Giving a little back
Company donates learning supplies, laptops to come
Darrell Greer
Northern News Services
Wednesday, September 28, 2016
RANKIN INLET
The Ikurraq Food Bank received a little boost in what it can offer when visiting technology instructor Arnold Villeneuve presented the non-profit organization with more than $200 in preschooler supplies earlier this month in Rankin Inlet.
Learning Tree International program instructor Arnold Villeneuve presents local volunteer Jessie Baxter with a donation of preschool supplies to the Ikurraq Food Bank on behalf of his employer in Rankin Inlet earlier this month. - photo courtesy of Arnold Villeneuve |
The supplies were presented to volunteer Jessie Baxter on Sept. 14. on behalf of Learning Tree International.
The donation included colouring crayons, sketch pads, note pads, pens, pencils, blackboard chalk, 100 piece animated map of Canada puzzles and some healthy fibre snacks for kids.
Villeneuve was in Rankin to instruct an advanced Microsoft Excel Business Intelligence course.
He also donated pencils, chalk and math flash cards to several local teachers to reward students for their good work during his stay.
Villeneuve said Learning Tree International has provided information technology and management courses -- as well as project management and personal-skills-development courses -- in the North for more than two decades.
He said the company has delivered course in all three territories.
"There are a number of us (instructors) who go up to Nunavut and I've tried to raise the bar a bit," said Villeneuve.
"Every time an instructor goes to Nunavut, I want them to take a kit along with colouring books, crayons, and other preschool supplies to donate to either the local food bank or community centre.
"It's just one small way of giving back to the community."
Villeneuve has visited a number of Nunavut communities during the past 10 years.
He said it's been quite exciting to be part of the North's expanding technology, management and personal-skills-development initiatives.
"I did a two-week tour of the Northwest Passage in 2014, and wrote a daily online blog that had quite a big following for awhile.
"One community I've never been to is Whale Cove, and I'd love to get there one of these days.
"I talked to quite a few people before my most recent trip to Rankin, and they told me the school system is well-funded and suggested I make the donation to the food bank instead.
"Learning Tree also has laptops in a number of communities and it's our intention, during the next year or two, to donate them loaded with educational software to community centres for everyone to have to access to."
