CIRA’s 2014 Community Investment Program

Mozilla

On May 30, CIRA announced 28 initiatives that are part of the first ever Community Investment Program (CIP). We’re very excited to see Hive Toronto members as part of the inaugural year of the CIP projects!

CIP is designed to fund community groups, not-for-profits and academic institutions for projects that will demonstrate the ability to enhance the Internet for the benefit of all Canadians. It was a very competitive process this year, with 28 projects selected out of 149 applications received.

Congratulations to Hive Toronto members Free Geek Toronto, Maker Kids and the Textile Museum of Canada for being selected as part of the 2014 CIP initiatives! We look forward to watching these projects unfold.

We are also excited to announce that we have received funding from CIRA for our Canadian Appable (Ca.Appable, pronounced “capable”) project!
 

Why does Ca.Appable matter?:

 
Ca.Appable will empower educators and youth to develop mobile applications with easy-to-use open source software. Featuring Mozilla’s new Appmaker tool, Ca.Appable provides a portfolio of remixable resources and a train-the-trainer model so more Canadians can contribute to mobile experiences. Ca.Appable matters because:

  • The mobile ecosystem is an important part of creating and supporting an open web.
  • News reports widely acknowledge that the world’s next billion internet users are expected to come online via smart phones
  • In MediaSmarts’ recent report Life Online: Young Canadians in a Wired World, Phase III, “cell phones and smartphones are primary devices for students to go online.” Yet, despite their reliance on mobile technology, youth – and learners in general – tend to share information and applications created by others, not themselves.
  • Ca.Appable responds to these trends and the pressing need in Canada for learners and educators to gain web literacy skills. This is a need that has been voiced repeatedly by the educator and learning communities we serve.
  • Everyone can build apps with open standards, contributing to the open web in Canada and globally. Ca.Appable fosters the development of app-making skills increasingly required for active and engaged citizenship and for a vibrant and entrepreneurial tech sector.

We’re very excited to begin rolling out Ca.Appable and will make sure to post updates in the months ahead.
Continue on below to read the full press release from CIRA about the amazing 28 initiatives selected for 2014.

This press release below was originally posted on the CIRA website cira.ca

 

CIRA invests in 28 ways to advance Canada’s Internet

OTTAWA – May 30, 2014 – Twenty-eight worthy initiatives have been chosen as the first to be funded under the new Community Investment Program (CIP) created by the Canadian Internet Registration Authority, the organization that manages the .CA domain.

CIRA launched the CIP earlier this year as part of its mandate to champion initiatives that help Canadians take full advantage of the social and economic benefits of the Internet. The intention was to provide funding to community groups, not-for-profits and academic institutions for projects they could demonstrate would enhance the Internet for the benefit of all Canadians. Just over $1 million was earmarked for the first edition of the CIP.

“The enthusiastic response we saw from applicants across the country is evidence of CIRA’s long-standing conviction that the Internet has become a critical daily tool in the lives of all Canadians,” said Byron Holland, CEO of CIRA. “Our selection committee faced a difficult task to review and choose from among 149 applications, representing just under $8 million in requests. I want to personally express our sincerest thanks and appreciation to each and every applicant.”

Common themes emerged among the CIP recipients that accord with some of CIRA’s key priorities to ensure Canada’s Internet infrastructure is safe, secure, and stable, and supporting other Internet-related activities in Canada.

These include:

  • Internet surveillance and helping individual Canadians manage their privacy online.
  • Improving the digital literacy of all Canadians and developing digital skills among our youth.
  • Affordable Internet access for all Canadians.

The full list of recipients includes:

[one_half]

  • Academos Cybermentorat
  • Ashlu Creek Foundation
  • British Columbia Technology for Learning Society
  • Canadian Civil Liberties Association
  • Career Skills Incubator
  • Chebucto Community Net Society
  • Civil Law Section, Ottawa University
  • Consumers Council of Canada
  • Faculty of Information, Information Policy Research Program, University of Toronto
  • Framework Foundation
  • Free Geek Toronto
  • Governing Council of the University of Toronto
  • Halifax Internet Exchange Inc.
  • Indigenous Law Research Unit, Faculty of Law, University of Victoria

[/one_half]
[one_half_last]

  • International CyberCrime Research Center, Simon Fraser University
  • Kids Code Jeunesse
  • Kitikmeot Heritage Society
  • Lesser Slave Lake Indian Regional Council
  • MakerKids
  • MediaSmarts
  • Mozilla Foundation
  • Nipissing University
  • Open Democracy Manitoba
  • Open North Inc.
  • Pictou-Antigonish Regional Library, c/o Nova Scotia Community Access Program
  • Schulich School of Business, York University
  • Textile Museum of Canada
  • The Vancouver Community Network

[/one_half_last]

“Canada faces a number of challenges to ensure the rights and freedoms of Canadians are protected online, and that each and every Canadian has the same opportunity to take advantage of what the Internet has to offer,” added Holland. “Through the CIP, we will provide leadership and support for organizations across the country that share our vision of what the Internet in Canada can and should be. The outstanding response we have had so far shows there is no shortage of great ideas that can make a positive difference.”

The list of CIP recipients and summaries of their individual projects is available on CIRA’s website.

About CIRA

The Canadian Internet Registration Authority (CIRA) manages the .CA top-level domain, Canada’s online identifier, on behalf of all Canadians. A Member-driven organization, CIRA also facilitates the development of a better Internet for all Canadians, and represents the .CA registry internationally.