Bheny – Better Hearing in Education for Northern Youth, an initiative spearheaded by a group of Rotarians, audiologists and educators won the prestigious Arctic Inspiration Prize at a gala event at The Shaw Centre in Ottawa.  Hosted by Peter Mansbridge and attended by His Excellency, the Honourable David Johnston, the event celebrated the efforts of three finalists  for the Prize of $1.5 million dollars.  Bheny was awarded $300,000 for a project that will improve the lives of youth with hearing loss in the Qikiqtani region of Nunavut.  “Children in Arctic regions have a very high prevalence of hearing loss which causes poor literacy, academic, attendance and graduation rates,” remarked audiologist Lynne McCurdy, project leader.  Bheny plans to implement classroom based amplification technology while providing professional development, training and support for educators through a Virtual Resource Centre. By engaging parents and the community, children with hearing loss will have a much better support system allowing them to participate more widely in their communities.  In her thank you speech, Pangnirtung, NU principal,  Mary Etuangat, told the audience “This is like a birthday present for all the children of the north.”

With a diverse team of hearing health care professionals, educators, advocacy groups and Rotarians from the north and south, we have developed a sustainable plan to ensure project success.  Bheny will effect positive and lasting change by addressing the issues and challenges faced by youth listening and learning in the classroom.  “Improved hearing will result in better access to the language of instruction and curriculum, either Inuktituk or English, and therefore improved spoken language and literacy” predicted Dr. Pam Millett,  Associate Professor in the Deaf and Hard of Hearing Program at York University.

As  Rotarian Ben McCarl summed up, “Hearing is fundamental to the learning of language, and language is the basis of culture and its preservation.  By focusing on improved hearing as a solution, and providing ongoing support for all involved, this project directly moves knowledge into action.”