The 13-pupil Haast School has won a $1500 technology grant after finishing runner-up in a national competition, Power to Learn, organised by Eveready.
The grant will help pay for $12,000 worth of video conferencing equipment.
The school community, supported by The Friends of Haast business group, collected 400 bar codes from Eveready torches and batteries, beating almost 1500 other schools to win the runner-up prize.
Teacher aide and mother of two Monica Kerr said the prize would go a long way to helping the school, which has borrowed computer equipment to connect to other schools around the country and to interview Prime Minister John Key.
The high-speed satellite broadband trial was provided in May by Farmside, in conjunction with the Ministry of Economic Development and the Ministry of Education, but has now ended.
The school and play group fundraising drive continued on Thursday with the inaugural Haast Creative Fashion Show at Haast Hall.
The show attracted more than 43 entries.
