In Search of Community Champions: Researching the Outcomes of K-Net’s Youth Information and Communications Technology Training Initiative

Abstract

The Youth ICT Training initiative (YICT) has been providing IT skills training and short-term employment opportunities to First Nations youth in Ontario's far North for 15 years. Initially funded by Industry Canada, YICT is developed and guided by the Kuhkenah Network (K-Net) based in Sioux Lookout Ontario. This study, initiated through the partnership between a University of Guelph graduate student and K-Net, has evolved from an evaluation of program outcomes to a search for community champions. This journey in research has revealed the importance of capturing the stories of individual creativity, ingenuity, needs, and relationships for community IT development.