Our History

Campus Link Foundation’s core work is a charitable academic intervention programme for Years 11- 13 students (the external exam years); the Foundation pivoted the academic success of over 11,500 students in 2016 alone.

 

• www.nceacampus.org

• www.cambridgecampus.org

• www.ibcampus.org

 

Whilst delivering this programme in 2012, it was evident significant numbers of students were able to ‘run’ their classes in, say, Economics and Math, yet were failing past papers – there was a ‘traffic jam’ in their brain.

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Connections debilitating them from imparting their knowledge by writing in the timely and sequential manner exams demand simply did not work for them. They could be brighter than the dux of their school, but they were failing.

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These students could articulate the answer, but could not write fast enough / methodically / rationally / sequentially. Fast forward a year and we have identified the huge chasm in information and support for these children, their schools and their families.

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We begin to redress this anomaly by delivering this online conduit.

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We found Learning Support children had access to compensatory support only :

 

• Reader Writer in Exams

• Extended Time in Exams

• Access to computer

• Small group (remedial) support

 

And compensatory exam support was only after funding the $700-900 cost of an Educational Psychologist report – which is an entirely different story and one we have been battling government to redress, with success last year (albeit limited).

 

But we also became very aware of the multitude of fee-paying programmes on the globe that claim to ‘rewire’ say, a dyslexic child’s Word Processing part of the brain, or ‘rewire’ an Autistic child’s Working Memory issues.

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This initiated a very intensive journey, uncovering over 70+ global programmes and the amazing Professor Richard Faull, Centre for Brain Research (CBR) and Karen Waldie, Associate Professor, Psychology Faculty at the University of Auckland.

 

The CBR has initiated two Fellowships to (1) audit the existing worldwide for-profit programmes and (2) develop a pivotal, cognitive intervention New Zealand programme, to be delivered to all students, all schools at no cost in 2017.

 

One programme we were told of was based in Canada – Arrowsmith, a programme where 'high-net worth evangelical parents are staunch advocates'.   With no evidence, no independent research, no peer-reviewed or published articles and a cost to schools of $150,000 p.a., it was very difficult to justify any consideration.  But it was the implementation model that engaged us.  2.5 hours per day, every day of the week will always get outcome – even if a task is completely wrong such as a bad golf swing!   Most programmes are only 1 or 2 hours a week which, even with an evidenced-based programe, would only deliver outcome reflective of the time invested.

 

Anything we ever do for 2.5 hours per day, 24/7 is always going to evidence significant outcome. This is the ‘10,000 hours’ mastery rule’.   Any alternative, non-evidence-based commercial programme ….delivered for 2.5 hours per day, will also have outcome at the end of a year. If we practiced tennis for 2.5 hours per day every day, we too would be all great tennis players at the end of a year.  Give a child to an occupational therapist for 2.5 hours per day and they too will deliver pivotal results.

 

Friedlander Foundation and ourselves closed eyes to the obvious lack of evidence and funded the programme into NZ.

 

But the programme is a commercial, For-Profit company with commissioned agents.  Costs are substantial and only accessible by those who can afford, with stories of expulsion of families unable to remortgage their homes – my husband and I financially still support a few families trying to avoid this expulsion.  The programme owners do not have any business plan to take their programme to the wider communities and populations, instead we will evidence the rise of student costs in excess of the initial $15,000.

 

Our answer to this is the ‘Number 8 wire’ – NZers doing it ourselves.

 

In 2017, the Centre for Brain Research cognitive programme will deliver the exact implementation model,  with sound, evidence-based tasks – and at no cost to all.

 

We were also delighted when we finally found what we’d hoped the globe was delivering – Feuerstein programme – delivered to over 800,000 students in Europe annually.  This programme is for Learning Supported students, Normative and Gifted – plus an outstanding Professional Development programme for teachers and parents.  Not-for-Profit, the cost is just $US35 pa per child = sustainable, affordable and significantly researched.

 

Background: Reuven Feuerstein was a Romanian Jew needing to address the trauma of the Holocaust in Jewish children, many were mute.  He set about to find the part of the brain that controls speech, identified, isolated and tasked the part of the brain to deliver outcome.   But what about the other 27 parts?  He became Piaget's protege and the Feuerstein Method is the practical implementation of Piaget's Theories of Evidence (which we now know not to be theories). 

 

Feuerstein delivers significant, transformational outcome in students, is a Not-For-Profit entity with over 3,000 peer-reviewed and published research articles.  This programme is evidencing pivotal results in the multiple NZ pilot programmes nationwide, supported by 140+ RTLBs, teacher and principals, with published works mid 2017.

 

We brought Feuerstein to New Zealand and as of January 2017, circa 800+ NZ schools are delivering this pivotal programme.  Visit www.nzfeuerstein.org

 

We need to be informed, to keep sourcing the information that will empower us to make informed decisions, to advocate the right for our children to the best possible opportunities in life.