University College of the North (UCN) signed an agreement with Georgian College in Barrie, Ontario, to use Georgian's immersive and interactive teaching tools. The tools use virtual, mixed, and augmented reality to teach Indigenous languages, culture, treaties, Indigenous ways of being, and the Truth and Reconciliation Commission's Calls to Action.
UCN and Georgian College have a shared goal of creating a community of people and organizations, Indigenous and non-Indigenous, who want to preserve, teach, and share Indigenous languages in Canada and worldwide.
"This agreement supports the work of UCN's Centre for Aboriginal Languages and Culture that focuses on language reclamation and revitalization," said Dr. Ramona Neckoway, UCN's Vice-President of Indigenous Initiatives and Reconciliation. "Protecting and reviving Indigenous languages is critically important to reconciliation."
The agreement makes UCN an ally in Georgia's Indigenous Peoples in XR Project. The project addresses and provides context-based language learning for Indigenous and non-Indigenous peoples in Canada and abroad. "XR" refers to the use of virtual, hybrid, and augmented reality technology.
"This agreement represents an innovative approach to teaching Indigenous languages," said Doug Lauvstad, UCN's President and Vice-Chancellor. "UCN is partnering with Georgian College to leverage best practices for teaching Indigenous languages to help ensure that those languages continue to be spoken for generations."
University College of the North provides learning opportunities to northern communities while respecting diverse Indigenous and northern values.
