Through CIRA’s Community Investment Program, we have supported 201 innovative projects across Canada for a total of $10.45 million. 

Filter grants by year funded, province and project type. 

Youth Assembly on Online Safety

Youth-led citizens’ assembly on children’s online safety that will centre the experiences of Canadian youth, including rural, Northern, and Indigenous youth, to inform Canadian policymakers on how best to protect and empower children online.

Organization
Royal Institution for the Advancement of Learning / McGill University, Centre for Media, Technology and Democracy
Project type
Cybersecurity
Funding year
2022
Geographic reach
National

Empower MEdia

After-school digital citizenship program for Surrey students in grades 5-7 covering topics such as health and well-being online, privacy, safety, digital commerce, relationships, cyberbullying and social media wellness.

Organization
Simon Fraser University, SFU Surrey - TD Community Engagement Centre
Project type
Digital literacy
Funding year
2022
Geographic reach
Local

Black Girls' Digital Literacy Exposure Workshop Program

Providing Black girls in the Greater Toronto Area with workshops that will build the cognitive and technical skills required to become active digital citizens.

Organization
Black Boys Code Society
Project type
Digital literacy
Funding year
2022
Geographic reach
Local

Leq'a:mel Internet Stability Project

Fibre optic network and hardward upgrade so that the Leq’á:mel Development Corporation can provide more own-source revenue and stable internet to Leq’á:mel First Nation (LFN), laying the foundation to grow additional LFN owned businesses.

Organization
Leq'a:mel Development Corporation
Project type
Infrastructure
Funding year
2022
Geographic reach
Local

Malahat Community Internet

High speed internet and digital literacy skills-building for low-income Indigenous households and students in the Malahat Nation enabling community members to participate and succeed in the digital economy.

Organization
Malahat Nation
Project type
Infrastructure
Funding year
2022
Geographic reach
Local

Safe Internet Use with Sight Loss

Curriculum to educate and empower young people with sight loss to access the internet and participate in online community spaces safely and equitably.

Organization
Canadian National Institute for the Blind
Project type
Digital literacy
Funding year
2022
Geographic reach
National

Promoting Digital Equity through Culturally-Inclusive Digital Literacy Programs for Indigenous Youth and Teachers

Engaging Indigenous youth in land sovereignty learning by building teachers’ capacity to incorporate culturally-inclusive, land-based digital skills lessons into their classrooms.

Organization
Actua
Project type
Digital literacy
Funding year
2022
Geographic reach
Regional

Behdzi Ahda First Nation Digital Communication and Representation Strategy

Community cybersecurity plan and training program to increase the Nation's self-defence capacity against external cyber threats.

Organization
Behdzi Ahda First Nation Band
Project type
Cybersecurity
Funding year
2022
Geographic reach
Local

Tech-Up 3.0

Digital literacy, computational thinking and coding workshops, and resources for 16,000 students in remote, rural, Indigenous, and other communities across British Columbia.

Organization
ASTC Science World Society
Project type
Digital literacy
Funding year
2022
Geographic reach
Regional

Takla Landing Connectivity Project

Connecting the remainder of Takla Landing homes and buildings to existing coaxial community lines, setting in place the infrastructure needed for future growth and development.

Organization
Takla Nation
Project type
Infrastructure
Funding year
2022
Geographic reach
Local

Cybersafe Islanders

In-person after-school and weekend classes across PEI for students in grades 4-6 to address youth cybersafety concerns, with auxiliary sessions for parents and teachers.

Organization
S.T.E.A.M. PEI Ltd.
Project type
Digital literacy
Funding year
2022
Geographic reach
Regional

Indigenous Women and Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs): Supporting Empowered and Resilient Communities in the North

Gendered, indigenized digital literacy workshops and modules on using the Internet for promoting health, wellbeing and developing economic independence, created by and for Northern Indigenous women based on their needs and ways of knowing.

Organization
Brock University
Project type
Digital literacy
Funding year
2022
Geographic reach
Regional

Amplify Voices with Digital Literacy in S’ólh Téméxw

Digital skills training and entrepreneurship program to empower Indigenous and non-Indigenous entrepreneurs, youth, and elders/seniors throughout the rural communities within S'ólh Téméxw and Chilliwack.

Organization
Stó:lō Community Futures Corporation
Project type
Digital literacy
Funding year
2022
Geographic reach
Regional

Intergenerational digital literacy training program for Elders, delivered by Indigenous youth in seven Kivalliq communities with a learning framework specific to northern and Inuit culture.

Intergenerational digital literacy training program for Elders, delivered by Indigenous youth in seven Kivalliq communities with a learning framework specific to northern and Inuit culture.

Organization
HelpAge Canada
Project type
Digital literacy
Funding year
2022
Geographic reach
Regional

Digital Literacy Confidence Workshop Series

Free, open source hands-on workshops to encourage the safe adoption of broadband technology and the confident use of the internet in First Nation and Métis communities with new connectivity in Northeastern Alberta.

Organization
Portage College, Education, Arts and Culture
Project type
Digital literacy
Funding year
2022
Geographic reach
Regional

Indigitize: Citizen Science to Enable Digital Literacy, Community Leadership, and Social Innovation

The Mayor, School Division, and DEPtH Lab at the University of Regina will coordinate to develop and embed a citizen-science-based digital literacy program in the Île-à-la-Cross school division curricula to empower students to contribute to long-term digital initiatives currently in place. 

Organization
The Northern Village of Île-à-la-Crosse
Project type
Digital literacy
Funding year
2021
Geographic reach
Local

2021 Bridge River Valley Internet Upgrade

Minto Communications Society will invest in broadband last-mile access infrastructure to improve service speeds and capacity limits for the existing network in Bridge River Valley and its communities.

Organization
Minto Communications Society
Project type
Infrastructure
Funding year
2021
Geographic reach
Regional

Privacy on Smartphones in the Digital Age: Youth and their Rights

BCCLA is creating lesson plans, fact-sheets, and informative videos to provide Canadian youth ages 14-24 with an understanding of their digital rights on smartphones and how they can manage their own online privacy in relation to law enforcement and the social support system.

Organization
British Columbia Civil Liberties Association
Project type
Digital literacy
Funding year
2021
Geographic reach
National

C'est juste en ligne

C'est juste en ligne will provide teens with access to tools, resources, and support in the form of workshops, toolkits, and online resources, to help them become empowered digital citizens. 

Organization
Techno Culture Club
Project type
Digital literacy
Funding year
2021
Geographic reach
Local

Learning Hub for Indigenous Students

This project is creating a pilot 'pop-up' Learning Hub in Six Nations of Grand River to provide Indigenous post-secondary students at McMaster University, Mohawk College, and Six Nations Polytechnic with a local, off-campus venue to access secure, high-speed internet and connect with student support staff. 

Organization
McMaster University, Indigenous Student Services
Project type
Infrastructure
Funding year
2021
Geographic reach
Local

Technical Lending Library in Regent Park

The Technical Lending Library will be for youth and school children in the Regent Park neighbourhood in Toronto to be able to access internet devices, and take cybersecurity and device training. This access will enable them to attend online school, socialize, access services and find opportunities for safe online activities.

Organization
Centre for Social Innovation Institute
Project type
Digital literacy
Funding year
2021
Geographic reach
Local

Connect Duff-Court

COVIQ will provide affordable broadband internet through a shared infrastructure strategy to low-income tenants in the main building of the Place-Lachine subsidized housing complex, 1830 Duff-Court. 

Organization
Comité de vie de quartier Duff-Court
Project type
Infrastructure
Funding year
2021
Geographic reach
Local

Disinformation and Misinformation Training for University Students

The CAJ will provide 13 training sessions (one in each province/territory) to post-secondary students and create a research guide and practical handbook on how to detect misinformation and disinformation online.

Organization
Canadian Association of Journalists
Project type
Digital literacy
Funding year
2021
Geographic reach
National

Connecting the Tsilhqot'in Nation Through Community Open Access Networking

TNG, I-Valley, and Rock Networks have partnered to assess, design, and implement a cellular and broadband network in the Tsilhqot'in Nation, serving 4000 people across 6 communities. This project will create a working pilot to provide the foundation for a Tsilhqot'in owned and managed network and identify next steps for development. 

Organization
Tsilhqot'in National Government (TNG)
Project type
Infrastructure
Funding year
2021
Geographic reach
Regional

Connected Coastal Nations: Leveraging our Collective Impact for Indigenous Economies & Community Wellbeing

The Connected Coastal Nations project is leveraging federal and provincial funding to support Coastal First Nations community-owned ISPs to deliver high-speed internet throughout the region and increase the network performance among Nations to reach the 50/10 mbps universal standard.

Organization
Great Bear Initiative Society (Coastal First Nations)
Project type
Infrastructure
Funding year
2021
Geographic reach
Regional