Laptops offered to Indigenous e-learners

SYDNEY — Digital Mi'kmaq continues to find ways to assist Indigenous students, access e-learning in Atlantic Canada by donating over 700 laptops to Indigenous communities across the Atlantic region. Chris Googoo Ulnooweg's chief operating officers says the COVID-19 pandemic laid bare the systemic barriers Indigenous students face while accessing education.

“Because of COVID it's realy laid bare the systemic barriers our students face,”said Googoo.

The company first helped with personal protection equipment but as the pandemic continued, they switched gears to meet the needs of online learners.

And the organization listened to the communities. Digital Mi'kmaq ‘s “Backyard Science,” programming is as an educational tool that balances modern science with Indigenous knowledge. And Googoo sees it as an educational resource that helps Indigenous students see the link between the study of oceans, ecology and Indigenous knowledge.

Ulnooweg Indigenous Communities Foundation also contributed $100,000 in grant funding to assist Indigenous communities increase their educational capacity.

Googoo says the laptops they donated cost between $800 –900 and were best suited to run the special Digital Mi'kmaq programming the offered like 3D tech, animation and robotics.

250 of those laptops were donated to Nova Scotia with the majority heading to Eskasoni First Nation.