AFED Launch at the Beehive
The main focus of this story is not about technology – it is about community, and how tech can be used as a tool to bring people together.
Last Thursday our GM, Michael Trengrove, was privileged to receive an invite to the launch of Afed Squad, at the Grand Hall in Parliament. Here is a recount of his experiences:
Afed Squad, founded by Cam Swainson, is an online platform that provides educational resources for parents, whānau, organisations, social services, and schools to teach the NZ Curriculum. Afed Squad uses platforms such as video gaming, augmented reality, virtual reality, and artificial intelligence to deliver educational content covering a vast range of subjects. These include financial literacy, Te Reo Māori, NZ history and digital technologies, to name a few.
Ministers, mayors and community leaders were present at the launch. Tech was on display in stations spread around the Grand Hall. I was anticipating a celebration of what had been achieved, and to learn more about AI, deep learning and the VR world that had been created. However, what I saw and heard went far beyond putting tech on a pedestal.
Afed’s General Manager Phillip Murray spoke, along with multiple ministers. The strong theme that came across the board was one not of deep tech, but one of the amazing opportunities being created for communities. Many had travelled from Wairoa for the launch. We learned that the main online learning platform had been contributed to, and built by, Wairoa local who 18 months ago were working planting lime trees. Today, they work as full-time coders and graphic artists without needing to leave their community.
We heard about how other organisations in Wairoa were supporting and strengthening their network by engaging with Afed. And of course, we also heard about the impact on students learning when engaged with this innovative platform.
At the end of the event, with my colleague Heni-Paku Sharp from the Spark Foundation, we gifted Cam and their team an Electric Garden. This came along with a commitment to collaborate and innovate together should the opportunity arise. This story is an amazing example of how technology has been used as a tool to help strengthen both collaboration and spirit within a community. We are excited to see what the future holds for Afed – we know they will be making a huge impact not only on communities within Aoteroa, but also on the world.