Voluntari.ly is an online app that connects schools with corporate volunteers and short technology course content.

Schools today need to teach digital technologies. There are training programmes (for teachers) dotted around the country but to truly excite the tamariki and rangatahi with new material, they need expert voices in the room, connecting them with a real-world context.

Enter NZ Inc. Our large corporations all have volunteer programmes. They want to give back to the communities they work in. For a variety of reasons, a lot of these volunteer hours remain unused.

The third side of the triangle is a vast range of digital technology content providers. There is a wealth of programmes out there, most free, that could be used in any situation. Schools lack the technical knowledge to take these and run them without expert assistance.

Voluntari.ly is an innovative marketplace that links the three sides seamlessly, facilitating long-lasting relationships that will create increased engagement and excitement into a burgeoning industry that sorely needs more Kiwis.

Voluntari.ly is an initiative by the Pam Fergusson Charitable Trust with support from Datacom, The Ministry of Education, Auckland Tourism, Events and Economic Development (ATEED), Spark Foundation, NZ Government Innovation Fund and many leading NZ corporates.

The Voluntarily Platform is currently being developed right now as an open source project.