About the Project
Connected North is a leading-edge program that delivers immersive and interactive education services to schools in remote and underserved northern communities through high-definition two-way video communication and collaboration technology. Cisco Canada, in collaboration with TakingITGlobal as the program manager and charitable partner, leads an ecosystem of supporters and contributors who work together to create an immersive educational resource for use in classrooms across Canada.
The goal of Connected North is to provide participating students and their teachers access to content that is engaging and innovative with the hope of increasing feelings of empowerment in school and in life. The program also develops cross-cultural understanding through two-way connections between schools across the country.
The Connected North program delivers four core elements to participating schools:
- Virtual Experts & Field Trips: Live interactive video sessions connecting students, experts, role models and partners and educational venues like museums and galleries through curriculum linked subject matter to enhance student classroom engagement.
- Cultural Exchange: Opportunities to connect with other schools through collaborative project based learning. This includes north to north and north to south connections.
- Virtual Career Fairs: Live career fairs and virtual mentoring, giving students the opportunity to explore possible career opportunities.
- Teacher Capacity Building: Use of collaborative technology for teacher professional learning and mentorship.
Our objectives:
✓ To reduce feelings of isolation in northern schools for students and teachers.
✓ To connect youth with inspiring speakers and role models from Indigenous and non-Indigenous communities.
✓ To increase student engagement through a project based learning approach.
✓ To create opportunities for cross-cultural dialogue between students and teachers.
✓ To promote youth voice in the learning process.
✓ To offer structure, content and support that caters to classroom needs.
✓ To increase confidence amongst teachers in using technology as an innovative learning tool.