The Apolinar Foundation: Students In Tech Scholarship

What are the Students in Tech Scholarships?

Youth development and inclusiveness is something Apolinar is deeply invested in, and we’re thrilled to announce that we’re offering three scholarships for 16-18-year-olds to embark on a 10-day voyage on Spirit of New Zealand, run by Spirit of Adventure Trust. The scholarship is designed specifically for female students, or Māori/Pasifika students from a low decile school, with an interest in pursuing a career in technology.

Why Spirit of Adventure?

The Spirit of Adventure Trust’s mission is to empower young New Zealanders to reach their full potential through the challenge of the sea, so we couldn’t think of a better organisation to align our values with. The 10 Day Voyage on board Spirit of New Zealand is a life-changing experience, young kiwis leave with a whole new set of skills, lots of new friends and new confidence to take on the challenges in life.

Why are we doing this?

Apolinar strongly believes in cultural diversity and considers it a strength of the business. We’re stepping up to answer the call for more women, Māori and Pasifika in New Zealand’s tech sector. According to the 2013 census, just 23% of ICT employees are women, despite making up around 43% of the workforce; and according to RNZ’s Call for more Māori and Pasifika in NZ's tech sector, Māori and Pacific people only make up two percent of the technology sector.

Although widely underrepresented, diversity is critical in technology. As the daughter of Vietnamese refugees, our CEO and founder Anna Dao is a staunch advocate for racial diversity and gender representation. Inclusiveness has been critical to her success and she considers it a cornerstone of her professional achievements so far. Tremendous value and strength are brought by the alternative perspectives, cultural insights, and working methods of women and minority employees.

We also define business growth by more than profit, we consider our social good footprint as a key measure of contribution to the technology industry.

"We’re thrilled to be working with Bruce Pilbrow and the team to empower young Kiwis to reach their full potential. "

Anna Dao | CEO and co-founder, Apolinar

How to Apply?

We want to offer opportunities and invest in the future leaders of technology who may otherwise not have the chance to go, due to financial situations. Find out more about the life changing 10 Day Voyage or get in touch with Lauren Kenney to apply.