Help more Kiwi kids soar with Airpoints™ for Schools

Air New Zealand has announced the 10 school groups selected for this year’s Airpoints™ for Schools programme which are now eligible to receive donated Airpoints Dollars™ to spend on travel.

The programme, which helps send Kiwi kids on trips around New Zealand and overseas for educational travel experiences, is supported by the Ministry of Education and allows Air New Zealand Airpoints members to donate Airpoints Dollars to participating schools for their chosen travel. Schools can apply for up to 20,000 Airpoints Dollars which is the equivalent of $20,000 worth of travel. Air New Zealand will donate the cost of the taxes and this year will be matching the donations given by generous Airpoints members dollar for dollar to meet their targets.

Since the programme was established in 2016 it has helped more than 400 students from across the country travel to a wide range of destinations within New Zealand and overseas, enabling aspiring young leaders to gain new experiences, knowledge and inspiration to reach their potential.

The successful schools and the trips they are proposing to raise Airpoints Dollars for are:
• Hatea-a-Rangi School, Gisborne
25 students will fly to Rarotonga to connect with their Cook Island heritage and perform at the Te Maeva Nui Festival.
• Hedgehope School, Invercargill
30 students will be travelling to Russell in the Bay of Islands to learn more about New Zealand culture and the history of the Treaty of Waitangi.
• He Matariki Teen Parent School, Whangarei
Six students will be flying for the first time to explore Wellington and visit Parliament, Te Papa and Victoria University.
• Longbeach School, Ashburton
Year 7 and 8 students will be flying to Stewart Island to study native bird species and the factors contributing to their low survival.
• Mana College, Porirua
Four students will travel to Christchurch to compete in the National EVolocity Finals with their sustainable electric vehicle design.
• Manurewa High School, Auckland
The ‘Rewa Allstars’ will travel to Phoenix, United States to experience international dance culture and perform at the World Hip-Hop Championship.
• Opunake High School, Opunake
Students involved in the school’s Sustainability Academy will fly to Fiji to teach English and advocate for recycling systems at local schools.
• Ross School, Ross
14 rural students will experience ‘big city life’ for the first time, travelling to Wellington to visit Te Papa and Wellington Zoo.
• Runanga School, Greymouth
Students affected by the Pike River Mine disaster will have a chance to explore outside their district and visit Te Papa in Wellington.
• St Paul's College, Auckland
12 students will travel to China to connect with their sister school and perform at their international culture festival.
Air New Zealand’s General Manager Loyalty & Customer Direct Jeremy O’Brien says Airpoints for Schools is a great way for the airline and its customers to give back to local communities.

“Close to 100 applications were received from schools around New Zealand, which shows how valued the programme is in local communities. Many of the students who attend the schools in the programme have never flown before and may come from remote areas where a trip like this can really change their whole outlook and positively impact their aspirations for the future.

“Our staff also really enjoy getting out to schools to meet the students, as it gives them a true connection with the communities and children involved in the programme.

“We look forward to supporting this year's schools to reach their travel goals after seeing close to 70,000 Airpoints Dollars donated by generous Airpoints members in 2018, enabling participating schools to travel throughout the country as well as to China, Japan, Singapore, the United States and Scotland.”

Donations are open now through until Tuesday 30 April 2019 on the Air New Zealand Airpoints Store.

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