IQALUIT
A video program that connects students and experts has proven almost as enlightening for southern students as those in the North.

Aqsarniit Middle School representatives, front row from left, Anita Kakee, Napachie Kopalie and Minnie Akavak, with back row, from left, teacher Caryn Rubio, Terrence Kang and principal Donald Peters. Stewart Burnett/NNSL photo

Aqsarniit Middle School in Iqaluit was the first school in the territory to sign onto Cisco's Connected North program, which establishes a video connection between the school and southern experts and students.

Since 2011, when the pilot project began, the program has proven so successful that it's been brought to six more schools in the territory and Aqsarniit has received an Ingenious Award in recognition of its success with the program.

"It's really a unique way to try to interest kids, make kids come to school and also to bring technology into the class. That helps us bring more interest and things for kids to interact with while they're in the school," said Aqsarniit principal Donald Peters.

The program began by connecting students with experts in the south via live video.

Teacher Caryn Rubio brought in an expert once a week to expand on the students' current curriculum.

In a space unit, students met with experts from the University of Toronto who talked about constellations, planets and the solar system.

In a diversity of living things unit, an expert from Western University classified animals and gave presentations to students through the TV screen.

Toward the end of that year, students connected with a classroom in Alberta, when they did a 20-questions cultural exchange activity.

"The kids were really surprised that a town in Alberta, where they think is this huge metropolis, was actually way smaller than where we are," said Rubio. "We had more stores, more things than they did. They had to drive farther to get to places, so they were really surprised by that."

In the second year, Aqsarniit students hooked up with a sister school in Toronto and exchanged information about each other's lifestyle, clothes, food and customs.

"It was a chance for them to get to share something about where they're from and whenever they get to meet new people, especially their own age, it's a really great opportunity for them," said Rubio. "It was definitely a motivator for them."

The students even hooked up with a class in Tanzania.

"Not only does it get them motivated but it also creates some really engaging conversations," said Rubio.

Aqsarniit once brought in an elder to talk to students in Toronto about how to build a kayak and hunt in the Arctic.

"They were so overwhelmed to watch one of our elders, and he was moving his spear around and talking in Inuktitut and English and they were spellbound," said Peters. "They were very captivated by this whole different idea of building a kayak and going out on the ice and snow and actually hunting animals.

"It was interesting for us to watch the reaction of the southern kids, because a lot of the southern kids really don't understand the North or know the kind of lifestyle the kids here have. It's been a good exchange both ways."

This will be the third year with the technology, and the pilot project phase is officially over. Now, teachers and staff are finding new ways to use live-streaming service, such as aiding professional development days.

The next goal for staff at Aqsarniit is to use the technology to close the gap between communities in Nunavut and connect to other schools in the territory.

"It's a great way for us to reduce the distance between communities in the North," said Peters.

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