ORION currently connects approximately 960,000 elementary and secondary school students across the province. By connecting, schools can enjoy enhanced quality videoconferencing when participating in the many distance learning programs offered by Canada's leading cultural and educational organizations, such as the Virtual Researcher on Call (VROC) program, the Royal Ontario Museum, the Canadian Museum of Nature, and the Canadian Space Agency.

"We are very excited at the prospect of connecting our students to the ORION network," said Sean Heuchert, Manager of Information Technology at Peterborough's Catholic school board. "This resource will put our students at the cutting edge and give them access to learning opportunities never before possible."

With nearly 15,000 students at 38 schools, the Peterborough, Victoria, Northumberland and Clarington Catholic District School Board is the 22^nd Ontario school board to connect to ORION.

"We welcome PVNCCDSB to ORION and look forward to seeing more students access the rich educational resources available over the network," says Phil Baker, ORION President and CEO. "With each board, we move closer to our goal of providing all of Ontario's K-12 students with access to ORION and the advanced resources and capabilities it enables."  

The Peterborough, Victoria, Northumberland and Clarington Catholic District School Board joins Kawartha Pine Ridge District School Board, Trent University and Fleming College as the fourth institution in the region to connect to ORION.  

About ORION
The Ontario Research and Innovation Optical Network (ORION), a not-for-profit organization, is Ontario's ultra high-speed research and education network. It connects all of Ontario's universities, most colleges, several medical and other public research facilities and a growing number of school boards to one another, as well as to CANARIE, Canada's advanced network organization, and to the global grid of research and education networks. Stretching 5,800 kilometres over 21 communities throughout Ontario, ORION connects over 1.3 million Ontario researchers, scientists, students, teachers and staff to critical infrastructure for research, education andinnovation. Learn more at www.orion.on.ca.

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Media Contacts:

Tamara Stoll                                                      Sean Heuchert, Manager of Information Technology

Communications Officer                                    Peterborough Victoria Northumberland & Clarington

ORION                                                                Catholic District School Board

416-507-9860 ext. 224                                        705-748-4861 ext. 298                 

tamara.stoll@orion.on.ca                                   sheuchert@pvnccdsb.on.ca