Students in Yellowknife and four other Northwest Territories communities are raising money for their schools this spring by taking care of the environment. The students are collecting out-dated Northwestel directories as part of the company’s annual Directory Recycling Program. This year the program is expanding to more communities than ever before. For the first time, schools in Fort Providence and Fort Simpson are taking part.

Under the recycling program, schools are invited each spring to collect outdated Northwestel directories to qualify for cash awards from Northwestel for school programs and activities. Students, teachers and support staff can obtain directories from family, friends and neighbours and bring them to collection boxes at their school. They have until April 8^th to collect the directories, which Northwestel then ships south for recycling.

This is the eighth year of the program, which began by involving Yellowknife schools only. Schools in Hay River and Fort Smith joined the program in 2007 and 2008 respectively. This year, the program’s expansion to new communities is being assisted through a new partnership with Wesclean Northern Sales of Hay River.

“We have been delighted with the way this program has grown over the years,” said Anne Kennedy, Northwestel Director Communications. “Students, schools and communities have been very committed to the goals of the program, which encourage students to make a difference both in terms of raising funds and helping our environment. This year, we are happy to see schools in even more communities taking part because of our partnership with Wesclean.”

Wesclean Northern Sales has offered to collect any directories collected by schools in Fort Providence, Fort Resolution, Fort Simpson, Fort Smith and Hay River.

Under existing partnership arrangements, Northwestel provides the boxes for directory collection at each school and the City of Yellowknife coordinates the pickup of the directories from all schools within the city.

So far this year, a total of eleven schools have indicated they are participating in the program. The Yellowknife schools are École Allain St-Cyr, École J.H. Sissons, Mildred Hall School, Range Lake North School, William McDonald School and Yellowknife Montessori School. In addition, Diamond Jenness Secondary and Chief Sunrise Education Centre in Hay River, J.B.T. Elementary in Fort Smith, Deh Gáh School in Fort Providence and Thomas Simpson Secondary School in Fort Simpson are also taking part.

Last year, 11 N.W.T. schools collected 4560 out-dated Northwestel directories for recycling, earning donations from Northwestel of $6,050.00.

There are three levels of recognition in the 2009 Northwestel Directory Recycling Program:

·         Green Level: A cash award of $200 for each school meeting a target of one directory collected per student.

·         Jade Level: A cash award of $500 for each school meeting a target of 1.25 directories collected per student.

·         Emerald Level: A cash award of $750 for each school meeting a target of 2 directories collected per student.

Northwestel also provides a smaller cash award of $100.00 for schools which do not meet the minimum requirements of the program. This was established to encourage schools for their efforts, even when circumstances prevent them from meeting the requirements for the main cash awards.

Northwestel provides complete telecommunications solutions in the Northwest Territories, Nunavut, Yukon, northern British Columbia and High Level, Alberta. The company’s operations span nearly 4 million square kilometres of the most remote and rugged areas of Canada.