A new partnership between Athabasca University (AU) and Aspen View Regional Public Schools has created a win-win situation for Edwin Parr Composite (EPC) students, members of the community, EPC and AU.
AU will begin a process using an old EPC computer lab to digitize university level programs so that future students are able to access the AU programs online instead of having to through booklets.
Digitalizing the AU programs will create jobs for community members and EPC students for the next year.
“The biggest benefit of doing something like this is the creation of jobs it creates for the area,” said Mel MacGregor, Community Adjustment Fund (CAF) project manager.
The official announcement by AU that funding was made available for the project came last September.
In total the federal and provincial government along with AU funding contribution have provided $6.4 million for the digitalization project.
EPC will see two large benefits from this project for the next year.
Although the qualifications to apply for the jobs includes being 18 years of age or older, AU has made an exception for the younger EPC high school students.
“Anyone of the students who are 16-years old or older can apply for the jobs. This will give them a good opportunity to gain some valuable work hours and experience,” said MacGregor.
The other benefit to EPC will be a revamped computer lab.
“We have three computer labs at EPC and one was up for replacement because of the aging machines, so by using this lab for the digitalization project all the current computers will be replaced with mobile laptop cards,” said Mark Francis, director of education initiatives at Aspen View Regional Public Schools.
The older stationary computers will be replaced with mobile laptop cards, so that laptops can be brought in and used for the project.
Once the digitalization project is finished in Mar. 31, 2011, EPC will inherit the newly modernized lab.
“It will provide EPC with more of a college level computer lab than a high school one,” said Francis.
The school and its students won’t be the only ones benefiting from the project as mentioned earlier.
Community members can apply to work either full-time or part-time.
“This project is also beneficial to members of the community because its gives them a chance to pick up some extra part time or full time hours that can counteract any current economic problems that have forced them to work less,” said MacGregor.
In total, the project will digitalize 450 of the 700 AU programs that are offered.
“The programs that are being put online are ones that are harder to access, because they are only available on paper,” said MacGregor.
Those interested in positions for the project can email their resumes to [email protected]
Athabasca is one of the three sites being used for the project. Grand Prairie and St. Paul are the other two.
