October 16, 2015 – Toronto – National Film Board of Canada (NFB)
The National Film Board of Canada (NFB) is offering three Virtual Classrooms during the 2015‒2016 school year, providing English- and French-speaking students in every region of Canada with a unique way to learn more about Canadian history, Indigenous issues, social studies, science and more.
The NFB’s popular Virtual Classrooms offer students opportunities to engage in live online discussions with influential public figures and connect with peers and educators across the country. These engaging 30-to-45-minute events transcend traditional learning experiences and provide a forum for a variety of viewpoints on the critical issues of the day.
Canada’s leader in online learning, the NFB gives educators and students the background information they need to spark the online discussion between participants. These Virtual Classroom events are available at the reduced price of $40 CAD for subscribers to the NFB’s online educational service, CAMPUS, and $50 CAD for non-subscribers.
Alanis Obomsawin Virtual Classroom, October 21 (English) and October 22 (French)
On October 21 at 1:30 p.m., the NFB and the Ottawa-Carleton District School Board present a Virtual Classroom with acclaimed documentary filmmaker and social activist Alanis Obomsawin, along with youth activists Gabrielle Fayant and Brock Lewis. Moderated by CBC journalist and author Waubgeshig Rice, the live-streamed discussion focuses on social justice for Indigenous communities and the positive shifts brought about by Indigenous youth. Students can submit advance questions for panellists to stimulate debate.
In the French-language Virtual Classroom taking place October 22 at 1:30 p.m., Ms. Obomsawin is joined by Tony Chachai, a young Atikamekw man who is the subject of Thérèse Ottawa’s documentary film Le chemin rouge, to take questions from students and discuss the need to follow your dreams. This event is being animated by Dr. Stanley Vollant, the first Aboriginal surgeon in Quebec and head of the Aboriginal component at the Université de Montréal’s Faculty of Medicine. This Virtual Classroom is presented by the NFB in partnership with Innu Meshkenu, the Centre des Premières Nations Nikanite de l’Université du Québec à Chicoutimi and the Ottawa-Carleton District School Board.
Both events are designed for students between the ages of 14 and 18, and will be live-streamed from the Manido Onji (“Place of Spirit”) Lodge, the Aboriginal Learning Center housed at Rideau High School in Ottawa.
Remembrance Day Virtual Classroom, November 9
At 1:30 p.m., the NFB, the Canadian War Museum, OHASSTA, and the Royal Canadian Legion present a recitation of John McCrae’s “In Flanders Fields” to mark Remembrance Day, November 11, and the 100-year anniversary of this iconic poem. The event begins with a reading by R.H. Thomson, one of Canada’s leading actors, to be followed by a panel discussion. Moderated by Thomson, the discussion is based on student questions and features WWI historian Melanie Morin-Pelletier and Master Corporal Martin Rouleau, a Medical Technician who has been deployed to Afghanistan three times. To wrap up, the winners of the 2015 Royal Canadian Legion youth poetry and essay contests will read from their work. This landmark event underpins the importance of remembrance and explores the relevance of “In Flanders Fields” in our times.
A French-language Virtual Classroom takes place at 2:30 p.m., with a recitation of the French-language adaptation of McCrae’s words, “Au Champ d’honneur,” translated by Jean Pariseau, and a panel discussion featuring Melanie Morin-Pelletier and Martin Rouleau.
Both events are designed for students between the ages of 12 and 18, and will be live-streamed from the Canadian War Museum in Ottawa.
Chris Hadfield Virtual Classroom, February 5, 2016
Following an enormously successful Virtual Classroom with CSA astronaut Chris Hadfield during his historic mission aboard the International Space Station (ISS), the NFB is teaming up with the former ISS commander again, now that he’s back on the planet, for Virtual Classrooms taking place in English and French. Moderated by NFB community manager Marie-Michèle Tredger and live-streamed from Vancouver, with additional details to be announced later this year. French event is at 8 a.m. PST / 11 a.m. ET; English 8:45 a.m. PST / 11:45 a.m. ET.
How to take part
To register, visit NFB.ca/Education. The registration fee for each event is $40 CAD for CAMPUS subscribers; $50 CAD for non-subscribers.
CAMPUS subscribers wishing to take part in NFB Virtual Classrooms can contact the NFB for their special promotional code. Many Canadian ministries of education and school boards already have CAMPUS subscriptions. To find out if their school is a CAMPUS subscriber or to purchase a new subscription, educators can contact the NFB at info@nfb.ca.
To register for the event from the United States, call 1-800-542-2164 (weekdays from 9:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m., EDT).
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Melissa Than
Publicist
Tel.: 416-952-8960
Cell: 647-248-9854
E-mail: m.than@nfb.ca
Twitter: @NFB_Melissa
Lily Robert
Director, Communications, Marketing and Public Affairs
Tel.: 514-283-3838
Cell: 514-296-8261
E-mail: l.robert@nfb.ca
The National Film Board of Canada (NFB) creates groundbreaking interactive works, social-issue documentaries and auteur animation. The NFB has produced over 13,000 productions and won over 5,000 awards, including 14 Canadian Screen Awards, 11 Webbys, 12 Oscars and more than 90 Genies. To access acclaimed NFB content, visit NFB.ca or download its apps for smartphones, tablets and connected TV.
