A recently announced merger of Ampere and Canada Learning Code (CLC) will help fill a gap in digital literacy and “make an even stronger impact across Canada,” Ampere says.
The two Canadian non-profit organizations, which announced the merger last Thursday (September 18), will bring together their shared strengths to democratize access to technology, deliver hands-on learning, and co-design efforts with communities to ensure that digital literacy is accessible for everyone, a media release noted.
CLC programs and partnerships will continue under the merger, with new leadership provided by Ampere CEO Ryan Oliver.
Originally from Lindsay, Oliver worked for almost nine years for the territorial government in Nunavut, where he founded the Pinnguaq Association in Pangnirtung in 2012 to provide Nunavummiut youth access to technology through games.
Rebranded as Ampere in 2024, the not-for-profit organization works in rural, remote, and Indigenous communities to cultivate science, technology, engineering, arts, and math (STEAM) skills through innovative technology, art, and play. It offers makerspaces, including one in Lindsay, and works with educators to introduce children to a STEAM-based curriculum that brings learning to life.
Meanwhile, CLC grew from Ladies Learning Code, a non-profit imitative founded in Toronto in 2011 by four women who were seeking to improve gender parity in the technology industry. Today, CLC champions digital literacy education and delivers tech training and career development programs for people who are underrepresented in technology, with a strong emphasis on gender equity, newcomers, and Indigenous and racialized communities.
Robyn James, senior director of marketing for Ampere, shared with kawarthaNOW her thoughts about the implications of the merger.
“I think the most exciting opportunity with this partnership is that it opens the door for more people from equity-deserving groups to thrive in a tech-enabled world,” James said.
“With Ampere’s focus on delivering programming in rural, remote, and Indigenous communities, combined with Canada Learning Code’s strong emphasis on gender equity, newcomers, and racialized communities, we will have the ability to make an even stronger impact across Canada.”
The partnership is built on years of collaboration as Ampere and Canada Learning Code have a long-standing history as allies since their early days.
For example, when Ampere opened its first makerspace in Iqaluit in Nunavut in 2018, CLC staff ran programming and helped train local makerspace staff for the first few weeks. More recently, in 2023 Ampere adopted the CLC’s K-12 Computer Science Curriculum Framework, which provides guiding principles and taxonomy for the development of computer science curricula across Canada.
“Ampere and CLC have been intertwined from the very beginning,” Oliver said in a statement. “We each were incorporated just one month apart, growing side by side, and supporting each other as friends and allies along the way. This merger isn’t just a partnership — it’s a reunion and a natural fit that brings us back together to achieve even more.”
According to the media release, CLC programs and partnerships will continue “without interruption, ensuring a seamless transition and ongoing support for learners and communities.”
As part of the merger, Melissa Sariffodeen has stepped down as CEO of CLC, with Oliver assuming the role.
“We are thrilled to have Ampere continue the work of CLC,”, said Sariffodeen. “Their proven expertise and shared commitment to bringing access and empowerment of technology to equity deserving groups make them the ideal partner to grow our impact and prepare more learners for the future.”
For more information about Ampere, visit amp.ca. For more information about Canada Learning Code, visit www.canadalearningcode.ca.
