John Ware Families,​

We are THRILLED to announce a very special opportunity for our grades seven and eight students coming in December. We have received funding and resources to host a Hackathon event through the support of Fair Chance Learning to provide students the opportunity to interact with Indigenous artists to promote the development of coding and computer science skills through the lens of Indigenous peoples, history, and music. ​


Your Voice Is Power is a program that teaches the basics of computer science and coding while engaging in discussions on the First Nations, Inuit, and Métis experience in Canada. 

Students participate in a day-long Hackathon focused on remixed music from Dakota Bear (who performs on-site), as well as Indigenous artists like Jayli Wolf and Samian, using EarSketch, a free online code editor available in English, French, Ojibwe, and Inuktitut. Students build valuable coding skills while reflecting on topics like residential schools, the Sixties Scoop, and the Truth & Reconciliation Commission's 94 Calls to Action. 

The goal of Your Voice is Power is to encourage more students from diverse backgrounds to explore computer science: a 2020 report from the Conference Board of Canada estimates less than two percent of people working in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) occupations are Indigenous. 

Some examples of media coverage: