000 of grants takes the total funding allocated to almost $455,086 out of the $500,000 allocated to
gig-related community projects from Chorus for the Gigatown win.
Ms Stewart says an additional funding round – opening next month – will be held to allocate the final $44,000.
“We had some impressive ideas come through in this application round but many of them were still in the incubation
stage. We’re hoping an extra couple of months will allow organisations to consider our judges’ feedback and take the
projects to the next level.”
Applications open 10 November 2017. To apply, go to gigcitydunedin.co.nz.
ENDS