Established as an independent charitable trust in 1984, the CPIT Foundation exists to promote and support the applied vocational, educational and research activities of CPIT.
The Foundation was established:
- To promote and support the general educational purposes and activities of the Polytechnic.
- To improve the educational facilities of the Polytechnic.
- To provide financial assistance (including the provision of scholarships and bursaries) to students of the Polytechnic on such conditions (if any) as they deem appropriate.
- To support student educational activities of the Polytechnic.
- To support staff education and development projects of the Polytechnic.
- To support innovative educational projects undertaken by staff of the Polytechnic.
- To support any other educational or charitable enterprise.
Funding
The CPIT Foundation prudently manages an existing capital base and is seeking to grow this through industry, community and CPIT alumni relationships in order to support its aim of funding projects that “make a difference”.
Grants
The CPIT Foundation administers grants which:
- Allow students to become involved with projects that add real value to their CV
- Create projects that make CPIT an attractive option for potential students
- Build relationships between CPIT and its community
- Foster excellence in research, technology transfer and scholarship.
Among some of the major projects the Foundation has been involved with and helped to fund are the Big Idea in 2012 and the funding of students to enter the Ellerslie Flower Show (click here to read more about this), the establishment of the Media Studies Department, the Child Care Centre and, more recently, the new contemporary arts performance space that will provide a stage for Circus Arts, NASDA and Jazz School students, as well as entertainment for all students.
When appropriate, the Foundation bestows the Dame Jean Herbison Prestigious Award for an outstanding student or project that reflects the values of service to others that characterised Dame Jean’s contribution to education.
The Foundation has also funded much smaller projects, such as students monitoring toxins in Lake Forsyth, helping to restore the Travis Wetlands on the outskirts of the city, and the inaugural Tamariki Achievers Awards. Click here for some examples of recent grants and awards recipients.
Some awards can provide seed funding to help a small project or a little enterprise get started, while other awards can fund major projects that benefit a large number of CPIT’s students and the wider community.
The Foundation is governed by a board of Trustees, who are drawn from the business and education sectors in Canterbury.
To contact the Foundation call Karen Lewis on:
Phone: 022-3532488
Post: PO Box 22 631, Christchurch
Email: cpfoundation@xtra.co.nz