Issue link: https://takingitglobal.uberflip.com/i/1505559
Executive Summary In response to Indigenous students' lack of sufficient access to digital devices, which was exacerbated by the pandemic and the shift to online learning, Connected North provided Indigenous students in need with access to devices using funding from the Students Supports for Learning Program's Digital Inclusion Grant. To date, the program has committed to providing approximately 2,000 laptops to Indigenous students. The goal of the program is to expand digital learning opportunities for Indigenous students and improve educational outcomes for Indigenous youth, such as high school graduation rates and enrolment in post- secondary education. The Leadership Lab at Toronto Metropolitan University conducted a program evaluation to examine the effectiveness of the device provision program administered by Connected North in contributing to efforts to close the digital divide for Indigenous youth and expand access to technology devices and internet services needed to complete school work. Moreover, an examination of this program illuminated where gaps in digital learning remain and which digital barriers to education for Indigenous students persist. To conduct this program evaluation, a survey of 393 Indigenous students in post- secondary institutions was administered and interviews were held with 13 student recipients of the grant and three program administrators. The main findings of this evaluation include: • Almost 86% of device recipients said that receiving a Digital Inclusion Grant greatly supported their learning; and when asked on a scale of 1 to 5 how much students felt the grant had supported their learning, 95% rated the impact of the grant at four or above. • 80% of recipients said the grant greatly improved their ability to complete school work • Recipients rated the quality of the laptop the highest out of all the other aspects of the program: on a scale of 1 to 5, 92% rated the quality of the laptop at 5. • 83% of recipients said the Digital Inclusion Grant greatly improved their ability to pursue post secondary education • 67% of recipients said that they feel connected to others 'a lot' now that they have received the grant — 54% percentage points higher than what recipients said they felt before they received the grant. Impact of Connected North's Digital Inclusion Grant on IndigenousStudents' Learning, Social Connection and Community Involvement 4