ISED seeks non-profits to train students and teachers in AI

Author Sharlene Gandhi

In Budget 2024, the federal government proposed $39.2 million in funding to CanCode, a national program to advance digital skills in schools. Last week, it officially launched a fourth funding window for non-profit organizations that can teach technology skills to both students and teachers across the country. 

This year, there is “special emphasis” and scoring weight on non-profit applicants who are able to teach artificial intelligence skills. 

The previous round of funding was awarded to organizations in 2022. After a considerable gap, ISED—the department administering the funding—is looking for non-profit organizations with a minimum of three years of experience delivering digital skills education and organizations specifically looking to serve underrepresented groups. 

Organizations that received funding in the most recent round include Pinnguaq, a Nunavut-based organization dedicated to STEAM education for rural, remote and Indigenous communities. Several recipients, including Black Boys Code, Hackergal and the Saskatoon Industry Education Council had won funding in previous CanCode rounds too. 

Since 2017, CanCode has reportedly helped more than nine million students gain access to digital and technical skills through its digital literacy funding and helped 450,000 teachers bring digital skills education to the classroom.

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  • Sharlene Gandhi is the Future of Good editorial fellow on digital transformation.

    Sharlene has been reporting on responsible business, environmental sustainability and technology in the UK and Canada since 2018. She has worked with various organizations during this time, including the Stanford Social Innovation Review, the Pentland Centre for Sustainability in Business at Lancaster University, AIGA Eye on Design, Social Enterprise UK and Nature is a Human Right. Sharlene moved to Toronto in early 2023 to join the Future of Good team, where she has been reporting at the intersections of technology, data and social purpose work. Her reporting has spanned several subject areas, including AI policy, cybersecurity, ethical data collection, and technology partnerships between the private, public and third sectors.

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