Rural & remote connections

Members of the Great Northern Peninsula Research Collective used the e-learning hub in Port Saunders for a meeting recently.

Limited access to reliable and quality internet in rural areas prompted the Grenfell Office of Engagement to reach out to partners to establish learning "hubs" and "hotspots" in the Port Saunders and Bay St. George areas. These locations were open to post-secondary students, high school students and community members.

On the Great Northern Peninsula, Grenfell Campus's Offices of Research and Engagement, worked with the Northern Peninsula (Mekap'sk) Mi'kmaq Band, Norpen Aboriginal Women's Circle, and Norpen Status of Women's Council, to establish an "e-learning hub" in Port Saunders, located on the third floor of the Town Centre in Port Saunders. In the Bay St. George area, Grenfell partnered with the St. George's Indian Band; the e-learning hub is located at the K'Taqmkuk Mi'Kmaq Historical Museum.

"These spaces provide students and community members an alternative space to study and complete schoolwork outside of the home," said Jennifer Buxton, Grenfell's regional engagement and experiential learning coordinator, adding that this project will soon be expanding to have hubs across Newfoundland and Labrador.

The e-learning hub in the K'Taqmkuk Mi'Kmaq Historical Museum in St. George's.

The Port Saunders hub will be closed for the summer of 2021 and the St. George's hub will be available during the opening hours of the museum during the summer.

"It has been a pleasure to work with Grenfell Campus and the Northern Peninsula (Mekap'sk) Band, to deliver this much needed service to students in Port Saunders and surrounding areas," said Nicole Bursey, executive director, NorPen Status of Women Council. "The NorPen Status of Women Council is looking forward to continuing our partnerships with them, for both the E-Learning Hub, and other initiatives in the future."

This project received funding from the Public Engagement Accelerator Fund.

Stay tuned for more information about the Memorial University Rural and Remote Digital Hubs across Newfoundland and Labrador in the coming months.

For more information email jbuxton@grenfell.mun.ca.