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NEWS:NunavutApril03,20149:33am

VideotechnologycouldimproveNunavut
education,mentalhealth

PRIVACYPOLICY

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Businessconsortium,GN,teamuptodelivervirtualyouthservices
DAVIDMURPHY
Nunavutyouthareabouttoget
aboostineducationandmental
healthservicesfromthousands
ofkilometresaway.
Aconsortiumofbusinessesis
donatinghighdefinitionvideo
technologysoNunavut
teacherscanimprovehowthey
delivertheirlessonsandso
Nunavutstudentsstruggling
withdepressionandotherforms
ofmentaldistresscangethelp
faster.
April2sawthelaunchof
ConnectNorth,aprogramthat NunavutPremierPeterTaptunaspeaksataeventlaunchingnew
videoconferencesystemsforuseinhealthandeducationmadepossibleby
essentiallyhelpsNunavuts
freebiesdonatedbyCiscoCanadaandSSIMicro.(PHOTOBYDAVID
youthgetpsychiatricand
MURPHY)
experteducationalsupport
throughafancyvideo
conferencingtechnologycalledTelePresence,whichismuchlikeSkype.
Nunavutcommunitiesareslatedtoreceive10videoequipmentunitsfromtelecommunicationsgiant
CiscoCanadaforyouthpsychiatricsessionsoverthenextthreeyears.
Ciscosaysnorthernersstrugglingthroughmentalhealthproblemsmustcurrentlywait,onaverage,
twoyearsforapsychiatricconsultationsintheSouthnowthoseconsultationscanhappenwithin
days.
AndtwoNunavutschoolswillalsogetaTelePresencedevicetoconnectwithcollegeanduniversity
professorswhocanlecturetoclassroomsonavarietyoftopics.
Businessrepresentativesandgovernmentofficialspackedintoasmallroominfrontofaflatscreen
televisionhookedupwiththetwowayvideocommunicationdeviceApril2atAqsarniitIlinniarvik
MiddleSchoolinIqaluittoannounceConnectNorth.

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Thelaunchistimelyasthegovernmentisfocusingoureffortsoneducationdeliveryinallour
classroomsandprovidebetterassetstocriticalheathservices,NunavutPremierPeterTaptuna
said.
Asanaddedbonus,theprogramcomesatnocosttothegovernment,Taptunasaid.
CiscoCanadaisthrowing$1.6millionintothevideocommunicationtechnologyandSSIMicro,a
wirelessbroadbandInternetserviceprovider,isdonatingbandwidthtotheproject.
ThroughConnectNorth,psychiatricserviceswillbevastlyimproved.
TenofthebestchildandyouthpsychiatristsandmentalhealthworkersfromtheTeleLinkMental
HealthProgramatTorontosHospitalforSickChildren(SickKids)willworkexclusivelywithNunavut
clientsoverthenextthreeyears.
Andtheterritorycouldusethehelp:NunavutssuiciderateisthehighestinCanada,andyoung
peoplearethemostatrisk.
Nunavutwillreceive10TelePresenceunitsandalthoughtheyareslatedtogowheretheywillhave
themostimpact,theirdestinationisstillunknown.
Theeconomicimpactofleavingyourcommunity,leavingyourfamily,lookingforservicesinthe
Southitsahugedeal,saidDavidWillis,clinicalmanageratSickKids.
Weregoingtobringthoseservicestoyouandhelpyoudevelopthoseservicesinthecommunities
andyouregoingtorunthoseservices,Willissaid.
Andkidsactuallyprefertalkingtopsychiatristsonvideoratherthaninperson,Willissaid.
Therearestudiesoutthererightnowthattalkaboutmentalhealthoverlivevideobeingbetterthan
facetoface,Willissaid.
Ittakesawaythatuncomfortablefeelingofsittinginfrontofa60yearoldpsychiatristwhenyoure
14.
Willissaidifitssuccessful,hehopesthethreeyearprogramwillcontinueindefinitely.
Ontheeducationside,apilotprogramlaunchedthispastSeptemberatAqsarniitMiddleSchool
connectedGrade6,7and8classroomswithexpertsandteachersthroughtheVirtualResearcher
onCall(VROC)program.
TheprogramwillnowbeexpandedtoJohnArnalukjuakHighSchoolinArviatandtoanotherschool
intheNorthwestTerritoriesstartingSept.2014.
ThefreeofchargeVROCprogram,withthebackingofseveralCanadianuniversities,allows
northernteacherstopresentvirtuallecturestotheirstudentsonscience,engineering,technology
andmathematicsfromsouthernuniversityandcollegeprofessors.
BasedonaYorkUniversitystudy,thepilotprogramincreasedattendanceby16percentand89per
centofstudentssaythevirtuallecturesmadesciencemoreenjoyablesaidNitinKawale,president
ofCiscoCanada.
Thevirtualeducationprogramalsomentorsteachersandconnectsnorthernclassroomstosouthern
classroomsforculturalexchanges.
Theeducationalboostcomesatacriticaltime.
CanadasAuditorGeneralMichaelFergusontabledanunflatteringreportonNunavutseducation
systemlastNovember.
FergusonalsosaidNunavutseducationactisoverlyambitiousApril2.
MarySimon,formerInuitTapiriitKanatamipresidentandnowthechairpersonoftheNational

CommitteeonInuitEducationpraisedtheannouncementfromOttawathroughthevideo
connection.
InallmyworkthatIvedonewitheducationforthelasteightyearsorso,Ivealwaysconnected
thementalwellbeingwithchildrenwithhowwelltheydoinschool,Simonsaid.
WhenyouhelpstudentsintheNorthconnectwiththelargercommunitiesinthesouth,andperhaps
moreimportantlyconnectwitheachother,wearegoingtoseeatransformationofoureducation
systems,Simonsaid.
Itwillhelpstudentspreparetosucceedinthe21stcentury,Simonsaid.

(2)Comments:
#1.PostedbyBut...onApril03,2014
Youcangetallthefreeequipmentyouwant,butifthatequipmentisdependentonaninternet
infrastructurethats15yearsoutofdate,andonlydelivers1.5MB/secondspeedsonaverage,
itsnotgoingtoworkwell,consideringthatgearismeantforspeedsof20+MB/second.
Ifthefiberopticlineisbuiltinanothertwoyears,thisstuffcouldbeusefulforsure,butuntilthen
itsgoingtobeprettylimited,regardlessofhowmuchsupportSSIoffers,itsahardwareproblem
ultimately.
#2.PostedbyTheequipmentisalreadythereonApril03,2014
EachcommunityalreadyhasanunderutilizedvideoconnectionattheHealthCentres,thatcanbe
bookedbyotheragenciesorpeopleinthecommunity.Itsnotthelackofvideocapabilitiesthat
preventtheseconsultations,itsthelackofpeopleavailableattheotherendoftheconnectionto
providethem.PsychiatrycanbedonenowviatheHealthcentreconnections(andsometimes
is).
WithSkypeandothervideoconferencingoptionsavailableviaanyonescomputer(dependenton
theinternetconnection,as#1pointsout),itsoundstomelikeCiscohadsomeequipmentthey
wantedtogetataxdonationslipandsomefreepublicityforbeforeitbecametotallyobsolete.
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