City Youth is the Winner in the Latest Round of Community Funding

Four Dunedin community groups are receiving $68,000 from the GigCity Community Fund, with two projects engaging youth via technology receiving the lion’s share.

The Malcam Charitable Trust will receive $22,000 to begin work on a Mozilla Hive, a digital community to connect and engage with youth. Dunedin’s Gasworks Museum is receiving $20,000 to extend its IT education for teenagers and children.

The GigCity Community Fund, part of the prize for Dunedin winning Gigatown, is $500,000 provided by infrastructure company Chorus. It is open to applications from Dunedin community organisations using gigabit infrastructure and UFB to enhance the development, experimentation and implementation of community, learning and workforce opportunities in the city. The latest funding round includes $20,000 for St Barnabas Trust to develop an app to manage Meals on Wheels delivery, with $6,000 for Urban Dream Brokerage to help revitalise vacant shop fronts.

Malcam Chief Executive Andy Kilsby says Mozilla Hive is a global concept bringing together
organisations and individuals to champion digital skills and web literacy through connected learning.

“The funding gives us an opportunity for local youth to engage and try new things. It requires willful and engaged participation through events and online infrastructure. For some it may provide a career path but for everyone it will be fun.”

The Hive will work with community groups such as the Gasworks Museum and Minecraft and coding clubs, according to Kilsby. The Mozilla Hive will kick off in early 2016 with a ‘Maker Party’.

Gasworks Museum Director of Education Ann Cronin is delighted with the $20,000 funding saying; “in 2016 we will be able to increase the number of classes for robotics, media production and recording and programming.”

Throughout 2015 we have consistently catered for up to 50 teenagers a week with our Sunday classes. The grant means we will be able to extend our classes and host them on Saturday and Sunday and reach up to 250 kids a week, she says.

“We’re particularly excited about using the funding to extend our Minecraft programs. Through Minecraft we are able to develop the kids understanding of chemistry, physics and programming. We want the kids making things with the internet rather than just consuming it.”

The next round of GigCity Community Funding opens in March 2016. For more details see www.gigcitydunedin.co.nz

ENDS

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