R.J. Simpson: Northern Distance Learning

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Mr. Speaker, today I want to focus on one of the successes that has come from the Education, Renewal and Innovation Framework. The Northern Distance Learning program, otherwise known as NDL, is a way to offer higher-level academic courses to high school students in small communities, to prepare them for postsecondary. By the upcoming 2020-2021 school year, this program will be available to students in up to 20 small communities across the territory.

Northern Distance Learning program began at East Three School in Inuvik under the leadership of the Beaufort-Delta Divisional Education Council. The program proved that when students had opportunities to interact with each other, had access to in-class support staff and had dedicated, knowledgeable teachers, they were able to be successful whether sitting beside each other in the same classroom, or separated by hundreds of miles.

There are currently 75 high school students in grades 10, 11 and 12 from small communities enrolled in Northern Distance Learning, taking academic, -1 courses in mathematics, science, English language arts, social studies, and art. Mr. Speaker, the course completion rate for traditional correspondence courses is just 30 percent. However, the completion rate for Northern Distance Learning courses is approximately 75 percent. It is a game changer, Mr. Speaker. Two years ago in Ulukhaktok, for the first time in the community’s history, three students graduated in their community with the courses they needed to advance directly to university. This was a historic moment for the community, and it was made possible by a combination of Northern Distance Learning, a lot of hard work and dedication by those graduates.

The expansion of the program also into the South Slave allowed Laney Beaulieu, a student from Fort Resolution, to stay in her community and complete the courses she needed to get into Western University in Ontario, where she is currently studying medicine. 

Marie Lennie, a current Northern Distance Learning student from Délı̨nę, voiced her support for the program in an online video made for one of her NDL classes: quote “The experience so far is great,” she said. “I’m learning new things every day and succeeding in getting quality education without the need to move somewhere else for schooling. I highly recommend NDL for other Indigenous students who want a better education.” End quote.

In addition to creating new learning opportunities, Northern Distance Learning is now also being used to allow parents in small communities to attend Parent-Teacher conferences with teachers in Inuvik. The first conference was held this past December, and connected parents, teachers, and in-class support staff spread across different communities.

Mr. Speaker, finally I want to celebrate Northern Distance Learning’s first ever Post-Secondary Bridging Experience that was held this past October with a group of 12 NDL students. The Northern Youth Abroad program organized and supervised a trip to Calgary, to help students get a better sense of what to expect in a postsecondary setting outside of the Northwest Territories. Students visited the Southern Alberta Institute of Technology and Mount Royal University and took part in workshops and activities that will help prepare them for the transition to postsecondary life.

Akesha Hardisty-Norwegian from Fort Simpson commented, quote “I really liked the planning part because there is not much help in small communities. When they do help, they do not have as much info as what we got on the trip. Thank you for giving us this opportunity. It helped raise my awareness and confidence going into post-secondary.” End quote.Mr. Speaker, I am thrilled to share that on November 22, 2019, Akesha was accepted to the University of Alberta in the combined Kinesiology/Education program for September 2020. Others are looking at postsecondary options across Canada in psychology, architecture, justice studies, veterinary medicine, and recreation management.

Mr. Speaker, we all know that we have to do a better job delivering equitable education across the territory, and Northern Distance Learning is helping us level the playing field by giving students in small communities opportunities that did not exist only a few short years ago. The data, and the individual experiences, show us that this program is working. We still have a long way to go, and the achievements of Northern Distance Learning students are proof that we can, and will continue to, improve educational outcomes across the territory.

Mahsı, Mr. Speaker.