We have a terrific team of volunteers who support us, spread across local schools
When Amy is not building life size inflatable blue whales with her students, or dissecting brains with her after school science class she can be found lounging on a beach reading historical novels. Amy is an innovative teacher and motivator who strives to promote STEAMS education to the community. Amy is the co-founder of Ministry of Inspiration.
Qualifications
BS Oceanography, Humboldt State University
MS Education, Pepperdine University
Award in Excellence of Teaching Science-National Association of Gifted Children, Award in Excellence of Teaching Mathematics-New Zealand Association of Maths Teachers
Before arriving in NZ Alan thought he had retired from the IT industry, but a chance encounter with ‘The Ministry’ quickly disabused him of that idea.
Prior to his un-retirement, Alan spent his free time on his many different hobbies. Now he doesn’t have any free time at all. Well, alright, maybe that’s not strictly true, but when he’s not dreaming up new electronics experiments and ideas for the STEAMS kit, he spends his free time on a little woodwork, some computer fun, virtually no DIY/Decorating (his wife no longer speaks to him – at first, he thought he’d gone deaf) and playing the guitar (VERY badly).
Qualifications:
BSc Mechanical Engineering - Brunel University, UK
Cheryl has the lucky job (note the hint of sarcasm) of being the accountant behind this amazing bunch of people. She has moved on from the hustle and bustle of multinational companies to the fun and games of the Ministry of Inspiration (although she is known to throw in a bit of auditing work from time to time).
Wife to Lindsay, and mum to Liam and Tessa, Cheryl manages to sometimes squeeze in her other interests of running (very slowly), followed by coffee, reading, and just chilling out on holiday (dreamer). She can be found at any event out the back hiding from the children, hopefully not her own.
Erin grew up in Invercargill (don’t hold that against her), where she developed a passion for sport, as she quickly learned that being really good could lead to travel and a chance to expand her horizons beyond ‘Invers’. Erin represented New Zealand, at various levels, in water polo.
Erin’s interest in teaching sparked from swimming instructing and organising school holiday programmes; Teachers’ College seemed a natural progression. Erin loves seeing kids make connections with the real world and having fun while learning.
Erin’s interest in teaching sparked from swimming instructing and organising school holiday programmes; Teachers’ College seemed a natural progression. Erin loves seeing kids make connections with the real world and having fun while learning.
Now living in the sunshine capital of NZ, Erin and her family take full advantage of the natural world and can often be found camping, tramping , kayaking and outdoor adventure.
Qualifications: Bachelor of Teaching and Learning (B Tch Ln); Diploma of Teaching. (Dip Tchg)
FUNDING
Ministry of Inspiration runs off the smell of an oily rag! We rely on grants, donations, and student fees to run our organization. We are dedicated to providing STEAMS experiences to students of our community at an affordable price. All surplus funds go directly into material costs and scholarships. If you are interested in helping a child attend an event…..
OUR SUPPORTERS
We are supported by a wide range of people, organisations, and businesses. All these relationships sustain our work. We are so grateful to all them and we hope that you will patronise these businesses, express a word or email of thanks, or give a pat on the back to the individuals involved and, by so doing, add your own support to this growing list!
