The Largest School Board in Canada

Toronto District School Board Gives 330,000 Students and Staff Access to GIS

The Toronto District School Board (TDSB) and Esri Canada have reached a long-term agreement to give more than 330,000 students and staff (both academic and administrative) access to ArcView GIS.

TDSB is the largest school board in Canada and the fourth largest in North America. It comprises nearly 600 schools—106 at the secondary level (grades 9 and up). TDSB was formed in January 1998 with the amalgamation of the boards of education in six former cities and boroughs of Toronto (Toronto, North York, Scarborough, Etobicoke, York, and East York).

The contract with TDSB will help teachers as they start implementing the new K–12 curriculum. In addition to the software, Esri Canada, through its Schools and Libraries program, will provide TDSB with training, technical support, and lesson materials developed in conjunction with teachers.

"Our partnership with Esri Canada represents a significant step forward for our education system and a tremendous opportunity to provide Toronto-area students with world-class tools," says Rod Thompson, head of instruction, Toronto District School Board. "We are committed to investing in our students' future, and this agreement gives our students and board staff access to the software necessary to successfully complete the new curriculum implemented this fall."

ArcView GIS and its extensions—ArcView Spatial Analyst, ArcView Network Analyst, ArcView 3D Analyst, ArcView Internet Map Server (IMS)—as well as ArcCanada,ArcVoyager, and K–12 data sets will be available in more than 600 schools and education centers for teaching geography at all grade levels beginning this fall. Students in secondary schools will use ArcView GIS and its extensions. Elementary schools will employArcVoyager extensively to provide students with a solid understanding of the fundamentals of spatial analysis.

For more than two years, Esri Canada has been promoting GIS in schools across the country through its Schools and Libraries program. "It is not just about the software; it's about understanding GIS and geography," says Alex Miller, president, Esri Canada. "Our approach is to provide teachers with the necessary support mechanisms that will benefit them in the classroom, thereby allowing students to use geography to develop a better understanding of the world around them."

The deal with TDSB follows similar agreements with the Upper Canada District School Board (DSB) and Waterloo Regional DSB that will see a total of 45 secondary schools standardized on ArcView GIS as well. Before concluding the deals with TDSB, Upper Canada, and Waterloo, more than 450 schools Canada-wide were using Esri technology. These new agreements bring the total to over 1,000 schools.

"We are proud of our excellent relationship with a large group of enthusiastic teachers who recognize the importance of GIS in geography and other disciplines," says Chris North, marketing and support manager, Esri Canada.

For more information, please contact Esri Canada (Web: www.esricanada.com); Lionel Zondo, communications specialist, Esri Canada (tel.: 416-441-6035, ext. 363; e-mail: lzondo@esricanada.com).

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