The purpose of the scholarships
The scholarships are set up to advance NZEI’s strategic direction “Leading the Profession” by providing an opportunity for early childhood education and support staff members to enhance their skills and knowledge within the workplace and in education generally.
Who is eligible?
You must be a fully financial member of NZEI Te Riu Roa and:
- a teacher employed in an early childhood centre or
- a support staff worker employed by an early childhood service or
- a support staff worker employed by a primary, area or secondary school.
Selection criteria
Applications will be assessed on how well your project meets the purpose of the scholarship by showing clearly how it:
- aligns with NZEI’s strategic direction of “Leading the Profession” and links to the areas of focus
-
Success for all
- Leading education thinking
- Enhanced teacher and support staff professionalism
- Quality teaching and learning
- Curricula;
- develops and strengthens your ability to contribute to your sector.
Your application will also be judged on whether your project has the potential to:
- foster, or contribute to, greater understanding of current education sector issues
- encourage, or add to, understanding of New Zealand’s cultural identity; and
- how you will share the findings of your project, and the experience it has provided, with your colleagues and the general membership.
If you are a successful applicant you will be required to:
- provide a milestone report of your progress in June 2020 and
- submit a final report to NZEI Te Riu Roa in January 2021.
The NZEI Te Riu Roa National Executive Leading the Profession Work Group will consider how many scholarships (up to ten) will be recommended to the National Executive for approval and how the completed reports will be publicised through the Institute's publications.
Application process
Your application will describe your project, and what you hope to achieve, in detail. It will demonstrate how the selection criteria will be met and will provide a summary of how the $6000 scholarship money would be used if you were selected as a recipient.
If you need help with your application you could seek initial support from a colleague in your workplace, network, branch or aronui tomua, someone who is willing to check you have met the application requirements including how your project links to the scholarship criteria.
If you have difficulty accessing this support we may be able to help. Email
nzeischolarship@nzei.org.nz to get in touch.
Following a decision by the selection panel you will be notified of the outcome of your application in September 2019. The names of scholarship recipients will be made public at the 2019 NZEI Te Riu Roa Annual Conference. The recipients will receive the scholarship money in October and presentations of the Scholarship Certificate will take place at a meeting of their area council/branch/aronui tomua in Term 4 2019. In 2020 recipients will begin and complete their projects.
The Application Form must be completed electronically - handwritten applications will not be accepted.
Email your completed application to nzeischolarship@nzei.org.nz by 5pm Friday 3 May 2019.