Co-founded by G. Scott Paterson and John McMahon with the goal was to get technology into the hands of students and help them to get ahead in the digital age.
Toronto District School Board joined ComKids as a Program Partner, and 28 computers are installed in homes in Regent Park.
After a successful distribution of home computer systems and Internet dial-up services for 49 students in 2001, the program was ready for a full-scale launch of its community outreach program: ComKids.
After a decade of growth, ComKids reached a turning point where a total of 214 computers were distributed and the number of participating schools in the program doubled from previous years.
The police officer mentorship was introduced with five in-person Lead & Learn sessions where officers came to the schools to share information and interact with the students over their lunchbreak.
A 3-year partnership with the RCMP Foundation was established, expanding the program into rural communities in Alberta, Manitoba and New Brunswick
Through the new partnership with the RCMP Foundation, ComKids continues to expand. During the 2016/17 school year, 805 students were enrolled in the Program; with 625 in Toronto and 180 across Canada.
ComKids maintained steady enrollment as 625 students joined the program this year. Changes were made to improve the quality of the programming for students and to focus on building more advanced digital skills, with the inclusion of blogs as part of the curriculum.
Thanks to a new partnership formed with the District School Board of Niagara and the Niagara Regional Police, the program was able to pilot at two schools. In addition to this year, 786 students were enrolled in the Program; with 630 in Toronto and 116 across Canada.
Over 10,000 youth have completed the program with 1100+ devices given out to assist students and families.
Computers and digital literacy are essential to the success of today’s youth, yet we continue to see students with academic potential who do not have the same access to home technology as their peers.
That’s why the ComKids program was established in 1998 to level the playing field for students by providing technology in the form of laptop computers and support in the form of educator mentorship so they have the means to succeed.
The ComKids program promotes student success in an advancing world, with a focus on shaping young leaders by encouraging community engagement, improving their digital skills, and building confidence
