Inclement weather and cancelled ferry service didn’t stop a group of Northwest Community College (NWCC) Early Childhood Education (ECE) students from taking a three-credit course.

The Haida Gwaii—an archipelago of more than 150 islands off the Northwest coast of British Columbia, Canada—residents took ECE 142 Environments through a videoconference at the Village of Queen Charlotte Campus on Haida Gwaii. The class is a requirement for the basic ECE certificate.

According to Ruth Wheadon, an administrative assistant and Haida Gwaii resident, travel during winter months, the cost of travel and time away from family can hinder educational opportunities.

“It was a lot of work but I really enjoyed it,” said Jessie Fletcher, one of the three Haida Gwaii students who took the videoconference class. “We all worked really well together and I learned a lot.”