With school starting up again, we thought now was the perfect time to showcase how some educators are getting involved in crowdfunding. Here’s just a few (there are many more) examples of the projects that made a difference in education.
1. Thinking Digital
Primary school teachers Tara TJ and Jo Fothergill took a research sabbatical to investigate innovative classroom practices. Not only did they attend the Thinking Digital conference in the UK, but they became the first kiwis to speak at the conference, alongside representatives from Google, BBC and TED. To attend and speak, they needed to fund their trip all by themselves and raised over $1500 in travel costs. Tara and Jo took the ideas they gained from attending the conference back with them to their classrooms in Pukerua Bay.
2. The Kaikorai Journey
Kaikorai Primary School students (with the help of their principal, Simon Clarke) wrote, directed and produced a movie The Quest all by themselves. The movie is based on their school’s values system and incorporated many iconic Dunedin locations such as Larnach Castle. They booked The Regent Theatre for their premiere and used PledgeMe to raise over $6,000 so the entire school and their families could attend the premiere for free.
3. 2 Girls, 1 Conference
Leilani Kake and Ema Tavola are two Pacific art practitioners based in South Auckland. To get their unique pacific art practices heard at the Pacific Arts Association (PAA) in Vancouver, Canada, they needed to raise over $2500 in travel costs. Leilani and Ema ended up raising nearly double that with $4050 in total. Leilani and Ema went to the conference where Leilani spoke about her video installation practices and intercultural identity and Ema contributed to a panel on “curating pacific spaces” and contemporary pacific art in New Zealand.
4. Help South Auckland Grow
Manurewa Intermediate students wanted to leave a “graduation legacy” that promotes their school’s value on sustainable living. They turned to PledgeMe to purchase food trees to be planted on the school’s marae and fale complex. They planted plum, fig, avocado, tamarillo and nikau trees. Also, because so many of the students come from Pacific Island families, they also planted frangipani, hibiscus and taro shrubs. With this effort, the students gave back.
5. Books of the Rainbow
Not only did Leilana Quinger volunteer to teach at the Rainbow Academy in rural India, but she raised the money for vital resources including textbooks, whiteboards (to replace the existing blackboards), sports equipment and small speakers for Nepali dance classes. During her stay in India, she asked her Mother to send over a large box of donated books, which she had acquired after working in a University Bookshop for seven years. So. Much. Awesome.
6. Look through our Eyes
The Ahuroa primary school photography club, with the help of the Club Leader Theressa, crowd funded over $700 to put on an exhibition of their photos of the theme “Through our Eyes”. Which is pretty impressive considering the kids are aged between 7 and 11 years old and worked hard for nine months on their show. Here are the kids with their cameras:
7. Collab with Colab
Last year, AUT University’s Colab project asked us talk to their Creative Technology students about crowdfunding. Colab set a crowdfunding assignment, using PledgeMe. The students had to create a pitch, but the marking criteria was crowdsourced from the class. We heard pitches about social enterprise and teepees. They even shared with us tips and tricks about what makes an effective pitch video. Here are a few examples of what they come up with:
