Queenstown Airport Corporation (QAC) and the Wakatipu High School Foundation are delighted to announce a three-year partnership.
The Wakatipu High School Foundation is a local charity that fundraises and provides $200,000 each year to Queenstown’s only High School to support a range of strategic, co and extra curricular activities as well as the Awhi Fund with the goal of enabling the school to offer Aotearoa’s best ‘all-round’ education.
The three-year platinum sponsorship comes under the Wakatipu High School Foundation’s Business Partnership Programme, an initiative that recognises that an exceptional high school offering Aotearoa’s best ‘all-round’ education is key to supporting families in the region, developing the future employees and entrepreneurs of the Wakatipu Basin and strengthening our local community.
Sara Irvine, QAC General Manager Corporate and Community Affairs said: “We are delighted to be working with the Wakatipu High School Foundation. We recognise the value of access to an inclusive and enriching educational experience and we welcome the opportunity to contribute to the success of future generations by supporting opportunities for young people in our community,”
“An important aspect of our sustainability strategy is giving back to the communities we serve. With more than 700 people working across the Queenstown Airport precinct there are many people in our airport community with strong connections to the High School so partnering with the Foundation is a natural fit.”
The Wakatipu High School Foundation works closely with the Wakatipu High School to ensure the students in Queenstown are offered a wide ranging curriculum and opportunities in co and extra curricular activities as well as supporting the educational opportunities of students experiencing financial hardship through their Awhi Fund.
Queenstown Airport Corporation will be working alongside the Wakatipu High School Foundation to ensure students also have opportunities to be exposed to Airport operations as part of the Queenstown airport’s education programme which aims to create an understanding in the community of airport operations through a safe, informative and interactive learning experience which also supports students interested in careers in aviation and tourism.
Wakatipu High School Foundation Board Chairman Richard Lauder says: “We’re excited to be welcoming the Queenstown Airport Corporation as a Platinum member of the WHSF’s Business Partnership Programme. It’s wonderful to see one of Queenstown’s larger business’ recognising the importance of education in the Wakatipu Basin as well as supporting our Awhi Fund which ensures there are no financial barriers to all students receiving Aotearoa’s best ‘all-round’ education.”
About the Wakatipu High School Foundation
Established in 2013, the Wakatipu High School Foundation’s goal is to work with the community to support Queenstown’s only High School to deliver Aotearoa’s best ‘all-round’ education. Funding primarily comes from annual events, grants, investments and the business partnership programme. The Business Partnership Programme in an initiative that works with local business to provide annual financial donations to the WHS Foundation to support specific programmes run at the High School.
The WHS Foundation commits a minimum of $200,000 annually to carefully selected programmes that support excellence in educational outcomes, supports students with additional learning requirements, ensure equity of access to all students via the Awhi Fund, and enable the school to offer a wide range of quality co and extra curricular activities across arts, sports, culture, community, leadership and music.
The purpose of the Awhi Fund is to ensure equity of access to WHS's in providing Aotearoa's great "all-round education" and ensure that there are no financial barriers for students and families to be able to participate in the vast range of curricular and extracurricular opportunities that are on offer at school.
The fund is designed to assist families financially with all aspects of school life, including uniform, fees, laptops, camps and all other school-based and extracurricular activities.
