DEH CHO - From London, England to Fort Liard, Madison, Wisconsin to Wrigley and Ottawa to Fort Providence, a group of volunteers are embracing life in the Deh Cho while giving back to the communities they're living in.

Colleen Berg, the Beaver volunteer at Chief Julian Yendo School in Wrigley, goes skiing with students including, from right, Orrin Moses, Destiny Cli, Angel Baton, Setia Antoine, Ivan Clillie and Kelcy Nayally. - photo courtesy of Brooke Suwala

Seven individuals from across Canada and around the world are living in five communities in the Deh Cho where they're known as Beaver volunteers. The volunteers are part of the Northern Education Program organized by the Frontiers Foundation. Based in Toronto, the foundation is a non-profit aboriginal voluntary service organization that promotes the advancement of disadvantaged communities.

Catherine Walls learned about the foundation while searching the internet for opportunities to volunteer abroad with teaching. Catherine had spent the last two years teaching high school chemistry in England.

"I fancied a bit of a change from that," she said.

Three days after getting married, Catherine and her husband Jamie Walls flew to Fort Liard for the start of the school year.

"This is sort of our Fort Liard honeymoon," Catherine said.

Catherine is volunteering at Echo Dene School where she tutors high school students in chemistry and also helps students in Grade 3-4 and 8 with reading and math. Catherine said she's enjoying the chance to work with students of all ages.

"The students are lovely and very friendly," she said.

Jamie, who's an elementary school teacher, is volunteering with the Hamlet of Fort Liard. Since September he'd been running the breakfast program at the school and the after school club. He also helps in the community's pre-school in the afternoon.

Living in Fort Liard is a big change from being near London, but the couple is enjoying it. Catherine said it's nice to walk down the street and know most of the people you see, unlike in England where you barely know your neighbors, she said.

For some of the volunteers, spending time in Deh Cho schools is a way to gain experience for their future careers. Colleen Berg would like to work with children while Annie Salter Jarrett plans to be a teacher.

Berg, originally from Madison, Wisconsin, volunteered at Chief Julian Yendo School in Wrigley from September to December.

"It's been a really, really cool experience," Berg said.

Berg said she was excited about having the chance to work at the school and to live in a remote area and connect with the land. For Salter Jarrett, who's from Ottawa, the draw of the Beaver Volunteer program was the chance to live in the North and get teaching experience at the same time.

At Deh Gah School in Fort Providence, Salter Jarrett focuses on reading with junior high students and on a science program called Junkyard Wars. Fort Providence is a lot smaller than Ottawa, but Salter Jarrett said she's so busy she doesn't even notice.

"I'm really enjoying the pace of life," she said.

There are also volunteers based in Nahanni Butte and Fort Simpson.

We welcome your opinions. Click here to e-mail a letter to the editor.