PB Tech's social commitment to bridging digital divide in education

December 23rd, 2024

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As New Zealand's largest computing and IT retailer, PB Tech has spent the last 8 years at the forefront of revolutionising education through technology.

With long-lasting partnerships with over 1700 schools, universities, and educational organisations, we are continually committed to enriching the educational experience for students and educators across New Zealand. 

These endeavours include workshops, STEAM initiatives, sustainability objectives, conferences, device donations, sustained support programs, eSports programmes, and more.

Notably, our support for the Manaiakalani Educational Trust, which includes low-decile schools such as Point England School and Tamaki College, stands out. 

Our work with the Maniakalani Educational Trust includes donating Chromebooks and desktops to various schools. Our goal is to close the digital divide within the community and ensure that students have access to technology essential for learning in the digital age. 

This support also extends to the annual Manaiakalani Teacher Summits, providing a platform for educators to share insights and strategies to enhance teaching and learning experiences.

PB Tech and Māori Language Commission partnership – development of Te Reo Māori Keyboard

Further to our commitment to increasing inclusivity and diversity within the education sector, we teamed up with Te Taura Whiri i te Reo Māori and Te Puni Kōkiri to upgrade over 5,000 Chromebooks with in-built Te Reo Māori Keyboards and distribute them to schools at no additional cost.

The goal behind deploying the Te Reo Māori Keyboard into schools is to normalise and empower New Zealanders to actively use Te Reo in a digital context.

“This is another valuable contribution to achieving one million speakers of Te Reo Maori by 2040,” said Te Taura Whiri I te Reo Māori Chief Executive Ngahiwi Apanui. 

“Aotearoa New Zealand is about inclusion and it’s important that we recognise our official languages and represent them in our devices, for our students. So far with the devices delivered to over 120 schools, the response has been overwhelming”, says PB Tech Head of Education Stan Fosenbauer.

Pictured: 5 students with HP laptops equipped with Te Reo Māori Keyboard in classroom setting
HP laptops with the Te Reo Māori Keyboard being used in the classroom.
stand-alone keyboard model
Te Reo Maori Keyboards come in many forms. They can come pre-built into laptops, as a modification to existing devices, or as a stand-alone device (as pictured above).

The keyboards are designed with physical keys for tohutō (macrons), which require a combination of keys on a standard QWERTY keyboard, single keys for frequently used Māori terms, and te reo naming of keys such as enter (tomo). 

The keyboards also have an integrated spell checker. It is easy to seamlessly toggle between the traditional QWERTY keyboard and the Te Reo Māori keyboard.

close up of Te Reo Maori keyboard
Close up shot of a Te Reo Māori keyboard, with some frequently used letters as shown above.
easy to switch between QWERTY keyboard and Te Reo Maori keyboard
“The beauty of this keyboard is that users can rapidly switch between a standard QWERTY keyboard and the Te Reo Māori Keyboard,” says PB Tech Head of Government and Healthcare Peter Bull.
 

Looking to pick up some Te Reo Maori Keyboards? Check out our current selection

 

PB Tech STEAM and Sustainability Initiatives:

MOTAT STEAM Cell Workshops

We are proud to sponsor 20 MOTAT STEAM Cell workshops annually, benefiting around 8,000 students.

MOTAT’s STEAM Cell is a travelling trailer kitted out with a fleet of devices, specialised robotics, and engineering equipment.

Students are encouraged to explore their scientific curiosities, an opportunity made possible through our support.

By financing MOTAT's services, we enable these workshops to be run in schools across the North Island, offering students unique opportunities to engage with STEAM subjects tailored to their educational needs.

Learn more about or book a STEAM Cell workshop for your educational institute.

MOTAT STEAM Cell session Pukekohe Hill School
Pictured above is a MOTAT STEAM Cell session at Pukekohe Hill School. This session focused on electricity.
MOTAT STEAM CELL Robotics session - Dargaville Primary School
Two Dargaville Primary School students working together to construct a fully functioning robotic car.
 

Robogals STEM Club at the University of Auckland

PB Tech's ongoing support for the Robogals STEM Club, an internationally recognised program run by University of Auckland students, exemplifies their dedication to inspiring young talent to explore their scientific curiosities.

By funding 50 workshops annually, we have helped Robogals STEM Club to reach over 1,000 students across the country, providing hands-on experiences in robotics and engineering.

This support includes covering travel expenses, and ensuring the programme's continued sustainability and accessibility.

Learn more about the Robogals programme and how your school can benefit from adding their robotics and engineering classes to the curriculum.

robotics with robogals and Hobsonville Point Primary School
Hobsonville Point Primary School students having fun with building blocks and robotics with Robogals.
Robogals workshop - Manurewa Intermediate
Manurewa Intermediate class working in groups to build Robogals robotics.
 

Want to add STEM devices to the classroom? PB Tech has you covered

Recycling Devices and Promoting Sustainability – a collaboration with Brainplay

PB Tech's RAD program, run in collaboration with Brainplay, underscores our long-term commitment to sustainability and education.

Through the programme, we donate refurbished laptops and desktops to Waitakere College and Tamaki College, facilitating over 30 workshops annually.

This program not only provides essential technology to students but also promotes environmental responsibility by extending the lifecycle of electronic devices.

Waitakere College’s Tech Ninja club has 20 enthusiastic students rebuilding laptops and PCs using parts supplied by PB Tech, which have been redeployed across the school.

Tamaki College's eSports team, the Future Tech Ninjas, benefitted from PB Tech’s donation of 100 computers towards growing the club.

Tamaki College students Fawad, Jameel, and Jawid were able to embrace learning from home while assisting their family in understanding English thanks to PB Tech’s donation of laptops to the school.

The boys had recently moved from Afghanistan prior to the devices being donated to Tamaki College and were able to accelerate their own knowledge.

We are proud to inspire the future generation of tech leaders to take control of their own digital learning while paying that newfound knowledge acquisition back into their local community.

Learn more about how our programmes have inspired the students at Tamaki College and Waitakere College.

Two Tamaki College students who benefit from refurbished devices
Tamaki College students Jameel and Jawid have embraced home learning with new devices. "Grateful for the opportunity to use these computers at home, as they enhance our studies and enable us to teach English to our family members", says Fawad.
stack of devices donated to Tamaki College
Donated devices at Tamaki College that have been repurposed to support students' educational needs.
Two of Waitakere College's Tech Ninja's intently focused on computer hardware
Waitakere College’s Tech Ninja club has 20 enthusiastic students rebuilding laptops and PCs using parts supplied by PB Tech, which have been redeployed across the school.
close up over the shoulder shot of hard drive in the process of refurbishment
Hard drive in the process of refurbishment at Waitakere College.

James Cook High School device deployment pilot

We teamed up with James Cook High School to deploy 1200 off-lease commercial devices that reached the end of their lease period. To ensure a smooth integration, they enlisted 30 students from the school to act as Level 1 Support for the wider community.

The result: all students at JCHS were able to have their own device, and the students who assisted in the deployment were given the opportunity to build their hands-on IT skills while empowering them to think about their futures following high school.

“By involving students in the deployment process and enlisting them as Level 1 Support, we aimed to give them exposure to IT at an early age,” said PB Tech Head of Education Stan Fosenbauer.

The management team at James Cook High School shared this sentiment, believing that giving students this experience while they’re at school elevates the learning experience and empowers them to think more broadly about the careers they could pursue after completing high school.

We aim to replicate the success of this deployment model in future schools, empowering students to take control of their own learning objectives.

Learn more about the initiative here and get in touch with our specialists about your next device deployment.

JCHS students learning the steps for device refurbishment
The management team at James Cook High School echo the sentiment that giving students hands-on IT experience like this while they’re at school elevates the learning experience and empowers them to think more broadly about the careers they could pursue after.
James Cook High School students applying their newfound IT Skills to redeploy older devices throughout their local community.
James Cook High School students applying their newfound IT Skills to redeploy older devices throughout their local community.

Cook Islands Education Support: Apii Vaitau Chromebook Deployment

PB Tech's dedication to education transcends New Zealand's borders. In partnership with the Cook Islands' Ministry of Education, we supply laptops, desktops, and networking gear, crucial for establishing robust educational infrastructures for schools without the means to set up their own networks.

In 2020, we supplied a suite of refurbished Chromebooks and a TV to Apii Vaitau School. The 160 Chromebooks were originally meant to be phased out, but PB Tech Head of Education Stan Fosenbauer noticed that the devices were still functional but not in a state to be resold.

“Nobody wants to see functional goods being destroyed if they can be used to help those who don’t have the means to purchase them” said Fosenbauer, who reached out to the Cook Island’s Ministry of Education following the discovery.

Due to our donation, each student got the opportunity to actively engage with their digital learning objectives such as daily maths, Te Reo Maori, Cook Island Maori, and English at their own pace.

Apii Vaitau’s year 5 class, who were enthusiastic about receiving their new laptops
Apii Vaitau’s year 5 class, who were enthusiastic about receiving their new laptops.
Apii Vaitau's educational TV in action.
Apii Vaitau's educational TV in action as a useful learning tool.

Deputy Principal Colette Clarke saw that her students were enamoured by Google Meet and felt motivated by the opportunity to learn online while supporting each other through their digital transition.

"On reflection, I am amazed by how engaged the students are as they learn all the new ways of learning and interacting with each other. It was great to see those set up and knowing their way around new learning helping those still trying to navigate their way in and around where they needed to be,” said Clarke.

Learn more about how our continued partnership with Cook Island’s Ministry of Education has closed the digital device for Apii Vaitau School

Manaiakalani Teacher Summits

PB Tech also supports the Teacher Summits at Te Uki Ou School in the Cook Islands in tandem with Manaiakalani, reflecting their commitment to upskilling educators and assisting low-decile schools in improving educational outcomes in the Pacific Islands.

These conferences focus on innovation through digital technology, effective teaching practice, and understanding cultural capacity to enhance teaching and learning outcomes.

PB Tech Education believes that giving students access to technology is an equaliser that can have significant flow-on effects on the rest of their lives and their families.

This is especially true for those in underprivileged communities. That’s why we focus on initiatives that provide students with access to technology and support Māori and Pasifika communities and businesses.

PB Tech has been a sponsor of the Manaiakalani Teacher Summits since 2022. Learn more about PB Tech's role in the 2022 Teacher Summit

four teachers at the 2022 Teacher Summit at Te Uki Ou School
The summit also focused on effective teaching practices, providing rich learning opportunities across the curriculum and age levels.
The teacher workshops hosted by Manaiakalani Education Trust, and supported by PB Tech, included innovating with digital technologies to enhance teaching and learning outcomes.
The teacher workshops hosted by Manaiakalani Education Trust, and supported by PB Tech, included innovating with digital technologies to enhance teaching and learning outcomes.

PB Tech eSports support

By supporting schools like Tamaki College, Te Puke High, and the University of Waikato, PB Tech contributes to the growth of eSports programs across the country.

We work with partners such as Logitech and Brainplay to build and donate GGPC devices to enhance the gaming experience for students in secondary or tertiary education.

Additionally, our donation of peripherals such as mice and keyboards to institutions like AUT, the University of Auckland, and the University of Waikato further emphasise our support for growing digital literacy and gaming.

The synergy between gaming and education is breaking new ground and showcasing the untapped potential of eSports and technology in promoting positive social change.

Our support for eSports programmes across the country, with the donation of GGPC devices, enhances the gaming experience for students studying in secondary and tertiary education. These devices make it easier for students to grind time and prepare for tournaments for games such as League of Legends, Valorant, and more.

eSports classes empower students to harness their skills and channel their passion for gaming into valuable learning experiences.
Our support for eSports programmes across the country, with the donation of GGPC devices, enhances the gaming experience for students studying in secondary and tertiary education. These devices make it easier for students to grind time and prepare for tournaments for games such as League of Legends, Valorant, and more.
eSports students from the University of Canterbury competing in a Rocket League competition, co-sponsored by MSI.
eSports students from the University of Canterbury competing in a Rocket League competition, co-sponsored by MSI.

Enhancing Educator Development through Conferences

PB Tech's involvement in educational conferences is pivotal in its strategy to support teachers' professional development and collaboration.

We sponsor over 15 school cluster conferences annually, including the Kaurilands cluster, Blockhouse Bay cluster, and Point England cluster.

These full-day events, attended by over 500 educators each, focus on upskilling teachers and sharing best practices in education and tech.

Kaurilands cluster conference - with a focus on fostering a community of educators sharing their best teaching practices.
Kaurilands cluster conference - with a focus on fostering a community of educators sharing their best teaching practices.
Over 500 educators attend the annual conference.
Over 500 educators attend the annual conference. The Kauriland's cluster conference is one of the 15 conferences we sponsor annually.

Interested in partnering up with us? Get in touch with our education specialists for bulk quotes or enquiries today.

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