Computers in the Communities

Submitted By

Marja van Nieuwenhuyzen, Chair, Community Programs, Aurora Campus, Inuvik

Best Practices Supported

How It Works

Computers in the Community is a special course offered to communities in the Beaufort Delta region. A portable computer lab and technology instructor travelled to several Beaufort Delta and Sahtu communities (Aklavik, Tuktoyaktuk, Paulatuk, Sachs Harbour, Holman, Fort McPherson and Tsiigehtchic) to deliver three-week-long computer courses as part of the Adult Literacy and Basic Education upgrading programs. The computer programs covered varied to match the community needs with the emphasis on Microsoft Word, Microsoft Excel, Publisher and PowerPoint.

Clipart - Desktop computer The Computers in the Community program is an example of flexible program delivery. A creative delivery approach is used to offer the courses to as many communities as possible and makes good use of the technology and instructor. This approach allows the program to offer a broad range of programming to meet the needs of adult learners in their community even though the community itself may not have the technology or expertise. Another plus is that the community benefits by having computer classes available to them in the evenings and on the weekends.

The Department of Education, Culture and Employment and the Inuvialuit and Gwich’in Aboriginal Human Resource Development Agreement (AHRDA) groups funded the program. Communities had to submit a proposal if they wanted to offer the program to adult learners.