Grants approved in 2010

Will a paediatric early warning system lead to early recognition of deteriorating illness in children, thereby enabling timely treatment? This collaborative research project between a CPIT staff member and a group of clinical staff from the Canterbury District Health Board’s Child Health Service is designed to improve the care of critically ill children.

A voluntary job mentoring and experience/placement scheme, this programme is aimed at facilitating migrant students’ efforts to obtain project internships and employment with New Zealand companies. The programme caters to immigrant and refugee CPIT students within English ESOL Department and the School of Business.

Pacific Post was written by Stephanie and Ross McKellar as the applied research component of an MA Practice through Charles Sturt University, Australia, which was supported by CPIT and funded by the Foundation. The play explores transforming personal narrative (in the form of a letter) into a dramatic work. It was tested through a series of readings and workshops, a public forum and a performance with professional actors.

Sandra Thomson and Michael Reed, tutors at the CPIT School of Art & Design, Faculty of Creative Industries were granted funding to produce a publication accompanying their exhibition - Collateral, Printmaking & Politics - at the Gus Fisher Gallery, Auckland University in August 2011.

The grant enabled the purchase of new mind mapping software to enhance teaching and learning, encourage greater student participation in class and help students experience early success.

The 65-member orchestra and jazz band from this decile 2 school was granted funding towards their performance tour of Europe in early 2011. Many Linwood College students go on to tertiary education at CPIT and many have gone on to continue their love of music at the CPIT Jazz School.

A group of graduates of CPIT Te Panekiretanga - Institute of Excellence in Te Reo Maori and their tutor Professor Timoti Karetu were funded on a three-week tour in July to visit key points in the Pacific considered the home lands of the Maori language.

Funding was given to the CPIT Early Learning Centre to complete the refurbishment of its outdoor play area, including three protective sun-sails. Most of the children at the centre are those of current and former CPIT staff and students.

Publication of ‘My Life in the Key of Jazz,’ the memoirs of CPIT jazz legend Doug Caldwell (written with Rosa Shiels) was funded by the Foundation. CPIT lecturer emeritus Doug Caldwell excelled as a teacher, performer, composer, arranger and ambassador for both CPIT and the New Zealand music scene for over 60 years. He was an important figure in the formation and development of CPIT Jazz School - in some ways his story is also CPIT's story.

Funding for hardware and software was granted to the School of Construction Trades to enable geographically isolated trainee carpenters to access a new online class. The online teaching is targeted at kinaesthetic learners (learning by physically doing something) and includes a new Smartboard slate for the tutors to illustrate their discussions to students who can see it via webcams.

Two visiting world-class musical theatre composers were funded to run master classes and perform for CPIT/NASDA students studying for a Bachelor of Performing Arts in Music Theatre - the only such course in New Zealand. The composers were Jason Robert Brown, a world-renowned American composer of musical theatre, and John Bucchino, an American composer of theatre songs.

A CPIT Foundation grant has further assisted the restoration of the Travis Wetland by funding students to experience hands-on restoration work involving plantings and seedlings. Travis Wetland is a wildlife refuge and coastal wetland of national significance. CPIT Outdoor Programmes students have been involved in the restoration work over the past 10 years clearing weeds and exotic trees, collecting desirable native seeds and growing them in pots until ready for planting in the wetland.

Three CPIT students from the weekend course in Mixed Ability Performance and two caregivers travelled with Tony McCaffrey to San Jose, California, to present a paper and performance at the Annual Conference for the Society for Disability Studies in June. The three performers, who have a range of communication and cognitive impairments including Downs Syndrome, cerebral palsy and autism, made creative use of auto-tune and video performance stage technology to aid communication.

Publication of a story promoting enjoyment of and safety in the outdoors was funded by the Foundation to enable its distribution in local schools. "The Adventures of Harrison and Amitty", written and illustrated by Scott Hawker, encourages an understanding of kaitiakitanga (guardianship of the land), and the philosophy of "taking nothing but photos, leaving nothing but footprints".

Just how accessible and user-friendly local community gyms and swimming pools are in Christchurch is being investigated by a group of researchers at CPIT, under the guidance of a similar study in Otago. The Christchurch study, which is funded by CPIT Foundation, focuses on people with disabilities as they visit council and community- owned gyms and is headed by CPIT head of the School of Applied Sciences and Allied Health, Dr Jerry Sherman.