Through CIRA’s Grants, we have supported 201 community-led projects across Canada for a total of $10.45 million. 

Filter grants by year funded, province and project type. 

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Developing Digital Literacy for Northern, Indigenous Communities

CatalystsX is creating a toolkit of resources to meet the unique digital literacy needs of four First Nations Communities in northern Ontario to help community members and business owners (a) develop digital literacy skills, (b) adopt remote working technologies, and (c) advocate for needed infrastructure. This project will work locally in Garden River, Batchewana, Fort William, and Wikwemikoong communities.

Organization
CatalystsX Network Communities Inc.
Project type
Digital literacy
Funding year
2021
Geographic reach
Local

Canada Innovates Platform for entrepreneurs

Parkdale Centre for Innovation is moving their entrepreneur training program online so that people outside Toronto's Parkdale community can access the curriculum and participate in a virtual business incubator.

Organization
Parkdale Centre for Innovation
Project type
Digital literacy
Funding year
2020
Geographic reach
National

Seniors Outreach Computer Tutor Program

Seniors in the Yukon, who are in remote areas or socially isolated, will get training on how to use new technology, and basic computer skills.

Organization
Yukon Learn Society
Project type
Digital literacy
Funding year
2020
Geographic reach
Local

Pandora Portal: New Learning Experience about sex education

Youtheatre will produce a digital version of Pandora, their high school show about sex education online and pornography, so teens can learn how to navigate healthy sexuality online. 

Organization
Youtheatre
Project type
Digital literacy
Funding year
2020
Geographic reach
National

Connected North Digital Content Library

Connected North will expand its library of real-time, high definition, interactive video sessions curating experiences and opportunities not available locally to Indigenous youth in remote communities.

Organization
TakingITGlobal
Project type
Digital literacy
Funding year
2020
Geographic reach
National

#kids2030

Kids Code Jeunesse will work closely with government, education and industry leaders, #kids2030 to bring digital literacy workshops to classrooms to help address issues of AI ethics and AI’s role with the UN’s Social Development Goals.

Organization
Kids Code Jeunesse
Project type
Digital literacy
Funding year
2020
Geographic reach
National

I-STEAM

I-STEAM is a research and participatory design project to deliver science, technology, engineering, art and math (STEAM) programming to Indigenous youth from Antler River Elementary School, Chippewas of the Thames First Nations.

Organization
STEAM Education Centres Incorporated
Project type
Digital literacy
Funding year
2020
Geographic reach
Regional

Digital Literacy Program for girls

Christie Lake Kids’ ‘Girls Only’ program will offer a series of digital literacy workshops to help increase the digital skills of girls and young women to help set them up for success. 

Organization
Christie Lake Kids
Project type
Digital literacy
Funding year
2020
Geographic reach
Local

LocatEd: An educational resource for increasing location privacy awareness

Researchers at McGill University’s Department of Geography will develop an interactive educational resource for students that demonstrates how publicly shared content can lead to the identification of individuals through exposing their locations.

Organization
McGill University - Department of Geography
Project type
Digital literacy
Funding year
2020
Geographic reach
National

Websites for All - Accessibility Skills Training Modules for Students

Mohawk College will teach the fundamentals of what constitutes web accessibility and how to ensure websites are accessible for all Canadians by producing two courses with training modules aimed at high school and post-secondary students.

Organization
Mohawk College
Project type
Digital literacy
Funding year
2020
Geographic reach
National

Anti-Oppression digital literacy training and research

FOCUS Media Arts Centre will connect Indigenous youth and racialized students in Toronto's Regent Park neighbourhood with education partners for an afterschool digital literacy program.

Organization
FOCUS Media Arts Centre
Project type
Digital literacy
Funding year
2020
Geographic reach
Regional

Training teachers on detecting misinformation and digital literacy

Handbooks and training programs will be created for teachers to develop K-12 students’ digital literacy skills on detecting misinformation, based on findings from focus groups that study student behaviour in web-based learning environments. 

Organization
McGill University - Faculty of Education, Department of Educational and Counselling Psychology
Project type
Digital literacy
Funding year
2020
Geographic reach
National

Children’s stories on online privacy protection

This project will produce stories, using catchy and narrative illustrations, to teach children themes of online privacy: cybersecurity, reputation protection and cyber-bullying. Freely available on the web and on a mobile device, these stories will be accompanied by information tools for parents.

Organization
Option consommateurs
Project type
Digital literacy
Funding year
2019
Geographic reach
National

Dataware - Data literacy for youth

Dataware will help develop a curriculum for Canadians handling data, to equip youth with tools to face and contribute to civic issues. It will allow this curriculum to be experimented with and disseminated across Canada, offering young Canadians the opportunity to fulfil their potential as informed, engaged citizens.

Organization
Communautique
Project type
Digital literacy
Funding year
2019
Geographic reach
National

AI for Education: Supporting Teacher Training

Artificial intelligence is prevalent in today's digital world and essential for youth to understand. This initiative equips K-12 educators with a handbook and training to teach students to be responsible digital citizens, and ultimately become creative and responsible producers of new technologies.

Organization
Actua
Project type
Digital literacy
Funding year
2019
Geographic reach
National

School Projects with Internet Brains

This curriculum and training project will empower public school teachers to integrate Internet of Things web technologies into school projects.

Organization
STEAMLabs
Project type
Digital literacy
Funding year
2015
Geographic reach
National

Take Back Your Tech: Nonprofit Tech Solutions Lab

This project will ensure non-profit professionals can access, and more importantly, effectively use technology for social change.

Organization
Framework
Project type
Digital literacy
Funding year
2015
Geographic reach
National

Enabling Online Apparel Entrepreneurship

The Enabling Online Apparel Entrepreneurship Program intended to improve digital literacy skills and increase entrepreneurship opportunities for immigrant and marginalized women. This project involved equipping participants with the Internet skills they needed to successfully build their apparel businesses using the most up-to-date Internet applications available.

Organization
EcoEquitable
Project type
Digital literacy
Funding year
2015
Geographic reach
Local

Internet of Things Teaching Kit

The grant from CIRA helped STEAMLabs expand into a new area—developing a curriculum to teach about the Internet of things. 

Organization
STEAMLabs
Project type
Digital literacy
Funding year
2014
Geographic reach
National

Kids and Pis

This project will make the Internet better for Canadians by proactively building digital literacy skills in the kids of Medicine Hat.

Organization
Medicine Hat Public Library
Project type
Digital literacy
Funding year
2015
Geographic reach
Local

Techraiser: Technology for Social Change

Techraiser addresses the widening gap between what the public expects to see from non-profit organizations (NPO) and the sector's ability to demonstrate program effectiveness, transparency and value for money. 

Organization
Framework Foundation
Project type
Digital literacy
Funding year
2014
Geographic reach
National

Digital Girls

Through a local response, this project will address the gender/diversity gap that exists in technology by engaging more than 12 mentors/leaders and 150 girls.

Organization
YWCA Toronto
Project type
Digital literacy
Funding year
2015
Geographic reach
Local

Connecting Our Elders: Mobile Technology for Seniors

The grant helped the Nova Scotia Community Access Program deliver orientation, training and support to senior citizens in the use of mobile devices and technology.

Organization
Pictou-Antigonish Regional Library
Project type
Digital literacy
Funding year
2014
Geographic reach
Regional

"Delete"

Through an interactive platform used in Canadian classrooms, students will explore themes of Internet safety, privacy, and digital citizenship while generating a character and storyline for a live theatre production.

Organization
Youtheatre
Project type
Digital literacy
Funding year
2015
Geographic reach
Local

Ca.Appable: Building Mobile Skills for Canadians

The Canadian Appable project empowered educators and youth to develop mobile applications with easy-to-use open source software. Ca.Appable provided a portfolio of remixable resources and a train-the-trainer model so more Canadians could contribute to mobile experiences.

Organization
Mozilla Foundation
Project type
Digital literacy
Funding year
2014
Geographic reach
National

Story Planet App Maker Workshop

Using input from their kid designers, Story Planet designed and prototyped innovative online story-building tools that will help young people to explore and share their creative ideas. This new platform, built by kids for kids, will expand Story Planet's mission - to empower kids and train creators - online.

Organization
Story Planet
Project type
Digital literacy
Funding year
2015
Geographic reach
National

Digital Literacy Framework and Resources for Canadian Elementary Schools

MediaSmarts produced a digital literacy framework with supporting resources for Canadian elementary schools (Grades K-8). The project components included a review of digital literacy curricula, development of a comprehensive digital literacy framework and production of classroom resources.

Organization
MediaSmarts
Project type
Digital literacy
Funding year
2014
Geographic reach
National

Digital Literacy Framework and Resources for Canadian Secondary Schools (Grades 9-12)

MediaSmarts has produced a comprehensive digital literacy framework for Canadian elementary schools and this project extends this work to secondary schools.

Organization
MediaSmarts
Project type
Digital literacy
Funding year
2015
Geographic reach
National

Kids Code Jeunesse online curriculum

The CIRA grant was used to create an Online Learn to Code platform for English and French elementary schools in Canada and to build school information packages. 

Organization
Kids Code Jeunesse
Project type
Digital literacy
Funding year
2014
Geographic reach
Regional

Scarborough Youth Digital Skills (SYDS) Project

Through workshops conducted by the Heritage Skills Development Centre (HSDC), this project helped to educate at-risk, marginalized and underserved Scarborough youth on fundamental digital skills and web safety.

Organization
Heritage Skills Development Centre
Project type
Digital literacy
Funding year
2015
Geographic reach
Local

WWW. Workshop Learning Series

Free Geek Toronto developed and delivered an innovative, hands-on curriculum to give marginalized populations the skills and experience necessary to become creators on the web. 

Organization
Free Geek Toronto
Project type
Digital literacy
Funding year
2014
Geographic reach
Local

Adult Digital Literacy: Bridging the Gaps

Halifax Regional CAP (HRCAP) Association provided orientation, training, and support in the use of computers and mobile technology to adults who were looking to build their digital literacy skills. Using the existing HRCAP network and their long-running student internship program, this program was available to anyone within the Halifax Municipality who had fallen behind the curve of the digital divide.

Organization
Halifax Regional CAP Association
Project type
Digital literacy
Funding year
2015
Geographic reach
Regional

Low Income Initiative

The British Columbia Technology for Learning Society established and delivered a program to distribute thousands of refurbished computers to low income family homes in British Columbia every year.

Organization
British Columbia Technology for Learning Society
Project type
Digital literacy
Funding year
2014
Geographic reach
Regional

Digital Literacy Learning and Resources with Gwich'in Tribal Council

Gwich'in Tribal Council and University of Alberta researchers are creating resources to support citizen decision-making regarding broadband deployment in Northwest Territories.

Organization
University of Alberta
Project type
Digital literacy
Funding year
2017
Geographic reach
Regional

Super Cyber Project

This project will empower citizens of all abilities to take ownership of safe internet surfing, to be responsible for making informed choices with technology, and using the internet to connect people to people, and people to technology through the removal of financial, technological and literacy barriers.

Organization
Richmond Centre for Disability
Project type
Digital literacy
Funding year
2018
Geographic reach
Local