Canon Grants To Tackle Untapped Opportunities Stemming From Limited Tech Access

Canon New Zealand is opening submissions for its 2024 Grants Program, with $20,000 available to recipients across the country. The Grants will support community organisations across Education, Community, and Environment categories as well as a Cultural category for the first time in the program’s history.

This year’s Grants Program launches alongside research conducted exclusively for Canon Oceania that shows a lack of access to technology is holding Kiwis back from major career and life opportunities.

The Canon Oceania survey of 1,000 Kiwis showed half of all respondents, including 68% of Gen Z participants, say they would have chosen a different career path if they’d had greater access to technology in schools, including opportunities like media, design, creative arts, and photojournalism¹.

The majority of Kiwis also agreed that equal access to technology impacted future career prospects, with 52% identifying career benefits².

Kotaro Fukushima, Managing Director for Canon Oceania, said that improving access to technology was a core goal of the 2024 Grants Program.

“The Canon Oceania Grants Program is guided by our Kyosei philosophy of living and working together for the common good. Putting these values into practice means helping more Kiwis have access to technology to allow them to tell their stories, connect with each other and develop valuable skills. Through this year’s Grants Program, organisations in New Zealand and the communities they serve will have the opportunity to receive high-quality photo, video, and printing technology, as well as funding support.” said Kotaro Fukushima, Managing Director for Canon Oceania.

Previous winners of the grants program have used program funding and Canon equipment supplied through the grant to help close the equity gap for their communities. Pukekohe High School, which won the 2023 Canon Education Grant for a major community art project, said the grant had unlocked new opportunities for students to understand their local history and express it through art, especially Māori culture.

“Winning a Canon Oceania Grant has been instrumental in the growth of creativity and leadership in our young people. We have used the camera as a tool to grow the values of our school by enhancing culture and belonging, providing a platform for our young people to express themselves. They are our change makers in our community, their voice is so important, and this is how they get their messages across Aotearoa.” said Catherine Tamihere, Pukekohe High School art teacher.

This year will be the 18th year of the annual Canon Oceania Grants Program. Since the program’s inception, Canon has provided more than 110 community organisations and schools with more than $550,000 in funding and product support. Across the 2024 categories of Community, Education, Environment and Cultural, the program will provide each grant recipient with $5,000 worth of cash and Canon product ($2,500 cash and $2,500 in Canon product). Products will range from cameras to lenses, printers, and other accessories.

The 2024 Grants will be awarded under the following categories:

1 x Community Grant – NZ$5,000 ($2,500 cash and $2,500 in Canon product)

Open to organisations with their community at the heart of what they do, ranging from not-for-profits to grassroots groups.

1 x Education Grant – NZ$5,000 ($2,500 cash and $2,500 in Canon product)
Open to schools and other educational centres for children and adults alike.

1 x Environment Grant – NZ$5,000 ($2,500 cash and $2,500 in Canon product)
Open to not-for-profits and organisations dedicated to raising awareness of the protection of the environment or promoting sustainable practices.

1 x Cultural Grant – NZ$5,000 ($2,500 cash and $2,500 in Canon product)

Launching for the first time in 2024, this grant is open to a project and/or organisation that elevates connection to the indigenous cultures of Aotearoa, New Zealand.

Submissions are open now via https://www.canon.co.nz/about-canon/community/grants.The wider community will vote for finalists online via Canon NZ’s website in August, and winners will be announced in September.

For more information about Canon Oceania’s Grants Program 2024, please visit: https://www.canon.co.nz/about-canon/community/grants

¹ MYMAVINS survey May 2024, n=1,009
² MYMAVINS survey May 2024, n=1,009

Survey commissioned by Canon Oceania and conducted by independent research agency MYMAVINS in May 2024 via a quantitative online survey. The survey gathered 1,009 responses from New Zealanders aged 18 years and over. The sample is broadly representative of the general adult New Zealand population in terms of age, gender, wealth, and region.

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