Pre-planning
Normal pre-planning before the beginning of the year was based on the experience gained teaching a similar unit the previous year. However, Te Papa was a new and major client, and as such required extensive pre- and ongoing planning in the weeks before the unit started.
Futureintech's Wellington Facilitator was asked to approach Te Papa on the school's behalf and set up the first meeting. At this meeting the proposed project was outlined and examples of student work that had achieved an ‘excellence’ grade from the previous year's souvenir topic were shown.
The response was positive - but approval was first required from the Te Papa directors. A formal proposal was developed, including a detailed plan of a class visit to Te Papa, the assessment criteria, and a sample workbook. Early in April, after a number of meetings with key staff, this approval was given - Te Papa store would be the class’ client, and students would develop souvenir-type products for various scenarios, market niches/briefs identified by Te Papa store staff.
"All the pre-planning was really critical," says Barbara Knight, "Te Papa simply wouldn’t have gone through with the client proposal if it hadn’t been super organised and professional in everything we did. When you are working with 'real business' clients time is at a premium. It is critical to ensure the students also realise this and plan accordingly to meet the business deadlines."
