Empowering youth with the digital skills and tools needed to succeed in the workforce of tomorrow is now more important than ever. According to the World Economic Forum, 65 per cent of today’s students will do jobs that don’t currently exist and 77 per cent of jobs in the next decade will require technology skills.
In order to stay globally competitive, it is crucial that all Canadian students have access to the resources they need for a successful transition into the workplace and this holds especially true for students located in underserved areas. For them, the opportunity to build meaningful skills – from teamwork and collaboration to coding and web development – is vital in helping their communities to grow.
In this episode of KEV talks, Kevin Peesker chats with Kim Kirk, Director of the Elementary and Secondary support program at Seven Generations Education Institute in Fort Frances, Ontario to discuss the recent opening of a community hub for elders, families, youth and children to gather, learn and celebrate. At the centre of this hub is a Makerspace filled with Microsoft technology. It’s a space for young people from the surrounding ten First Nations communities to gather, learn, upskill and succeed by developing digital skills in areas like coding, website design, video editing and more.
We believe technology has the power to level the playing field to give all students a voice. Making sure that youth in rural areas have the same access to the services and resources as their more urban counterparts is just one way we’re helping to bridge the opportunity gap so that every student across the country can realize their true potential and unlock limitless learning
About Kim Kirk
Kim Kirk is the Director of the Elementary and Secondary support program at Seven Generations Education Institute, in Fort Frances, Ontario. She has been with the organization for the past eight years and supports Indigenous students and teachers from kindergarten to grade 12.
Seven Generations Education Institute (SGEI) is a First Nations-owned and controlled organization co-founded by the ten First Nations in the Rainy Lake Tribal area in 1985. The ten First Nations are: Big Grassy, Big Island, Couchiching, Lac La Croix, Naicatchewenin, Nigigoonsiminikaaning, Ojibways of Onigaming, Rainy River, Seine River and Mitaanjigamiing. SGEI is dedicated to excellence in lifelong learning and empowerment through language and culture, by providing community-based and student-centered learning opportunities for everyone.
