Stories

Pinnguaq Association explores why games matter in STEAM education (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Math) in the newly-released third issue of Root and STEM Magazine, available now.

Today at Pinnguaq, we’re celebrating World Art Day. It’s a day to promote the creation, diffusion and enjoyment of art. Art plays an important role in knowledge sharing and in the promotion of cultural diversity, and is a fundamental component of STEAM, along with science, technology, engineering and math.

To find out more about the importance of incorporating video games into K–12 learning, we asked six game designers, developers and educators for their thoughts on the role video games play in 21st-century education.

In a place that is both near and far, there is a cluster of 17 quaint villages brimming with bright ideas and industrious, compassionate people. Many homes here are powered by wind, solar, geothermal and other sustainable sources.

Games are often competitive, but what if a game encouraged cohabitation and collaboration, rather than individual gain?

As the next generation of console gaming systems was rolling out to Canadians eager to experience the new age of online gaming, many people outside big cities were having issues with online connectivity.

Imagine a world where colonization never happened. Connor Alexander, a Cherokee game designer, did just that, when he invented Coyote & Crow—a tabletop role-playing game (RPG) that launched its Kickstarter fundraising campaign in March 2021.

The Nunavut Global Game Jam was registered with Global Game Jam in early January 2021 as an official jam site. From January 29 to 31, our Iqaluit Makerspace had the privilege of playing host.

I believe that the future of artificial intelligence (AI) will have a face—or, more accurately, many faces.

Virtual teaching comes with many challenges. As is clear to anyone who has watched teachers and young kids try to adapt to school closures during the COVID-19 pandemic, it’s not easy to hold the attention of a group through the small window of a flat screen.

The MakerSpace at the college’s Ottawa campus is a place where students, faculty members, researchers and the community at large can explore, tinker and invent.

Moving beyond essays and presentations, developers and designers are encouraging educators to consider adding games to their teaching toolbox.

While a recent game jam hosted by Pinnguaq’s Iqaluit Makerspace led to the development of two games, the biggest victory might have been boosting the participants’ confidence in their digital skills.

Through a partnership with a collective of Inuit women from Ottawa, Pinnguaq has been honoured to build digital skills with the community as they develop their website, move towards online programming and plan their future as an Inuit arts organization.

Making it easy for people everywhere to absorb the exciting news from the world of science, technology, engineering, arts and math (STEAM), Pinnguaq has launched the Root & STEM podcast, an audio experience building on the success of their magazine of the same name.

How can we make our stories more meaningful? How can we use multimedia to share our experiences? How can we connect with others in an impactful manner? A new, no-cost storytelling workshop may be just what you need to enhance your storytelling and strengthen those connections.

Helping to bridge the digital divide in the territory, the Computers for Success Nunavut program provides technology and, by extension, opportunities for northern communities, an exciting prospect for Pinnguaq and for program participants.

Connecting the land, technology and Inuit principles, learners in the North are using new kits provided through Pinnguaq to explore science, technology, engineering, art and math (STEAM) in the world around them.

Pinnguaq Association has published Root & STEM, Issue 2, the second issue in a new publishing initiative promoting equity and accessibility in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEAM) education and innovation. This new STEAM resource and complimentary lesson plans, prioritizing diverse voices, are available for K-12 educators across the country.

A new initiative being launched by Pinnguaq and Nordicity focuses on celebrating, supporting and promoting Inuit artists and artist organizations while working with the community directly to find sustainable solutions for challenges in the Inuit arts ecosystem.

Connections are born and communities thrive when people with a shared interest join together to expand their knowledge. That’s exactly what has happened through a partnership between Pinnguaq and a college in Alberta.

The Pinnguaq Association and Nordicity are seeking to work with Nunavut-based Inuit artists to co-design digital platforms to promote Inuit Art.

“Inuit say that the purpose in life is to live a good life,” writes author and former Nunavut educator Shirley Tagalik, who was kind enough to lend her expertise to the first issue of Root & STEM, Pinnguaq’s resource for educators.

For the Government of Canada’s 2019 Smart Cities Challenge, Pinnguaq partnered with a group of Nunavut-based organizations to submit a proposal on behalf of the 25 municipalities in Nunavut.