Gigatown Launches School Video Competition

Gigatown Launches School Video Competition

Chorus is inviting New Zealand schools to get stuck into its Gigatown competition by creating a short, exciting video that will help drive support for competing towns.

Schools are being asked to create a 2-5 minute video showcasing what a day in the life of a gigabit connected school in Gigatown will be like.

Outstanding entries will score their chosen towns crucial Gigapoints, plus the top videos in each category will win the school a $2500 technology upgrade and ten GoPro cameras. Second to fifth place in each category will win schools a Canon video camera.

Chorus spokesperson Karren Harker says the aim of the school’s competition is to spark the imaginations of young Kiwis who will play a big role in shaping New Zealand’s digital future.

“By the end of 2014 virtually every school in New Zealand will have ultra-fast broadband - meaning remote classes, online vocational training, online skills enhancement, remote parent/teacher engagement, and online reference material will all be within reach.”

“Through this competition we are keen to hear what New Zealand’s young people know about UFB, and what they think gigabit connectivity could do to help change and enhance the way they learn. We’re really excited to see what they come up with,” says Karren Harker.

The competition has a Junior category (years 1-8) and a Senior category (years 9-13), and is open from today until the end of term two, Friday 4th July.

For the first time since the Gigatown competition began, an independent judging panel will determine winners in each category. Members of the judging panel will be announced in May.

The competition is open to all New Zealand schools listed on the Ministry of Education Schools Directory, meaning schools do not need to be based in one of the competing towns to take part.

And as an added incentive to generate engagement from across New Zealand – which will be a key factor in the finals round – a bonus 10,000 Gigapoints will be awarded to any town that manages to get a school to enter on its behalf, that isn’t inside the town.

Since launching on Labour Day this year, Chorus’s Gigatown competition has attracted a remarkable level of engagement from a range of New Zealand communities determined to win a subsidised 1gbps internet connection – arguably the fastest in the southern hemisphere.

To date the Gigatown website has attracted more than 140,000 unique visitors, over 800,000 eligible social media posts, and the campaign’s email supporters club has gained more than 30,000 members.

Currently there are 46 official community Facebook pages dedicated to local campaigns, and collectively the campaign has attracted more than 70,000 Facebook likes.

Karren Harker says this level of engagement is showing no signs of slowing down as towns increase their efforts to secure one of five coveted positions in the Gigatown finals, which kick off in September.

“We are blown away by the levels of engagement we’ve seen so far and put this down to the amazing dedication of local councils, community volunteers and passionate citizens who are driving superb community engagement at a local level,” says Karren Harker.

“What has been most rewarding has been the feedback we’ve received from Gigatown community leaders who have said this competition has brought together businesses, councils, entrepreneurs and communities using new technologies in ways they’ve never experienced before.”

“This spirit of collaboration and innovation is what lies at the heart of the Gigatown competition.”

www.gigatown.co.nz

ENDS

© Scoop Media