Innovative community partnerships for northern education (with Willa Black and Paul Boucher)

Across northern Canada, geography, distance, and limited infrastructure have long made equitable access to education harder to achieve. Connected North was designed to change that - using interactive video technology to connect northern classrooms with scientists, artists, Elders, and other experts. Launched with support from Cisco Systems and now operated by TakingITGlobal, it is built on a foundation of deep community trust and partnership.

But technology is only part of the story. What makes Connected North work is the way it was built - in relationship with communities, not just for them. That distinction matters, and it didn't come without hard-won lessons. In this episode of Let's Imagine, host Bruce MacDonald is joined by Willa Black, who founded the program while at Cisco and now serves as Volunteer Chair of Connected North's Advisory Board, and Paul Boucher, a member of the Rocher River people, residential school survivor, Knowledge and Language Keeper, and Language and Cultural Specialist at Paul William Kaeser High School in Fort Smith, Northwest Territories.

Together, they explore what it takes to build credibility and trust with northern communities, what genuine partnership looks like from inside the classroom, how Connected North keeps community voices at the centre as it grows, and what gives them hope about the future of equitable education in the North.

This episode draws on insights from Imagine Canada's Partnering for Impact report, which features Connected North as a case study in why partnership-led models matter.

Make sure to check out our full episode list. This episode is also available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and YouTube.

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