Overview

Since it was established in 1986, Contact North ǀ Contact Nord, Ontario’s Distance Education & Training Network, has generated and supported more than 315,000 registrations.

Contact North ǀ Contact Nord works in partnership with Ontario’s 24 public colleges, 22 public universities and over 250 public essential skills and training providers to increase and improve online and distance learning opportunities for Ontarians in over 600 small, rural, remote, Aboriginal and Francophone communities across the province.

Students from all walks of life, in all areas of the province, can take the online and distance courses and programs offered by Ontario’s public education and training providers through audio, video and webconferencing platforms available at Contact North | Contact Nord’s 112 online learning centres.

Contact North | Contact Nord also acts as an advocate, catalyst and facilitator of innovation in online and distance learning. We are committed to supporting students in communities across Ontario succeed in completing their courses and programs and receiving their degree, diploma or certificate. We recognize the need for access to flexible learning opportunities to meet student needs and 24/7 access to information and resources to support their success.

At the request of Ontario’s Minister of Training, Colleges and Universities in 2011, Contact North | Contact Nord’s President – Chief Executive Officer, Maxim Jean-Louis, served as Special Advisor to the Minister for an Ontario Online Institute.  A three-month engagement process with stakeholders in Ontario’s public post-secondary education and training sector led to the development of a comprehensive report on the engagement process and a series of recommendations to the Minister on the creation of an Ontario Online Institute.  Download a copy of the report.  This assignment was part of Contact North | Contact Nord’s ongoing contributions to Ontario’s post-secondary education and training sector.

Ontario’s post-secondary education and training sector’s record of achievement reflects our province’s leadership in online and distance learning:

  • Over 18,000 online and distance college and university courses;
  • Over 1,000 online and distance college and university programs;
  • More than half a million student registrations in college and university online and distance courses;
  • Close to 40 college and university training programs for their faculty and instructors teaching and the use of technology;
  • Over 150 college and university faculty and instructors doing research in online and distance learning;
  • Over 74 innovation hot spots in technology applications, course development, student support services and mobile learning;
  • A series of consortia and networks supporting students;
  • A growing network of experts.

The post-secondary education sector and Contact North ǀ Contact Nord are building on these achievements to fulfill their collective vision to provide Ontario’s students with greater access to flexible, quality education and training opportunities through effective collaboration, focused coordination and the innovative use of technologies - and doing it in a way that maximizes public investments.