With its never-ending stretches of snow and ice, northern Canada extends far into Arctic regions. Few people are able to stand the harsh conditions in this sparsely populated area, where medical care is in short supply and hearing loss among children often a neglected issue. The Hear the World Foundation donates wireless microphone systems to a local project for better hearing in class rooms.
Place & Year
Project Partners
Better Hearing in Education for Northern Youth (BHENY)Support
Main Focus
Nunavut, one of Canada’s most northerly regions, is located inside the Arctic and is approximately six times the size of Germany. With a population density of 0.01 people per square kilometer, the area is one of the most sparsely populated in the world. The local inhabitants, made up mainly of Inuits, live in around 28 communities and have little access to professional audiological care.
Access to education for school children with hearing loss
The Better Hearing in Education for Northern Youth (BHENY) project is working to improve the quality of life of children and young people with hearing loss in the remote Qikiqtani region in Nunavut. Its goal is to provide access to education for children with hearing loss and open up the best possible opportunities for their future. It also aims to help preserve the culture and language of the Inuits.
Wireless microphone systems in class rooms
Children who cannot hear properly often have problems following lessons, which in turn can lead to poor grades, bullying, and even dropping out of school. To help children with hearing loss to understand their teachers and classmates, the Hear the World Foundation donates innovative wireless microphone systems for classrooms. This equipment amplifies the teacher’s voice and helps children to hear speech more easily.
This is how it works: a microphone records the teacher's voice, which is then sent by radio waves to the FM receivers on the school children's hearing aids. This allows the children to better understand the teacher's voice, despite the distances and ambient noises.
The four pillars for ensuring better future prospects
As well as making a lasting improvement to conditions in the classroom, the BHENY project is centered around three other pillars that are to be implemented in the future: involving parents and communities, educating teachers in how to deal with children with hearing loss, and improving access to audiological care – to pave the way for better hearing and understanding in one of the most remote regions of the world.