RØDE Microphones is donating $2 million worth of equipment to schools

Australian pro audio powerhouse RØDE Microphones has announced that it will be donating up to $2 million worth of podcasting equipment to help NSW schools impacted by COVID-19.

As teachers face the difficult task of overcoming disruptions to classes in the coming months, RØDE Founder and Chairman Peter Freedman AM has established a program that will give schools access to audio equipment they can use to deliver classes remotely via universally accepted podcast platforms.

From March 13, any NSW public high schools who want to take part and who have the capability to benefit from this initiative will be able to access an online portal on the RØDE website where they can order a complete podcasting kit, which includes a RØDECaster Pro Podcast Production Studio, microphones and accessories. This will give them the opportunity to record course material remotely in the event that their school is closed, and students are quarantined for an extended period of time.

“The potential impact of COVID-19 on education in Australia is enormous,” says Peter Freedman AM. “We have already seen some schools shut down due to fears of an outbreak and we can expect to see many more closures over the coming months. The ramifications this will have on students’ learning is serious and I want to offer support to schools and to the Education Department in providing solutions.”

RØDE Microphones is working with the NSW Department of Education on this initiative, to ensure that it complements the huge amount of hard work and preparation being undertaken by the Education Department, teachers and administrators across the state to ensure continuity in education as the COVID-19 situation continues to unfold.

All of this will be done through the help of brand new partners Whooshkaa, who have recently partnered up with RØDE to help the initiative come to fruition.

“We’ve had a phenomenal response to the initiative,” says RØDE Founder and Chairman Peter Freedman AM. “So far, hundreds of schools have applied to receive a podcasting kit and we are busy packing them to be shipped off later this week.”

Schools will also be provided with an information pack on how to record and edit their podcasts on the RØDECaster Pro, plus a free subscription to Whooshkaa’s new ‘private podcast’ platform to distribute the content to students.

Whooshkaa is a world-leading podcast hosting service. This breakthrough technology, developed in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, will allow schools and other institutions to deliver podcasts privately to select groups of recipients.

Whooshkaa Founder and CEO Robert Loewenthal said the company would offer free professional private podcasting packages to schools worldwide to support continuity of learning.

“As schools shut down and offer more teaching online, or students are unable to attend, we believe private podcasts will be a key method of informing, educating and engaging students and parents,” Mr Loewenthal said. “We developed this technology with remote workers in mind, but we’re confident it can also be an audio lifeline for schools. That’s why we’re making it free for kindergartens to year 12.”

This article originally appeared on The Industry Observer, which is now part of The Music Network.