Principal Lorraine Van Zon of Bishop Macdonell Catholic Elementary School joined former Toronto Raptor and NBA All-Star Pascal Siakam, Dakota Whyte — Executive Director of the PS43 Foundation, James Hayes of Cyber Legends, and Erica Derrickson of English Islands at an exclusive event hosted at Toronto Metropolitan University’s DMZ, one of the world’s leading incubators for early-stage tech startups.
The event focused on the Siakam EdTech Engine, which will be moving forward with a second cohort, with applications set to open in early 2026. As part of the panel discussion, Principal Van Zon presented early results from the school’s pilot partnership projects, sharing how the initiative has already positively impacted students and staff at Bishop Macdonell.
Among the featured innovations, James Hayes outlined how Cyber Legends, a digital literacy platform that helps youth navigate the online world safely, is being used at Bishop Macdonell to strengthen students’ digital skills and awareness.
The gathering underscored the growing need to prepare students for 21st-century challenges, as technology continues to shape the future of learning and work. Bishop Macdonell, designated as a STEAM school, aims to leverage these strategic partnerships to empower students to think big, investigate ideas, and apply their learning across Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics fields—areas where skilled talent is currently in high demand across Canada.
By elevating student learning through real-world applications and industry partnerships, Bishop Macdonell continues to model how schools can inspire the next generation of innovators and leaders.
