Waniskâw is an inquiry-based learning platform designed to provide indigenous youth with online software and learning resources to write code and create digital art assets while also motivating the youth by removing barriers to share their work with others online and encouraging them to express themselves and tell stories through the games, animations, digital zines, and other forms of new media art they create.

All Waniskâw projects are open source, allowing learners to use art and coding solutions from others on the platform, which enables individuals to support one another asynchronously, go much further with their projects and feel much more proud of their work than they otherwise would, especially in the early stages of learning to code when they’re most likely to give up. 

We can ensure equitable access between Indigenous youth by focusing on pixel art and vector graphics. Pixel art and vector graphics file sizes are so compact that they will load quickly regardless of how rural a young creator may be. The youth can also create pixel art and vector graphics just as easily with a mouse or trackpad as with an expensive drawing tablet. 

Waniskâw hopes that Indigenous youth get in the habit of using their voices more loudly through learning to create in a medium that enables their stories to spread beyond geographic boundaries.