• About
  • Join/Donate
  • Contact
Monday, April 12, 2021
  • Login
No Result
View All Result
The Brief
NB MEDIA CO-OP
Share a story
  • New Brunswick
  • Canada
  • World
  • Environment
  • Indigenous
  • Labour
  • Gender
  • Politics
  • Arts & Culture
  • Videos
  • COVID-19
  • New Brunswick
  • Canada
  • World
  • Environment
  • Indigenous
  • Labour
  • Gender
  • Politics
  • Arts & Culture
  • Videos
  • COVID-19
No Result
View All Result
NB MEDIA CO-OP
No Result
View All Result
Home Canada

Rural innovation: using technology to keep schools in communities

by Brian Beaton
May 24, 2019
Reading Time: 4min read

Images from the 2019 Keewaytinook Internet High School graduation ceremony in Northern Ontario on May 22, 2019.

Many rural New Brunswick communities are searching for ways to avoid school closures and long bus rides for students to attend schools in larger centres. As fuel prices rise and the cost of bus transportation becomes unsustainable, is the only political solution to abandon rural communities, so the youth can attend large centralized institutional collector schools? It seems to be the only solution imposed by successive New Brunswick governments. Susan Machum, Dean of Social Sciences at St. Thomas University describes this as “rural bullying.”

Broadband telecommunication infrastructure is making Internet high schools possible and successful in many parts of the country, including New Brunswick where online courses are available for students requiring specific courses. Elementary, secondary and post-secondary courses are available in local classrooms for students wanting to remain close to family, friends and the rural community they know best.

On May 22, in northern Ontario, 37 students met in their local classrooms with their families, community leaders, teachers, fellow students and friends to celebrate their successful completion of their high school programs. Why was this gathering so special? The students and their teachers were sitting in high school classrooms located in 13 remote First Nations and meeting by videoconference with celebration participants in other locations across Canada.

Since 2000, the Keewaytinook Internet High School (KiHS) has been delivering Ontario-accredited secondary school courses for students, teachers and classroom assistants who live and work in small remote First Nations scattered across the far northern region in Ontario. Remote means that the only means of travel to these communities is by small planes. Winter roads across frozen lakes provide a small window when fuel, construction materials and other goods are transported into these communities. Flights are expensive, as are most goods and supplies.

Everyone watched the one-hour graduation ceremony online. The archive of the gathering allows viewers to watch the entire celebration or scroll through the highlights. Special moments included keynote speaker and award-winning singer Shy-Anne Hovorka’s song for the graduating class (her presentation and song can be found at 21:10 in the video archive); the congratulatory greetings by political leaders from all over the province; and the award presentation in memory of a young Indigenous student who died while attending high school in a far-away urban setting.

“Using the Kuhkenah Network (KNET) and their communication technologies to connect the First Nations across Ontario creates new opportunities for community members to remain in their communities along with new local career opportunities and services,” stated Lyle Johnson, Technology Lead, Keewaytinook Okimakanak Education.

Nishnawbe Aski (the people) have always inhabited this part of Canada. They speak different dialects of Ojibway, Oji-Cree and Cree. Their communities are located along major river systems flowing into Lake Winnipeg and into the Hudson Bay. The people are surviving and innovating under very challenging and harsh conditions. Their love for the land and all their relations is very strong.

“Today’s KiHS graduation ceremony, with 36 graduates, was the largest event so far in our short 20-year history.  Our school continues to grow, and this growth wouldn’t have been possible without the support from our First Nation partners, the students, the infrastructure, or the staff at KiHS.  The success illustrates what is possible with a truly locally-driven effort,” explained Angela Batsford-Mermans, KiHS acting principal.

The young people gathered together on May 22 were a cadre of future parents and leaders effectively using communication technologies to obtain the skills and experiences required to participate in today’s digital society. Instead of leaving their communities to attend high school in far-away urban settings, these young people chose to remain in their communities to work, raise their families, and contribute to their local economies. They choose to stay close to the people and the land they love and wish to protect and sustain.

Every graduate has their own story to tell. Their experiences are already making history in Canada. They are leaders and teachers as they decide their next steps on their personal journey. Some will continue to take post-secondary programs while remaining in their communities with their families. Others will choose to attend a post-secondary institution in an urban setting. But they have choices and they have already demonstrated their ability to be successful.  

The RAVEN research project at the University of New Brunswick is currently studying the broadband infrastructure in New Brunswick. The study will produce a report describing the limits and opportunities of telecommunication services across the province to support rural communities, including identifying the gaps and producing recommendations to address local needs. In future, moving to a green economy will mean that rural community members will have a choice where and how they can access education and health services. These choices will be essential to move beyond a fossil fuel economy.

The young graduates, their families and their community leaders in Northern Ontario have much to be proud of as they develop their local remote and rural communities. Other communities and political leaders have much to learn and gain from their innovation and leadership.

Brian Beaton is a RAVEN project researcher and a NB Media Co-op volunteer maintaining the events calendar. He moved to New Brunswick from Northern Ontario where he worked with the Keewaytinook Okimakanak team supporting the development of KIHS and KNET.

Tags: Brian BeatoneducationNew BrunswickOntarioruralslider
ShareTweetSend

Related Posts

New Brunswickers losing millions on forestry
*Opinion*

New Brunswickers losing millions on forestry

April 9, 2021

For more than two years now, we’ve been asking the government of New Brunswick to adopt straightforward solutions that would...

Rural communities raise concerns about New Brunswick’s local government green paper
*Opinion*

Rural communities raise concerns about New Brunswick’s local government green paper

April 7, 2021

On the morning of April 6, the Province of New Brunswick released a green paper called, "Working Together for Vibrant...

Hey New Brunswick government, check your carbon tax facts! 
*Opinion*

Hey New Brunswick government, check your carbon tax facts! 

April 5, 2021

We are all living in a climate emergency. The purpose of the carbon tax is to immediately reduce emissions and...

“Racism exists in New Brunswick: We must use that word”
Gender

“Racism exists in New Brunswick: We must use that word”

April 2, 2021

In February, for Black History Month, we received a message from Assia Hussein asking us to act more concretely. We...

Load More

Recommended

UNB Departments of History and Classics statement against anti-Asian racism

UNB Departments of History and Classics statement against anti-Asian racism

4 days ago
New Brunswickers losing millions on forestry

New Brunswickers losing millions on forestry

3 days ago
The city of Saint John was not meant to be shared. Are we sharing now?

The city of Saint John was not meant to be shared. Are we sharing now?

4 days ago
Rural communities raise concerns about New Brunswick’s local government green paper

Rural communities raise concerns about New Brunswick’s local government green paper

5 days ago
NB Media Co-op

© 2019 NB Media Co-op. All rights reserved.

Navigate Site

  • About
  • Join/Donate
  • Contact
  • Share a Story
  • Calendar
  • Archives

Follow Us

No Result
View All Result
  • About
  • Join/Donate
  • Contact
  • Share a Story
  • COVID-19
  • Videos
  • New Brunswick
  • Canada
  • World
  • Arts & Culture
  • Environment
  • Indigenous
  • Labour
  • Politics
  • Rural

© 2019 NB Media Co-op. All rights reserved.

Welcome Back!

Login to your account below

Forgotten Password?

Create New Account!

Fill the forms below to register

All fields are required. Log In

Retrieve your password

Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

Log In