IBM New Zealand Wins Social Hero Award

MEDIA RELEASE
IBM NEW ZEALAND

30 July 2007

IBM New Zealand Wins Social Hero Award

IBM New Zealand was awarded the inaugural Robin Hood Foundation Social Hero Award for Education Partnership on Friday evening. The award was for IBM's KidSmart programme – the donation of a specially designed computer unit, educational software and teacher training to early childhood centres, all of which have been designed to give preschool children the opportunity to integrate information technology in their learning.

Robin Hood Foundation CEO Jude Mannion says that IBM stood out as an award winner for two very simple reasons: "they considered carefully where their help was needed most, and then they invested in their people being able to spend time at every centre involved ensuring the overall success of the KidSmart programme."

The Social Hero Award is the culmination of three years of investment in the education sector by IBM New Zealand. Since the KidSmart programme was established in 2004, IBM NZ employees have installed 268 computer packages in early childhood centres in socio-economically disadvantaged areas and have trained over 600 teachers in the use of information technology.

In accepting the award, IBM New Zealand Managing Director Katrina Troughton said "IBM is excited to win an award that recognises our employees' commitment and desire to make a difference."

Because of the KidSmart programme, more than 15,000 children around New Zealand have access to technology they might not have otherwise experienced in their learning and more than 600 teachers have the training to integrate technology in their teaching. "Seeing the excitement on the faces of the children at these centres is a massive reward for the employees who volunteer to install the KidSmart units,"says Ms Troughton.

Ms Troughton says IBM New Zealand has been very focused in its community investment. "By having a strategic focus on one area - the education sector – we have been able to make a real difference. We were fortunate to develop a strong partnership with the New Zealand Kindergartens Association on day one. More recently, we have formed partnerships with Te Tari Puna o Aotearoa, the NZ Childcare Association, who joined us in 2005, and the City of Manukau Education Trust (COMET) who joined us in 2006 to target Pacifica Centres."

ENDS

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