Pinnguaq's te(a)ch program receives Arctic Inspiration Award

MONTREAL, QUEBEC--(Marketwired - Dec. 9, 2016) - The Pinnguaq Association is proud to have been selected as the 2016 Arctic Inspiration Award laureate for the te(a)ch project and is looking forward to the next phase of collaboration with Computers for Success Canada (CFSC).

"Computer Science is not taught at any level in Nunavut and te(a)ch is a step to provide equal learning opportunities in the digital economy", said Ryan Oliver, Director, Pinnguaq. "It is an honour to be recognized for the work being done to include Nunavummiut in Canada's digital economy. Through a collaborative, multi-sector partnership, the te(a)ch program will work to address the particular technology and skills challenges facing youth in Nunavut."

Through the te(a)ch program, a team of technical experts, curriculum developers, mental health workers and youth ambassadors from the north and south work together on an online infrastructure that includes 52 weeks of curriculum to teach programming, game design, engineering and computer science from an introductory to an advanced level.

Through a partnership with CFSC, Pinnguaq is deploying the program in key communities across the North, so that individuals can build and sustain their digital skills. CFSC receives funding under the Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada-led CFS program.

"CFSC is proud to partner with Pinnguaq in this very unique program, that reflects our shared vision of digital inclusion for all Canadians, said CFSC's Executive Director, Toby Harper-Merrett. The CFS program's intended environmental, social and economic impacts rely on the transfer of tools and knowledge through trusted partners such as Pinnguaq. This partnership provides the ability to reach communities across Nunavut, to provide computers, and work toward economic development."

Founded in 2012, the Arctic Inspiration Prize recognizes and promotes the extraordinary contribution made by teams in the gathering of Arctic knowledge and their plans to implement this knowledge to real world applications for the benefit of the Canadian Arctic, Arctic Peoples and therefore Canada as a whole.

About Pinnguaq

The Pinnguaq Association was created as a not for profit Pangnirtung-based technology startup in 2012 with the goal of providing play experiences in Indigenous Languages. Since then, the organization has begun to embrace ways of incorporating play and gaming into wide reaching applications that can benefit tourism, education and economic development. At the root of our mission statement is the embracing of technology as a means of unifying and enabling Nunavummiut.

About CFSC

Computers for Success - Canada Inc. (CFSC-OPEC https://cfsc-opec.org) is a national non-profit organization established in 2005, supporting Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada's CFS program and its intended impacts of digital inclusion and economic development. CFSC-OPEC's hub of services to the CFS program include marketing and communications, partnership development, project management, and strategic planning.

About the CFS program

CFS is a national program that refurbishes and delivers, at little or no cost, technology from government organizations, private businesses and individuals, in support of digital inclusion and economic development. Computers are distributed to schools and non-profit organizations supporting youth, seniors, low-income Canadians, new Canadians, Indigenous people and other eligible recipients across Canada.