To help his daughter retain the Inuit language, a father created an online game and application software in Vancouver, Canada. The inuit language is typically spoken in the North American Arctic as well as parts of subarctic in Labrador. The educational game will help children with traditional language skills while combining new technology.
The man, Qajaaj Ellsworth, believes that Inuktitue is important to his family. The tool that he’s developing, Ilinniarnaqsivuq (Time for School), will focus on children ages three to seven. It also features three languages, including English, Inuktitut¸ and Inuinnaqtun that teach children elements such as animals, the alphabet, weather, colors, and numbers. Ellsworth believes that the educational game can be used at home and at schools.
“I have a daughter who is almost four years old, who is very comfortable with technology. She likes to play with our iPad, but there’s not much access to Inuktitut-language material,” said Ellsworth in the Vancouver Sun article.
The game was first pitched at Digicamp, an event by the National Film Board in Rankin Inlet. Organizers wanted to find people who were interested in learning about digital storytelling. Ellsworth made the pitch for the game with his daughter in tow.
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