From the Chapter President

Kia Ora Koutou,

What a fantastic 2 days of professional development we recently had at the NZ NEXUS Summit! It was wonderful to see all of you who joined us in beautiful Christchurch (31 August at Christ’s College) and Lincoln (1 September at Lincoln University). Our new initiative to provide extra professional development opportunities with Pre-Summit Workshops proved to be very popular, and the Speaker Presentations really offered something for everyone, with a broad variety of topics covering all Advancement Pillars. Delegates were treated to a Hogwarts-style experience in the beautiful historic Christ’s College dining Hall for the Welcome Event… and a highlight of the Summit was definitely the inaugural “Great Lincoln Gumboot Throwing” competition, which saw over 30 participants vying for the honours of being able to throw the gumboot the furthest!

The Summit Committee was thrilled that over 130 members/non-members and exhibitors registered for this year’s Summit, including over 50 delegates attending the 4 Workshops the day before. This is a fantastic result! We were delighted that keynote speakers Garth Wynne (Executive Principal, Christ’s College) and Matt Chisholm (media broadcaster and host of Survivor NZ) both joined us … Matt even placed as Runner-Up in the Gumboot Throwing competition!

We thank our Summit Partners and Exhibitors, whose generous support made the Summit possible:

Enquiry Tracker, Giving Architects, Potentiality, ToucanTech, Digistorm, NoticeMatch, NZMS, Lincoln University, Christ’s College, Independent Schools of New Zealand, Alumnly, Chapel & York, Datam, Fundraising Talent Recruitment, Blackbaud and Johnston’s.

Now that the Summit has come to a successful conclusion, we are working very hard to plan some great professional development and networking opportunities for this year and into 2024.

Finally, thank you for all that each and everyone of you do for your organisations. Advancement activities are the heart and soul of engagement for your schools and universities. The stories we tell celebrate achievement past, present, and future and provide the platform to attract new students and encourage support.

Kia Kaha

Nicole

Nicole Bassett

President, Educate Plus NZ Chapter

NZ Summit – That’s a Wrap

Summit Success!

Four insightful Pre-Summit Workshops … two engaging Keynote Presentations and 14 inspiring Sessions! Such an invaluable couple of days of Professional Development and Networking! Thank you to all who shared their skills, knowledge, expertise and experience with Delegates at the recent NEXUS Summit in Christchurch. 

We’ve loved receiving your feedback and are grateful that the learnings that you gleaned will undoubtedly have a positive impact on your careers, your institutions and the Advancement industry as a whole. We look forward to more personal development and growth taking place at the International Conference in Perth, 2024 … and can’t wait to welcome you there! 

Session Feedback

• Session 1D – I found the presenter to be very enthusiastic and one thing I took away from the session was “communication”. Keep in touch as much as possible and own every event as if it is your own.
• Session 2C – I always like the legal sessions, as they are always very relevant and informative.
• Workshop 1 – Great workshop on Data! It was good that our facilitator asked us what we wanted to focus on, rather than sticking to his prepared workshop. It was fantastic to have that level of flexibility in our learning.
• Session 4B – the session with Thea from the University of Canterbury about creating a culture of giving was very worthwhile!
• Session 2D – The CRM systems session with John Bird was fantastic – great topic and speaker!
• Session 3C – The Power of Engaging Leadership was great – so good to hear support for Advancement and alignment in this space.
• Keynote 1 – Matt Chisholm – wow! Honest and heartbreaking and heartwarming!
• Session 2A – AI. Good to learn and see how we as a school can develop and use this further.
• Workshop 3 – Absolutely loved being taken through the journey of rebranding in a school setting. Lindisfarne was very generous sharing all this information with us. Hoping to now do some work with Lucy Dobbs ourselves.
• Session 4A – I loved the Weaving Your Way through Turbulence session – gained a lot of insights and ideas on how to move forward.
• Session 3A – The Social Media session was great – loads of content and delivered with energy.
• Session 3B – Susie was amazing, she’s funny and totally gets the Admissions Office and how crazy busy we are!
• Session 2B – The St Cuthbert’s College presenters gave a great explanation of their Gifting project and how they got buy in from their whole school community.
• Workshop 4 – The Major Gifts workshop with Nicole Bassett was so informative. It was fantastic talking around the table with experts.
• Workshop 2 – I think the most important part of the Summit was getting to meet people in your role. The workshop was a fantastic start to the experience and Susie Gill was amazing.
• Keynote 2 – A big thank you to Garth Wynne who showed us the value of tying the Leadership and Advancement roles together.
• Session 3A – Ashlea Fergusson was very knowledgeable on making the most of Social Media and had great advice on what to, and what not to do in Social Media – most helpful!
• Session 1A – Clive from Giving Architects is great and so generous with his knowledge and time.
• Session 4C – The Session on Oral Histories with Roger Dawson was very useful.

Some Key Take-Aways

• Review Brand strategy
• Don’t be shy talking about philanthropy
• Be involved and share knowledge
• Be proud to work in Advancement
• Record keeping
• Nothing beats getting people together face to face
• Brilliant opportunity to meet like-minded people
• Must get Gifts in Wills up and running; like St Kentigern College
• Organise more alumni events
• Datam (Partner) can do address clean up for free!
• Honesty and integrity lead the way
• The feeling of being re-invigorated
• People are willing to pay for and make time for face-to-face learning opportunities
• Educate Plus has a great membership network
• Reassured we were on the right track
• Know your audience
• Archives to be actively looked after

 

 

 

2024 International Conference

Save the Date!

Preparation is underway for next year’s Educate Plus International Conference, to be held in Perth, from 10-13 September, 2024… and we are incredibly excited to share the following details with you, so that you can start your planning now.

Budget Now… Registration Opens in October 2023

• Do you have any leftover budget from this year? 
• Are you in the midst of finalising next year’s budget?

Below is what you need to know to get your planning in place so you can capitalise on this opportunity to invest in yourself and in your team. 

The Empowering Success Conference will include:

• 2.5 Days of Professional Development Sessions, with 6 concurrent streams
• A choice of Half and Full Day Pre-Conference Workshops
• International Speakers
• Expert and Experienced Practitioner-Led Presentations
• A new ‘People and Culture’ stream (for Legal, HR & Business Managers)
• ‘Leadership’ sessions (for Principals & Executive Teams)
• Admissions, Alumni & Community Relations, Marketing & Communications and Fundraising streams (for all levels of Advancement teams, from beginner to experienced)
• A Welcome Event
• EdX Style Presentations
• An Industry Awards Lunch (Nominations for our Excellence Awards also open in October)
• A Conference Celebration Dinner
• Amazing Networking
• An invaluable opportunity to learn and enjoy leisure time with colleagues in an environment that will empower success!

International Conference Rates:

• Prices are in $AUD
• Prices are GST exclusive
• Early Bird Closes on Sunday 31 March, 2024
• There will be travel grants available!

Webinar – Improving Engagement via Social Networks for Alumni (and other overlooked community groups!)

New Webinar – Register Now!

We easily focus engagement activities on the community groups in front of us. However, it would be remiss to overlook former students, past parents and previous staff. Especially as they are larger in number (and potential impact) than those on site each term.

Collectively these segments are geographically dispersed. They cross many life stages. This makes engagement more challenging. 

Social networks can help to bridge the divide. Activities via socials can be more regular than events and more relational than emails or publications.

But are we maximising the opportunity? We know more can be done than the occasional alumni achievement post.

But what works? And which channels should get your attention?

Save the Date – Upcoming AGM

Save the Date …

Please save the date for our upcoming New Zealand Chapter AGM.

Date: Tuesday 17 October, 2023
Time: 4:30pm – 5:00pm
Venue: Online via Zoom

In the coming weeks relevant AGM documents will be sent all members.

We hope to see you then.

Educate Plus New Zealand Chapter Committee

Revealing Untold Stories – The Value of School Archives

Article supplied by NZMS | 0800 NZMS1990 | info@micrographics.co.nz

Archives are more than just a collection of official records, they also serve to safeguard and celebrate the memories and achievements of communities. In the case of schools, archives are increasingly seen as a vital component of Alumni engagement programmes. By sharing their archives, schools not only preserve their community’s special heritage, surfacing important historical milestones, but also foster a greater sense of belonging and identity.

To facilitate this, many schools are developing digitisation strategies, supported by online platforms like Recollect, to invite wider public access and engagement. With a few clicks, individuals can explore yearbooks, newsletters, magazines, photographs, regalia, uniforms, and other materials that might otherwise remain stored away in boxes.

NZMS recently spoke with Peter Stanes (Auckland Grammar School’s archivist and historian) and Victoria Morris (Kristin School’s Community Relations and Marketing Manager) to understand how their archives have benefited from online engagement, increased accessibility, and digitisation.

Auckland Grammar School is a public secondary school for boys with a small boarding facility. It was founded in 1869 and since 1916 has been located in Epsom, Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland. The launch of Auckland Grammar’s Recollect site in late 2018 was timed to coincide with the school’s 150^th celebrations. It now provides public access to over 18,000 photos, 840 videos, School Lists, Chronicles, Ad Augusta magazines, and more. It is an important resource for staff, students, researchers, and anyone interested in New Zealand history.

Kristin School is a private co-educational for students from early learning to year 13, situated in Albany on Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland’s North Shore. It was founded in 1973 by a small group of parents and is now owned by the Kristin School Charitable Trust, a non-profit organisation. Kristin Archives Online was launched earlier this year as part of the school’s 50th Jubilee celebrations, initially uploading photos of recent events, communications, publications, and memorabilia.

“The heritage of our school is so precious, especially in a digital age where photo albums can be relegated to basement boxes, and thousands of more recent pictures might be stored on phones. People aren’t likely to have access to photos from their school days. Bringing them to the forefront again for people is just delightful – I love it. It’s a really powerful way to engage a community and bring them together. And it’s a little bit like an online reunion when you share them on social media and people get chatting. It’s a wonderful way of bringing your heritage and those memories to life for our community.”

— Victoria Morris, Community Relations and Marketing Manager, Kristin School

Feedback from the community is vital in shaping the archive’s growth, leading to new knowledge and discussions about including specific histories based on community interests. Recollect fosters community engagement by allowing members to contribute and upload their own videos, documents, and other important historic material. The opportunity for users to participate in this way adds a meaningful dimension to the archive, reinforcing a sense of community, ownership, and collaboration.

“The site has been a great tool to draw people into the events that we are hosting and reconnect them with the school. In the build-up to our 50th Jubilee, most of the content that we shared on social media was reminiscent material and heritage photos that related to our history. Through that, we’ve managed to demonstrate the value of the archives and our Recollect platform.”

— Victoria Morris, Community Relations and Marketing Manager, Kristin School

 Prior to 2019, Auckland Grammar was using another platform to upload digitised content online. It soon became evident that the quantity of material and range of formats needing to be digitised required a more rigorous archival system and more powerful search functionality than the platform they were using, so the decision was made to look at other options.

“We eventually settled on Recollect and the site went live at the end of 2018. Originally, the purpose of the site was to assist in the advancement of the School – as a part of all the elements that go into the Development Office. These elements include looking after the alumni in conjunction with the Old Boys Association as well as handling the media aspects of the School and the events that take place, particularly related to fundraising. The online archive was seen as a necessary and helpful building block in the whole mix of things that come together to create the advancement process in the School.”

— Peter Stanes, Archivist and Historian, Auckland Grammar School

School archives often contain information that is relevant to individuals outside of their immediate community. Local school history is an increasingly valuable resource for those researching topics related to regional and national history as well.

“Our community has expanded to include all sorts of people who aren’t directly involved with Auckland Grammar. The reason for that is partly the information that can be found in the archive…it not only reveals information about the school, but it provides information about the social development of Auckland and New Zealand over that period. For example, there are substantial amounts of material from throughout the Boer War, WW1, and WW2 which gives an interesting commentary on what people thought about war in general. It’s very interesting to look at how attitudes have changed over time. That is one of the reasons why the community has spread to include people like family history researchers, sociologists, and historians.”

— Peter Stanes, Archivist and Historian, Auckland Grammar School

As noted at the outset, archives are more than a collection of official records or a repository to preserve fragile documents. They can also serve as invaluable tools for teaching research-related skills to students and provide support for the delivery of Aotearoa New Zealand’s histories curriculum. Access to primary source material offers students an opportunity to examine eyewitness accounts, explore a range of perspectives, and understand how values and attitudes change over time.

Adopting online content management platforms like Recollect can allow your school archives to become more accessible, engage a wider audience, and facilitate stronger community involvement. Sharing and preserving an archive ensures that your school’s legacy and traditions endure, inspiring present and future generations to connect with the school’s heritage.

Learn more about the value of archives by reading the complete case study available on our website, or contact our team to talk through your specific requirements!

School Bus (courtesy Kristin School)	Slide Photograph (courtesy Kristin School)	Gala Day 1981, (courtesy Kristin School)	School Bus, 1974 (courtesy Kristin School)
1908 School Photo (courtesy of Auckland Grammar School Archives)	1908 Drawing & Technical Class at the Symonds Street School (courtesy of Auckland Grammar School Archives)	1907 Lower Sixth Form (courtesy Auckland Grammar School Archives)	Students Playing Recorders, 1976 (courtesy of Kristin School)

Introducing … Sally Wenham

Meet a Member …

Each eNews, we would like to introduce you to one of our wonderful Chapter Members, through a Question & Answer type interview article. 

Therefore, in the hotseat this edition, is Sally Wenham: Marketing, Communication and Events Co-ordinator at Palmerston North Boys’ High School. Sally was also the recipient of the Newcomer Scholarship, awarded at the recent NEXUS Summit in Christchurch.

1. Length of time in Educational Advancement (& prior industry if applicable)

I have been in my Marketing, Communication and Events Co-ordinator role at Palmerston North Boys’ High School for 3 years now. I came to PNBHS straight out of finishing my Business Management University degree at Massey. I always had an interest in Design and Photography right through school, and as I progressed through University, my love for social media developed and I fell into this role.

2. Achievement / Accomplishment most proud of?

The achievement I am most proud of is growing the PNBHS Social Media channels. Social Media has taken off to another level and over the past 3 years, while I have been at PNBHS, it has been a massive change to a lot of people and businesses. We post multiple times daily, sharing everything that goes on at PNBHS from sport teams, daily school life activities over the day, photos in classes etc. Not only parents and students but people all over the world follow our Facebook and Instagram pages. Our Instagram reach this year alone has gone up 58% compared to last year. This shows that Social Media is forever growing and not set to stop anytime soon. There is data showing that Instagram user count is expected to grow by 17.2% in the next four years, with Tiktok and Facebook forecast to grow 17% and 14%. 

As a school this means we have to develop and grow alongside the changes that happen in the Social Media world and as a platform to over 34,000 Facebook followers and 5000 Instagram followers, we have to maintain our reputation and keep posting like we do to keep the interaction high. I believe that it is the frequent posting that has made one of the biggest impacts in growing our platforms to where we are today. The higher the interaction between us and our audience, the more we develop and grow as a platform and school.

3. Greatest moment of learning / overcoming of challenge?

My greatest moment of learning and overcoming of a challenge would be in my first year at PNBHS, when my role did not include the Palmerstonian (Yearbook). But half-way through the year, my colleague departed and left me with the Palmerstonian job that I had never done before, and for which I lacked any prior experience in. I only had around a week to organise everything and get started! This was a big challenge for me as it is a 400-page yearbook that contains information on every aspect of the school year. The job begins in Term Two after all summer sports have concluded. Term Three and Four are very busy terms as I collect all reports and images in addition to my other school activities and roles. The Term Three holidays and first four weeks of Term four are spent from 8am till 12pm on the computer collating the Palmerstonian. Since I had never done anything like this before and I was thrown into it late in the year, figuring it all out was an immense challenge for me in my first year.  Although it is a huge and demanding task, I managed to complete it, and now it is one of my favourite aspects of the job. It is satisfying to see everything come together and see what we have accomplished at PNBHS over the entire year.

4. Most impactful book read or podcast followed/listened to?

The autobiography of Phil Knight (the man who founded Nike), “Shoe Dog” is one of the most impactful books I have recently read. As a reminder of what the true path to business success looks like, I really enjoyed this book. The journey is messy, dangerous, and chaotic, full of errors, never-ending challenges, and sacrifice. It shows all of his highs and lows on the way to building one of the largest corporations in the world. It serves as a reminder that working hard to achieve your goals is essential in both life and business. Nothing in life is handed to you – despite the challenges and fears, you must persevere and overcome any obstacles. I enjoyed the story’s fundamentally human quality and the business’s impending bankruptcy, the generous sums borrowed and begged for, and the completely empty bank accounts—everything but unthinkable for a brand with such a well-known name. Shoe Dog is an outstanding exploration of the power of perseverance, hard effort, dreams, and opportunity. It is a fantastic book that I would highly recommend to everyone.

5. Three tips/words of advice for new members and/or those new to Advancement?

My three pieces of advice are to:

• Get engaged
• Talk to colleagues and other schools
• Follow other Social Media platforms to learn from others about your line of work

I would give these tips to new members and/or those new to Advancement. For instance, I’ll be learning everything there is to know about Social Media, how to build a brand, and how to use it effectively in the modern world when I attend a Social Media workshop in Sydney in September. I believe that one of the best ways to learn and grow is from those who are doing the same thing and have first-hand experience with it. Which brings me to my second recommendation – which is to speak with colleagues and other schools that are in the same situation. It is a fantastic opportunity to learn from others in similar jobs from various schools around the country. This will help us all develop and learn. Being able to share knowledge and learn from one another is extremely beneficial in any organisation or position, because we all have different perspectives on various subjects.  The third piece of advice I have is to observe what people post on Social Media and follow other schools. There is only one way to find out—try it. Not everything will work for everyone. All schools may use different Social Media strategies, and they might be effective for them, but part of a school’s development and growth is to observe what other schools do and how they evolve. We adopt strategies and abilities from other schools’ posts or activities and try to adapt them since we think they’re fantastic ideas. To be seen or noticed, one must observe, study, and try something out of the ordinary.

6. Three things you enjoy doing in your spare time?

In my spare time I enjoy travelling. Most recently, I went to Malaysia and Thailand, and the year before that, I went to Europe. I enjoy photography which I do a lot of when I travel. One of my favourite areas to take pictures is when I’m exploring new towns and locations and discovering the hidden beauties. I also like to go to the gym in my free time and play cricket in the summer. I play in both the Manawatu Women’s cricket team and Marist club cricket.

Thank you Sally! It’s been wonderful to get to know you!

Five Steps to Perfect Your School Website Design

Strategic Partner Spotlight on … Digistorm

Article supplied by Rachel King | Events Manager | Digistorm

Designing a website for a school is not like designing a standard website. There are distinct groups of audiences to consider, specific technical capabilities required and most importantly, a strategic plan with goals that need to be achieved. From the way you structure your navigation menus to the hierarchy of your homepage, the photography, the colour scheme…a school website needs to shine professionally and project the unique values of your school.

If that all sounds a bit overwhelming, here’s some good news: there are preparation steps you can take that will make all of these questions and decisions much simpler! 

Virtual Learning Hub

The Perfect Solution!

Are you time poor – and find it hard to get away from the office for PD?

Or, do you live in a regional location – and find it difficult to attend city-based PD?

If so, then read on...

We are thrilled to introduce our new Virtual Learning Hub – an easily accessible, virtual repository of Online Self-Paced Advancement Practitioner Training modules, comprising training and learning resources ideally suited for members who work and live regionally.

Regional PD Opportunity … We know it’s not always possible to get to the cities where the face-to-face Advancement Practitioner Training is held annually, so whether you’re looking to refresh your existing knowledge or acquire new skills, our online platform offers the convenience and flexibility to enhance your professional development.

Self-Paced Flexibility … The greatest advantage of the online training is the flexibility it provides. You can tailor your learning experience according to your own pace, ensuring maximum retention and the ability to revisit specific modules whenever needed.

What’s on offer?
The Virtual Learning Hub – Online Self-Paced Advancement Practitioner Training modules feature four comprehensive courses, each offering recordings of the face-to-face Advancement Practitioner Training held earlier this year in Sydney. 

• Admissions
• Alumni & Community Relations
• Marketing & Communications
• Fundraising

These sessions have been carefully edited to preserve their interactivity, including the valuable questions and answers raised by participants. 

To find out more … CLICK HERE

New Member Meet-Up

We can’t wait to meet you … 

We extend a very warm welcome to our latest Members, who have recently joined us this quarter. We are thrilled to have you as part of our NZ Chapter community!

While it’s a little way off, we do hope that you will be able to join us at the next ‘New Member Meetup’, to be held on Wednesday 8 November, 2023. Information regarding the next ‘New Member Meetup’ will be sent to all new Members, closer to the date – but for now, make sure to save the date in your calendar. 

These sessions are a wonderful, informal way catch up with other new Members, and to hear more about the benefits of being a Member and what is available to you on our website. 

And of course, we look forward to welcoming you to any upcoming NZ in-person events. It was lovely to catch up with some of you at the recent Summit in Christchurch, and there will be more opportunities for getting together for professional development and networking, as the year continues.

Welcome to our newest Members:

Thank You to our Valued Partners

With Gratitude … 

We’d like to extend a huge ‘Thank You’ to our valued Educate Plus Strategic Partners and our NZ Chapter and Summit Partners, who support us in our activities and enable us to provide wonderful opportunities to our Members and Non-Members. We ask that you please consider supporting them, so that in turn, they can continue to support us. 

Thank You to our Educate Plus Strategic Partners

Thank You to our NZ Chapter Partners

And finally, we again thank our Summit Partners and Exhibitors, whose generous support made the recent NZ NEXUS Summit possible:

Stay Connected

Stay Connected … 

Keep in contact with your fellow Advancement professionals to keep abreast of best practice, discover new approaches and technologies and gain valuable industry insights.

To keep you to up to date with what’s happening at Educate Plus and within your sector, please connect with us on our Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn pages.