OttawaReads absolutely took off this spring thanks to the involvement of various individuals and organizations including: Marc Hurtubise, principal of École Rose-des-Vents; Pauline Laneville, literacy resource teacher; the five generous volunteers who were supported by Andre Charlebois, director of the Charles-Emile Claude Multipurpose Centre for Seniors; and Linda Newman, Program Manager OttawaReads, OCRI.  This initiative was made possible through the development of a special project, led by the Charles-Emile Claude Multipurpose Centre for Seniors, which received federal funding to bring OttawaReads to Cornwall.

This first season is just the beginning of a great adventure in reading. Students in the first and second grades of Rose-des-Vents School were delighted to mingle with volunteers who helped them read for a predetermined period, two times a week, during the month of May. Our volunteers, Aline Fleury, Madeleine Laflamme, Jeannine and Robert Lemire were completely dedicated to guiding the children through entertaining reading exercises and the students reciprocated by trying hard and having fun!

We mustn’t forget to thank our team seamstress who crafted custom book bags for all our volunteers. It added a personal touch to a program that will be remembered for a long time!

Congratulations to all and good luck with Cornwall’s new community project.

If you are interested in learning more about OttawaReads (which is available in both official languages), becoming a volunteer or introducing the program to your community, please contact Sheila Jenkins, Program Manager, OttawaReads , (613) 828-6274 ext. 237, sjenkins@ocri.ca.

©2010 ocriblogs.com. All Rights Reserved.

LectureOttawa a pris son envol ce printemps grâce à la participation de diverses personnes et organisations y compris : Marc Hurtubise, directeur de l’école Rose-des-vents, Pauline Laneline, enseignante-ressources d’alphabétisation, les cinq généreux bénévoles qui ont été soutenus par André Charlebois, directeur du Centre Charles-Émile Claude, centre polyvalent des aînés et Linda Newman, gestionnaire du programme LectureOttawa, OCRI.  Cette initiative a été rendu possible grâce à l’élaboration d’un projet spécial, dirigé par le centre Charles-Émile Claude, centre polyvalent des aînés qui a reçu un financement fédéral pour mettre Lecture Ottawa à Cornwall.

Cette première saison est  le début d’une grande aventure de la lecture.  Les élèves de première et deuxième année de l’École Rose-des-vents ont été ravis de se mêler aux bénévoles qui ont aidé à lire pour une période prédéterminée, deux fois par semaine durant le mois de mai.  Nos bénévoles; Aline Fleury, Madeleine Laflamme, Jeannine et Robert Lemire, Aline Roy ont consacrés leur dévouement à l’orientation des enfants dans leur lecture en effectuant des exercices et réciproquement les élèves ont pris plaisir à travailler avec ardeur et joie.

Nous ne devons pas oublier notre équipe de couturière qui ont préparé des sacs de lecture personnalisé pour tous nos bénévoles.  Cette initiative a ajouté une touche personnelle à un programme dont on se souviendra pendant longtemps!

Félicitations à tous et bonne chance à ce nouveau projet communautaire à Cornwall.

Si vous êtes intéressés à en apprendre plus au sujet de LectureOttawa (qui est disponible dans les deux langues officielles), devenir bénévole ou introduire un programme dans votre communauté, s’il-vous-plaît communiquez avec Linda Newman, Gestionnaire des bénévoles dans l’éducation et LectureOttawa au 613-828-6274 poste 135 ou par courriel lnewman@ocri.ca.

©2010 ocriblogs.com. All Rights Reserved.

In celebration of the program’s 20^th anniversary, the School Breakfast Program team has been presenting recognition certificates to individuals and businesses who have had a significant impact on the program. Over 20 certificates have been handed out to volunteers, principals and program coordinators, many of whom have been with the program for over ten years.

On Thursday, June 17^th our final certificate was be presented at our 20^th Anniversary Fundraiser Cocktail Reception. The event was held at Gowlings and honoured the support that the late Gordon Henderson provided in the creation of the program and the support Gowlings continues to provide the program 20 years later. 

In other SBP news, the University of Ottawa’s Faculty of Medicine Class of 2013 held their annual MedShow and chose our program as the recipient of funds raised over the three nights of the event. The Class of 2013 not only wrote and performed an original show they also recruited sponsors and raised $15,600 for the program! It is amazing that the class was able to find the time in their very hectic schedules to organize the event. To view the trailer of the show visit: http://uottawamedshow.com.

Looking for ways to support the School Breakfast Program? Here are some ways you can make a difference:

• Volunteer! We are always looking for energetic individuals to volunteer with the program. Your commitment can range from volunteering once or twice a month, pre-baking food for the program to assisting with fundraising to volunteering everyday. Just let us know what your availability is and we will make it work.
• Donate to the program either directly (www.ocri.ca/sbp) or through United Way designations. Every dollar makes a difference.
• Hold your own fundraising event (i.e. golf tournament, garage or bake sale, loonie or toonie drive, etc.). Every dollar raised provides a breakfast to a child or youth in-need.
• Ask friends and family to donate to the program in lieu of gifts for a special occasion (i.e. birthday, wedding, anniversary, etc.). A very unselfish young man recently asked guests invited to his Bar Mitzvah to donate to the SBP in lieu of gifts. This single act resulted in $11,700 being donated to the SBP.

As our 20^th anniversary year comes to a close we are grateful for the tremendous support we receive from the community and our corporate supporters. You are all making a difference in the lives of the students who benefit from the program.

©2010 ocriblogs.com. All Rights Reserved.

This will be the second event of this kind organized by OCRI and the four Ottawa school boards. Over 400 people attended the first conference in October 2008 at Tudor Hall. Sir Ken Robinson, author of “The Element” and “Out of Our Minds: Learning to be Creative”, was our keynote speaker. He was outstanding – one of the best speakers I’ve ever seen – on any topic. It was an inspiring day.

I believe that John Sweeney will be equally outstanding. In addition to being a keynote speaker, John is also an author, improviser, and comedic performer. He left a successful career in corporate real estate to buy the Brave New Workshop (BNW), the oldest satirical comedy theatre in the U.S.

John combined his instinct for business with his understanding of improvisation to write “Innovation at the Speed of Laughter”, a book which launched a speaking and training career that serves more than 100 clients each year. John, and a troupe of actors from the BNW, will lead us through the conference agenda on November 4th at the Centurion Conference Centre.

The theme of the day will be “Creative Leadership – Making Innovation Happen”. It promises to be a very practical, “how to” approach to making innovation happen. John’s message and methods are based on the simple core belief that everyone has unlimited creativity locked inside them but rarely express this “best self” in the workplace. This day promises to be informative, entertaining, and relevant.

Save the date and stay tuned for more details.

©2010 ocriblogs.com. All Rights Reserved.

On June 10^th during the Student Showcase of computer learning games developed by young, talented programmers from the High School Technology Program, we hosted over 130 guests at Earl of March Secondary School.  This year-end celebration of student teamwork and hands-on learning in software development was a resounding success with attendees sharing stories and student accomplishments including Grade 10 students programming in Java.

I was truly amazed at the enthusiasm and expertise demonstrated by the participating industry mentors during their weekly visits to the classrooms throughout this year’s High School Technology Program which involved approximately 100 students from five high schools in the Ottawa region including:  All Saints Catholic High School, Earl of March Secondary School, Ecole secondaire catholique Garneau, Mother Teresa Catholic High School, and Sir Wilfrid Laurier Secondary School.

This program’s outstanding experiential learning opportunities would not be possible without the ongoing commitment and passion to this program from our industry and academic partners including:  Algonquin College, Carleton University, University of Ottawa, IBM Canada, Macadamian, RIM, Nortel, Avaya, Apption, Nakina Systems, and others.

The eyes of participating students popped when they had a chance to explore on field trips to industry and post-secondary institutions both career possibilities and post-secondary pathways toward realizing their dreams for a future in Ottawa’s ICT (Information and Communications Technology) and other sectors by visiting animation, gaming and multimedia environments, software development facilities, virtual simulation research and advanced aviation technologies and training simulation labs. 

The students’ excitement was especially evident during industry site visits. They were totally engaged in a competitive robotics exercise and unique development experience in interactive multimedia and design labs at the universities as well as tours within the College’s advanced technology and media and design schools. The chance to interact with prestigious professors and talk to senior students already pursuing studies on campus was an extremely valuable experience for all judging from the feedback from the high school students.

Want to get involved?  Contact Nancy Côté at ncote@ocri.ca or 613 828 6274 ext. 211 for more details on the awesome rewards of mentorship and student experiential learning that is planned for next year’s program in 2010-2011!

©2010 ocriblogs.com. All Rights Reserved.

Organisée par OCRI,la principale agence de développement économique d’Ottawa, la soirée de gala a honoré les professionnels talentueux et dévoués qui ont fait preuve d’excellence dans l’enseignement, ont été des exemples à suivre, ont donné confiance à leurs élèves et leur ont inspiré la passion pour l’apprentissage. Les prix ont été créés en 2001 par un groupe de dirigeants d’entreprises et de leaders dans le domaine de l’éducation qui souhaitaient revaloriser l’éducation publique en plus de reconnaître et célébrer le dévouement et les réalisations des éducateurs locaux d’Ottawa.

« Ottawa est reconnue pour son esprit d’entreprise, mais sans la compassion et la bienveillance des éducateurs, comme ceux que nous honorons ce soir, Ottawa serait un endroit très différent », a déclaré Claude Haw, président-directeur général d’OCRI, en s’exprimant depuis New York où il participe à la conférence annuelle Intelligent Community Forum. « C’est avec une grande reconnaissance pour tous les enseignants, de la maternelle au doctorat, qu’Ottawa a été reconnue comme une des communautés les plus intelligentes du monde. L’influence de nos enseignants sur leurs élèves pendant les périodes les plus déterminantes de la vie contribue à stimuler et développer le groupe créatif de talents et de futurs leaders et innovateurs d’Ottawa. »

Les nominations pour les prix ont été ouvertes aux éducateurs employés par les quatre conseils scolaires publiques, deux collèges et quatre universités situés dans la ville d’Ottawa. Plus de 450 nominations ont été reçues pour 327 enseignants nommés par les élèves (actuels et anciens), les parents et les collègues. Un groupe de juges représentant les milieux économiques,de l’éducation et les organisations communautaires a examiné les 67 finalistes et a sélectionné les 16 lauréats.

« Nous sommes très chanceux de faire partie d’une communauté qui distingue les personnes dévouées et attentionnées qui font chaque jour de leur mieux pour aider à améliorer la vie de leurs élèves. Cet événement est un moyen fantastique de présenter certains des éducateurs les plus dévoués et créatifs de la région », ajoute François Benoit, directeur de l’éducation du Conseil des écoles publiques de l’Est de l’Ontario. » Chaque personne nommée apporte l’excellence et la compassion dans chaque classe et sans aucun doute ouvre la voie à la réussite de nos élèves. »

« Je félicite tous les lauréats des Prix de l’excellence en enseignement de la capitale. Les éducateurs jouent un rôle vital en aidant à développer les compétences, la curiosité et l’engagement envers l’apprentissage nécessaires pour aider les élèves à devenir des penseurs critiques et de bons citoyens », a déclaré Roseann O’Reilly Runte, présidente de l’Université Carleton. « Je suis particulièrement fière que leur passion et leur dévouement soient reconnus par la communauté qui s’étend dans le monde entier. »

Les lauréats d’EduGala 2010 sont :

Lyse Bissonnette – Académie de la Seigneurie, Conseil des écoles publiques de l’Est de l’Ontario
Serge Boisvert – École secondaire catholique Franco-Cité, Conseil des écoles catholiques du Centre-Est
Émilie Collin-Laflamme – École secondaire publique Louis-Riel, Conseil des écoles publiques de l’Est de l’Ontario
Heather Counsell – McHugh Education Centre, Ottawa-Carleton District School Board
Hélène Coulombe – Educational Consultant, Ottawa Catholic School Board
Nathalie D’Amato – École élémentaire catholique J.-L.-Couroux, Conseil des écoles catholiques du Centre-Est
Father Lawrence Dewan – Faculty of Philosophy, Dominican University College / Collège universitaire dominicain
Donna Forward – Sacred Heart Catholic High School, Ottawa Catholic School Board
Kim Hellemans – Department of Psychology, Carleton University
Ching Lim – Cairine Wilson Secondary School, Ottawa-Carleton District School Board
Dianna McAleer – Police & Public Safety Institute, Algonquin College
Robert McClure – Art and Design, La Cité collégiale
Eileen O’Connor – Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Ottawa / Faculté des sciences de la santé, Université d’Ottawa
Myrtle Power – Faculty of Theology, Saint Paul University / Université Saint-Paul
Brian Schmidt – Woodroffe High School, Ottawa-Carleton District School Board
Maurice Charles Taylor – Faculty of Education, University of Ottawa / Faculté d’éducation, Université d’Ottawa

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À propos d’OCRI :

OCRI est la principale agence de développement économique d’Ottawa. OCRI est le point de ralliement pour les secteurs des affaires, de l’éducation, de la recherche et du talent afin de créer les conditions économiques gagnantes qui permettent aux entreprises d’Ottawa axées sur le savoir de s’épanouir au niveau régional et d’être concurrentielles au niveau mondial. OCRI fait la promotion du développement économique durable afin de maintenir notre haute qualité de vie. Pour de plus amples renseignements sur OCRI, veuillez visiter notre site Web www.ocri.ca et pour de plus amples renseignements sur la région d’Ottawa, veuillez visiter le site www.ottawaregion.com. En 2010, Ottawa a été nommée parmi les sept premières communautés intelligentes du monde par l’Intelligent Community Forum (ICF).

Pour en savoir plus, contactez :
Kim Cunningham
Directrice, Communications extérieures, OCRI
Bureau: (613) 828-6274 poste 256
Cell. : (613) 851-0768
Courriel: kcunningham@ocri.ca

©2010 ocriblogs.com. All Rights Reserved.

Hosted by OCRI, Ottawa’s lead economic development agency, the gala event honoured the talented and dedicated professionals who have demonstrated teaching excellence, acted as role models, and instilled confidence and a passion for learning in their students. The awards were created in 2001 by a group of business and education leaders who wanted to raise the profile of public education and to recognize and celebrate the dedication and achievements of Ottawa’s local educators.

“Ottawa is renowned for its entrepreneurial spirit but without caring and compassionate educators, like those we honour tonight, Ottawa would be a very different place,” said Claude Haw, President and CEO, OCRI, speaking from New York City where he is attending the Intelligent Community Forum’s annual conference. “It is with great appreciation for all teachers from kindergarten through to PhD that Ottawa has been chosen as one of the most intelligent communities in the world. The impact our teachers have on their students during the most influential periods of life helps to nurture and develop Ottawa’s creative class of talent and future leaders and innovators.”

Nominations for the awards were open to educators employed by the four publicly-funded school boards, two colleges and four universities located within the City of Ottawa. More than 450 nominations were received for 327 educators who were nominated by current and former students, parents and professional colleagues. A panel of judges representing business, education and community-based organizations reviewed the 67 finalists and selected the 16 award recipients.

“We are very fortunate to be part of a community that recognizes the dedicated and caring people who do their best every day to help improve the lives of their students. This event is a fantastic way to showcase some of the region’s most committed and creative educators,” adds Francois Benoit, Director of Education, Conseil des écoles publiques de l’Est de l’Ontario. “Each nominee brings excellence and compassion into every classroom and without a doubt sets the stage for the success of our students.”

“I congratulate all of the Capital Educators’ Awards winners. Educators play a vital role in helping develop the skills, curiosity and commitment to lifelong learning necessary to help students become critical thinkers and good citizens,” said Roseann O’Reilly Runte, President, Carleton University. “I am especially proud that their passion and dedication is being recognized by the community which reaches around the world.”

Award recipients at the 2010 EduGala are:

Lyse Bissonnette – Académie de la Seigneurie, Conseil des écoles publiques de l’Est de l’Ontario
Serge Boisvert – École secondaire catholique Franco-Cité, Conseil des écoles catholiques du Centre-Est
Émilie Collin-Laflamme – École secondaire publique Louis-Riel, Conseil des écoles publiques de l’Est de l’Ontario
Heather Counsell – McHugh Education Centre, Ottawa-Carleton District School Board
Hélène Coulombe – Educational Consultant, Ottawa Catholic School Board
Nathalie D’Amato – École élémentaire catholique J.-L.-Couroux, Conseil des écoles catholiques du Centre-Est
Father Lawrence Dewan – Faculty of Philosophy, Dominican University College / Collège universitaire dominicain
Donna Forward – Sacred Heart Catholic High School, Ottawa Catholic School Board
Kim Hellemans – Department of Psychology, Carleton University
Ching Lim – Cairine Wilson Secondary School, Ottawa-Carleton District School Board
Dianna McAleer – Police & Public Safety Institute, Algonquin College
Robert McClure – Art and Design, La Cité collégiale
Eileen O’Connor – Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Ottawa / Faculté des sciences de la santé, Université d’Ottawa
Myrtle Power – Faculty of Theology, Saint Paul University / Université Saint-Paul
Brian Schmidt – Woodroffe High School, Ottawa-Carleton District School Board
Maurice Charles Taylor – Faculty of Education, University of Ottawa / Faculté d’éducation, Université d’Ottawa

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About OCRI:

Leading the way for Ottawa, OCRI is the city’s economic development agency. OCRI is the rallying point to bring business, education, research and talent together to create the winning economic conditions that allow Ottawa’s knowledge-based companies to thrive locally and compete globally. At OCRI we promote sustainable economic development to maintain our high quality of life. For more information on OCRI visit our website at www.ocri.ca and for more information on the Ottawa Region please visit www.ottawaregion.com. In 2010, Ottawa was named one of the world’s top seven intelligent communities by the Intelligent Community Forum (ICF).

For information contact:
Kim Cunningham
Manager, External Communications
OCRI
Business: (613) 828 6274 ext.256
Cell: (613) 851 0768
Email: kcunningham@ocri.ca

©2010 ocriblogs.com. All Rights Reserved.

Summer Company is an exciting opportunity for enterprising students, 15 to 29 years old, to start and run their own summer businesses. Now in its ninth year, the province-wide program will help over 500 young entrepreneurs launch and manage successful summer businesses across Ontario. Participation in Ottawa increased by more than 75 per cent last year and the program continues to get more and more popular each year. Summer Company, delivered through OCRI’s Entrepreneurship Centre, is an initiative of the Ministry of Economic Development and Trade designed to help young entrepreneurs develop, plan and execute a successful business venture.

As a Summer Company entrepreneur, students will receive hands-on business coaching and mentoring from business leaders in the community. It could be the start of something big!

Participants are eligible for up to $3,000 to ease start-up expenses including $1,500 awarded upon the successful completion of the program and return to school. Students are selected based on the quality of their business plan and their personal commitment to their vision. In addition to the funding, these young entrepreneurs will receive strategic business assistance as well as one-on-one support and advice from mentors as part of the Summer Company Program. Carefully selected mentors work closely with each student and share their unique insight and expertise. This year’s list of mentors includes a banker, accountant, lawyer, sales professional, marketer, strategist, etiquette advisor, former summer company participant, and successful local entrepreneur.

Click here for more information about the Summer Company Program or contact Diana Martinez, Youth Business Advisory at OCRI’s Entrepreneurship Centre by phone at 613 580 2424 ext 22704 or via email at dmartinez@ocri.ca.

©2010 ocriblogs.com. All Rights Reserved.

The awards celebrate excellence in the areas of research, technology, entrepreneurship, leadership, strategic partnerships and student accomplishments. New categories this year include the Research Award, Health Innovation Award and Student Entrepreneur of the Year. Nominations for the 11 categories were solicited from Ottawa’s business and education community last December. A record number of nominations were reviewed by the Society of Collaborative Opportunities and Advancement of Professionals (SCOAP). In addition, Exploriem’s Fastest Growing Bootstrap Startup Award was presented early in the evening.

“The award finalists represent key executives, business leaders, thinkers and strategists,” said Claude Haw, President and CEO, OCRI. “Again this year the quality and caliber of the nominations was excellent and the numbers have increased. The impressive accomplishments of this evening’s winners demonstrate a city that fosters world-class talent, innovative products and successful companies.”

After a stellar year for his team and technology, Iain Christie, President of Neptec, explains why the company is so pleased to be recognized as a 2010 OCRI Award winner. “As recipient of the Product of the Year award, Neptec’s team of scientists and engineers are honoured to be recognized by OCRI and the prestige it brings to our company, locally and internationally. The work OCRI does for the Ottawa technology and research industry is critical to ensuring that Ottawa remains competitive. We congratulate all finalists in the 2010 OCRI Awards.”

The 2010 OCRI Awards recipients are:

OCRI Company of the Year presented to DragonWave
In recognition of DragonWave’s leadership position in the high capacity packet microwave sector, exponential growth and continued global expansion combined with their commitment to Ottawa which raises the profile of local innovation and talent.

Next Generation Executive of the Year presented to Jason Flick, You i Labs
In recognition of his impressive track record and current involvement in the development of one of the Canadian Innovation Exchange’s top 20 innovative companies.

Strategic Partnership of the Year presented to QNX and Alcatel-Lucent
In recognition of their combined efforts and success transforming a car into a first-class citizen of the Cloud which garnered immediate and overwhelming international media coverage in 2009.

Most Promising Startup of the Year presented to Telepin
In recognition of the success and impact of Telepin’s Cayman mobile transaction infrastructure software and the company’s ability to raise funds to support their growth.

Product of the Year presented to Neptec, TriDAR
In recognition of Neptec’s latest space hardware, TriDAR, designed and manufactured in Ottawa and used in space on the Shuttle Discovery.

Service of the Year presented to UBM TechInsights
In recognition for the company’s holistic approach to intellectual property management and its services that bridge the legal and technology worlds on more than 1,800 projects for over 200 clients.

Research Award presented to:
Dr. Robert Korneluk
In recognition for his leadership and contribution to the ApoptoGen team and their work in the field of programmed cell death and cancer research.
Dr. Duncan J. Stewart
In recognition of his many discoveries in vascular biology and genetic engineering as well as his pioneering new therapies that enhance the repair functionality of cells.

Health Innovation Award presented to Dr. Pierre Cardinal, CRI Critical Care Education Network
In recognition for the revolutionary impact of CRI on the delivery of critical care education resulting in measurable improvements in critical care including reductions in incidents, including deaths, in Ottawa and elsewhere in the country.

Student Researcher presented to Razib Iqbal, University of Ottawa
In recognition of his research in P2P adaptive video distribution and his compressed-domain adaptive video streaming system, called Dag-Stream, which allows for adaption, authentication and encryption of video on the fly.

Student Entrepreneur presented to Muhammad Arsalan and Atif Shamim
In recognition of taking their award-winning research to the next level, now in the early stages of commercialization with industry giants lining up as possible suitors.

High School Innovation presented to John McCrae Secondary School – Web 2.0 Site
In recognition of three teachers’ development of a user-friendly website with a wiki front page that improves efficiency for administration and staff, but also serves parents and students.

Exploriem’s Fastest Growing Bootstrap Startup presented to Telepin
In recognition for their rapid success and significant top line growth.

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About OCRI:

Leading the way for Ottawa, OCRI is the city’s economic development agency. OCRI is the rallying point to bring business, education, research and talent together to create the winning economic conditions that allow Ottawa’s knowledge-based companies to thrive locally and compete globally. At OCRI we promote sustainable economic development to maintain our high quality of life. For more information on OCRI visit our website at www.ocri.ca and for more information on the Ottawa Region please visit www.ottawaregion.com. In 2010, Ottawa was named one of the world’s top seven intelligent communities by the Intelligent Community Forum (ICF).

For information contact:

Kim Cunningham
Manager, External Communications
OCRI
Office: (613) 828-6274 ext. 256
Cell: (613) 851-0768
kcunningham@ocri.ca

©2010 ocriblogs.com. All Rights Reserved.

In the city’s first broadband plan, access to the internet and addressing the digital divide were key issues to overcome in order to become successful in the new global economy.  Programs such as Smart Capital and National Capital FreeNet helped to establish Ottawa as the most connected city in the world.  Not only was technology and access to the technology provided to Ottawa residents, training was also available for those who needed help to develop a level of comfort with the new technology.  Smart Capital was funded by the federal and provincial governments to push forward Ottawa’s broadband connectivity plan. A variety of programs provided the framework for Smart Capital including: Digital Ottawa, Altogether Ottawa, FreeNet, E-Government, Smart Libraries, E-College, E-Democracy and Smart Sites. Today, a number of those programs no longer exist due to the fact that their mission was completed but some continue to serve the community to this day. Their range of services has evolved and changed to reflect the current needs and interests of the local community. 

In addition to technology-based inclusion, Ottawa is a firm believer in providing today’s students and our future leaders with the proper tools they need in order to learn effectively while in school. For that reason, we support learning and skill development for students at all levels through partnerships with the community, government and businesses to develop the talent Ottawa needs to support a globally competitive knowledge-based sector. Some of the community’s most valuable programs in this regard include OttawaReads – a literacy program, JUMP Math – numeracy program, Winning Innovations in Schools (WINS) – joint projects with local cleantech and life science companies for high school students, the High School Technology Program – hands on tech and programming experiences and the School Breakfast Program which provides a nutritious breakfast to 11,000 children in 145 schools each day.   

Did you know? The Ottawa Public Library (OPL) provides services free of charge to increase digital inclusion and the everyday use of technology. The Library works with many local, provincial and national partners to extend and enrich service. Free Internet access has been available at the Ottawa Public Library since 1996 and free high-speed Internet access has been available at all 33 branches of the Ottawa Public Library (OPL) since 2001.  High-speed wireless Internet access was first piloted at the Ottawa Public Library in 2007 and was installed in every branch of the OPL in 2008.  The Ottawa Public Library has 373 public access workstation that provide high speed internet access and a variety of software applications. Wheelchair-accessible computer workstations are available at all wheelchair accessible libraries. All courses at the Ottawa Public Library are offered free of charge. In 2008, 947,499 people used a public Internet access workstation at the OPL. In 2008, the Ottawa Public Library held 376 computer training sessions aimed at teaching older adults and newcomers how to use a personal computer, 1,512 people attended these sessions.

OCRI Entrepreneurship Centre Satellite Kiosks - As entrepreneurial activity spread across the vast Ottawa region it became evident that the one stop shopping approach taken by OCRI’s Entrepreneurship Centre was not adequate for the growing demand for its services. The concept of satellite offices was explored and pilot tested in Orleans with great success. Subsequently, two additional satellite kiosks in Kanata and Barrhaven have been opened.  The impact on the community has been significant while helping minimize costs for staff, travel and overhead and maximizing the use of digital technology to provide easy access services and business advice to constituents.  In 2009 alone, over 1000 people attended networking events hosted at the kiosk centres.

Ottawa Carleton District School Board – Special Education Allocation of laptops to students with Learning Difficulties. Each year, hundreds of laptops are loaned out to students with special needs through this ministry led initiative.  Hundreds of students, teachers and families benefit from this digital inclusion initiative. In the last five months, technical training has been provided to over 600 teachers, on a wide variety of subjects:  wikis, Google Apps, Photoshop Elements, Gizmos, ComicLife, Podcasting, PhotoStory. This year, the school board is introducing a new Interactive Whiteboard (IWB) training for elementary teachers. 

These are just a few of the great examples in Ottawa of programs and initiatives that really do make a difference. By bridging the gap between education and employment and providing access to technology Ottawa is definitely an intelligent city and Canada’s creative economy capital!

More grandstanding to come….

©2010 ocriblogs.com. All Rights Reserved.