Telecom Donates $10k to Five Waikato Schools

Telecom New Zealand (News - Alert), one of the largest communications service providers in New Zealand which services over two million mobile connections (consumer and business), announced that five primary schools based in the northern region of Waikato that will receive $10k each toward improving the technology available for students in the classroom.

 Ngaruawahia, Taupiri, Fairfield and Melville primary schools will be receiving the donations; and Kea Street School in Rotorua, a school for those with physical and intellectual disabilities, was also chosen.

“We will be using the $10,000 on an interactive whiteboard to enhance student engagement and support students with their learning; we will also be using the funds to reconfigure the 16 donated desktops and laptops we have, which will allow more students to access IT at once,” Sheralyn Cook, Principal of Taupiri Primary, said in a statement as seen on Scoop: New Zealand.

Employees that live in the Waikato region chose these five schools after an internal national competition. The money will be used in order to provide students with technology that can help them easily obtain and retain knowledge.

“We’ll also be joining Knowledge Net which will allow students to work with increased independency and will enable them and their whanau (extended family) to access their learning from home,” said Cook. “The funds will also allow us to access on-line learning programs which support student progress in reading, spelling and math.”

This news comes shortly after The Telecom Foundation, a foundation setup to provide catalytic philanthropy for the country, announced early in February that they have reached the landmark of $1 million donated to New Zealand charities, schools and community groups.