Councillors up for Digital Literacy Award

Councillors up for Digital Literacy Award

InternetNZ (the Internet Society of New Zealand) is pleased to announce that Councillors Peter Macaulay and Judy Speight are finalists in a prestigious international award recognising those who work to help bridge the 'digital divide'.

The two have been named finalists in the 2007 Champions of Digital Literacy Awards - Macualay for his work with the Government's Digital Strategy, and Speight for her work with the ICT skills programme Accelerating Auckland.

InternetNZ executive director Keith Davidson says Macaulay and Speight are at the forefront of advancing digital literacy in New Zealand and congratulates them on their finalist status.

The awards are being run by US-based computer certification firm Certiport.

New Zealand Certiport distributor Graham Duncan describes digital literacy as the hammer and nails of modern society. However, he says there is a huge gap between those that are digitally literate and those that are not. "Each year we scour the world looking for people that have done something within their organisation, school, community, country or region that is significantly helping to bridge the digital divide.

"Peter and Judy represent the strongest finalists to-date in New Zealand. They have positioned themselves right at the cutting edge of programmes that will potentially make a huge difference to narrowing New Zealand's digital divide," he says.

Over 100 nominations from around the world were received, with Macaulay and Speight among only 12 finalists.

The supreme winner will be announced at Certiport's Pathways 2007 conference, being held in Orlando, Florida from 19 - 21 July.

ENDS

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