Connected North Network Expands to 200th School

TakingITGlobal
4 min readDec 20, 2024

Connected North is thrilled to announce a major milestone: the addition of Henry Coaster Memorial School in Marten Falls First Nation as the 200th school in its growing network. This achievement underscores our commitment to empowering students in remote northern communities with equitable educational opportunities.

Now in its 11th year of operation, this marks a major milestone for Connected North’s continued growth and represents a significant step towards ensuring all students in the North have equitable access to educational opportunities that empower and inspire, no matter where they live.

Connected North connects students in remote Indigenous communities via high definition video technology to a curriculum of over 2,500 live and interactive virtual sessions delivered by over 400 experts and mentors. Topics covered include Careers and Skills, Arts and Culture, Virtual Field Trips, Science, Technology, Engineering and Math, Well-being, Literacy and many others.

When asked about why the school wanted to join Connected North, Susanna Baxter, Education Director for Marten Falls First Nation said: “I want our students to be able to connect to the world from their classrooms. I want the class to be a place where they can experience more than what they may have already seen.” Tom Recke, Principal of Henry Coaster Memorial School, added: “Connected North allows students to dream.”

Henry Coaster Memorial School joins Connected North’s community of over 35,000 students, 1,000 teachers, and countless program supporters from across Canada, all dedicated to helping every student thrive and reach their full potential. Founded in 2013, Connected North has delivered thousands of virtual sessions over the past eleven years, delivering over 400,000 hours of classroom learning in total, and over 2,000 sessions already this school year. Demand is exponential, from both existing schools and new schools on Connected North’s waitlist. To date, not a single school has dropped out of the program.

Partnership is at the heart of Connected North and we’re proud to see a growing number of education authorities choosing to cost-share, with over 75% of communities now contributing to Connected North’s funding alongside foundations, governments, corporate donors and private program supporters. This cost-sharing model reflects the trust communities have placed in the program and their tangible commitment to continue investing in their students. The active partnership from cost-sharing communities has allowed Connected North to continue expanding and improving the program, bringing new schools, off the waitlist and onto the network. The school’s first Connected North session is scheduled for January 2025.

“As a member of the Connected North team, it has been so meaningful for me to welcome new schools to the program over the past 8 years. In my own experience growing up on reserve in my First Nation, I know the importance of having access to role models and opportunities to be inspired, to connect with my culture as well as learn from other cultures. It means so much to be part of a team that utilizes technologies to facilitate memorable learning experiences for the students across First Nations, Inuit and Métis communities,” says Waukomaun Pawis, Connected North School Lead.

Elder Dr. Duke Redbird has provided guidance to the program over the past decade and provides wisdom as it relates to the importance of involving Elders.

“Science tells us that trillions upon trillions of algorithms over billions of years created the universe in which we live. Quantum computers are assembling that information and sequestering it in something called ‘the cloud’. We have learned through Connected North that Indigenous cultures have a similar system that can best be described as “Elderithms”, a bundle of information and knowledge that is harvested from the memory and lived experience of Elders and is embedded in the collective consciousness of the Indigenous world.”

Elder Dr. Duke Redbird

“Connected North is a catalyst to enrich student attendance and engagement in classrooms across the North” says Jennifer Corriero, Executive Director of TakingITGlobal, the charity that operates the Connected North program. “By utilizing video conferencing technology, teachers select the virtual field trip experiences that are the most relevant to them, so students can realize their full potential in school and in life.”

Chanie Wenjack was a member of the Marten Falls First Nation where the Henry Coaster Memorial School is located. Chanie never returned home after being taken at the age of 9 to a residential school in 1963. His story has been a catalyst for change.

We are honoured that Connected North was invited by Henry Coaster Memorial School to provide the enriching learning experiences that are made available through the program. We look forward to continuing to grow the program, reaching even more students and creating lasting classroom memories together.

Support Connected North
Donations connect students with inspiring mentors, interactive learning experiences, and new possibilities for their future. These opportunities build confidence, improve classroom engagement, and spark a love for learning. We welcome donations to support Connected North, or email connectednorth@takingitglobal.org for more information.

Connected North is a program of TakingITGlobal, a Canadian registered charity (866686991RR0001).

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Written by TakingITGlobal

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