GROUPE MEDIA TFO DIGITAL EDUCATIONAL FRANCOPHONE TABLE OF CONTENTS SUMMARY P. 6 SECTION 1 The digital race P. 9 SECTION 2 We can run P. 13 SECTION 3 Transforming education through innovation P. 17 SECTION 4 Contributing to the sustainable development of la francophonie P. 29 SECTION 5 Funding innovation P. 35 SECTION 6 Unleashing more digital innovation P. 39 GROUPE MÉDIA TFO STRATEGIC POSITIONING STATEMENT FOREWORD Transformative digital enterprises contribute to momentum, to leverage the innovation strength defining and developing jobs for young talents that we have developed and more fully realize in the creative sectors. This is the story of the potential of our educational enterprise, Groupe Media TFO, a digital educational and Groupe Média TFO requires a new funding model francophone powerhouse. 1 that is more adequately aligned with its new operational activities. Industry and government in Ontario, across Canada, and globally, are becoming increasingly According to World Economic Forum (WEF) data, focused on innovation and determined to lead Canada ranks 14th on the Network Readiness within the global digital economy. Klaus Schwab Index 2016, a key measurement of the capacity of the WEF and others refer to this as the dawn of countries to leverage emerging technologies of the fourth industrial revolution. Enterprises and digital opportunities.2 We are on the outside recognize that vigorous innovation is a defining of the leading cohort consisting of seven countries: condition of success. Finland, Switzerland, Sweden, Israel, Singapore, the Netherland and the United States. For Canada Within this context, it is equally essential for to catch up, we all have our work cut out for us. public sector agencies to engage. In order to remain relevant, public enterprises must move We submit this paper to serve as a strategic decisively to deliver intelligent and meaningful repositioning statement. We will honour and build innovation. on our strong foundation of providing a consis­ tently trustworthy and credentialed public service As a public educational media enterprise, and on our culture of innovation. Our ambition is Groupe Média TFO understands this imperative. to chart a future course of new, enhanced and Over the past five years, we have restructured, significant digital outcomes for Francophones repositioned and rebranded. From a single tele­ and Francophiles, within Ontario, nationally and vision channel, we have transformed ourselves internationally, across learning audiences in to become a digital content producer, an aggre­ search of premium French­language content. gator and international multiplatform distributor of a new generation of learning media resources. Groupe Média TFO is DIGITAL, EDUCATIONAL Our efforts have garnered critical acclaim for and FRANCOPHONE. Ontario that ranges from Austin to Amsterdam. The current financing model no longer corres­ Glenn O’Farrell ponds to our reality. In order to fuel our growing President and CEO 1 Financial Post, November 5, 2015 2 The Global Information Technology Report 2016, INSEAD, JOHNSON Cornell University, World Economic Forum. 6 GROUPE MÉDIA TFO SUMMARY Groupe Média TFO operates at the intersection of There are numerous initiatives waiting to be provincial and federal public policies, and seeks launched to move Groupe Média TFO to the next to improve and expand its delivery of tangible level and better meet the needs of Ontarians and DIGITAL, EDUCATIONAL and FRANCOPHONE out­ Canadians. Below are a few brief examples of comes for Ontario and Canada. The enterprise initiatives to bolster Groupe Média TFO’s services has strategically positioned itself to bring to the public. forward unique and exceptional contributions, in order to achieve the key objectives of Canadian 1. Nurturing digital French­language education and bilingualism. production innovation Canada’s 150th anniversary is the perfect occasion Extending the technology capabilities of LUV, to take new steps to strengthen and to solidify our next generation of digital educational the foundations of digital French­language edu­ content studios, and growing our potential for cation at the national level. A recent survey shows creativity and innovation. that over 80 percent of Canadians believe the DIGITAL, EDUCATIONAL, FRANCOPHONE EDUCATIONAL, DIGITAL, 150th anniversary is a key opportunity to promote 2. Delivering IDÉLLO, our digital 3 the official languages of the country. learning platform to every Given our significant advances and remarkable school across Canada innovation potential as a public educational media enterprise, we submit that it is time to nurture IDÉLLO could become a basic component of Groupe Média TFO’s capacity to compete as a Canada’s Official Languages infrastructure, prime digital content producer and as an innovator. supporting national identity, bilingualism and Our capacity for success and innovation is critical social integration. and integral to Ontario’s success as a leading, There are 130,000 French­as­a­first­language knowledge­based North American economic and French immersion teachers throughout Canada, player, where a vibrant DIGITAL, EDUCATIONAL and an estimated 2.7 million Francophone and and FRANCOPHONE public enterprise strengthens Francophile families with one of more children the overall fabric. aged 2 to 14 enrolled in French, FLS or immersion schools throughout Canada. These families could also benefit from IDÉLLO. 3National survey conducted by Nielsen for the Office of the Commissioner of Official Languages, from February to March 2016. SUMMARY GROUPE MÉDIA TFO 3. Expanding Edululu, 5. Enhancing cultural content the reference for targeted at Francophones educational applications Developing more high­calibre, independently pro­ Expanding Edululu to provide more and richer duced educational series in the document­drama functionalities, guidance and community enga­ format, such as Le Rêve de Champlain, to continue gement options for parents and teachers as they to bring Francophones together across Ontario sort through the growing universe of educational and Canada and to celebrate Francophone apps for kids. language and culture. 4. Making Boukili a prime Groupe Média TFO plays a crucial role to Ontario digital reading destination and Canada’s Francophone community, contri­ buting to expand Francophone spaces and in for young Canadians building a sustainable future for them. We want Growing Boukili as a premium reading digital to bolster this contribution. FRANCOPHONE EDUCATIONAL, DIGITAL, destination for kids of all ages, increasing its scope and scale, the richness of its content and extending its availability to all kids requires new content and technical investments. SUMMARY 7 8 GROUPE MÉDIA TFO DIGITAL, EDUCATIONAL, FRANCOPHONE EDUCATIONAL, DIGITAL, GROUPE MÉDIA TFO SECTION 1 FRANCOPHONE EDUCATIONAL, DIGITAL, THE DIGITAL RACE 9 10 GROUPE MÉDIA TFO Bridging the digital divide is a daunting challenge At the federal level, the Government of Canada for everyone. is moving on several digital priorities, many of which are led by the Department of Canadian Governments are struggling with change, and are Heritage. They are focused on delivering upon often playing catch­up in the digital race. In the government’s promises to expand digital response, governments in Ontario and across access to cultural programming and strengthen Canada have launched initiatives that put digital protection for the minority languages across the at the core of their service delivery model to citizens: country. “My end goal is simple: I want Ontario to The mandate letter to the Department of Cana­ become the most open, transparent and dian Heritage, from Prime Minister Trudeau, made digitally connected government in Canada. [...] many references to these issues. Many of these We have to fundamentally rethink how bear directly on areas of intersecting federal government programs and services are and provincial responsibility, particularly those delivered in Ontario.” 4 DIGITAL, EDUCATIONAL, FRANCOPHONE EDUCATIONAL, DIGITAL, at the core of our mission: Specifically, the government of Ontario also • Develop a new multi­year Official Languages acknowledged the need for help: plan to support English and French linguistic “We know we need help and guidance on this... minorities. We need expertise and digital entrepreneurs... • Establish a free, online service for learning So we’ll be looking for help from outside experts and retaining English and French as second who have done this sort of thing before.” languages. • Work with the President of the Treasury Board to ensure that all federal services are delivered in full compliance with the Official Languages Act. • Work in collaboration with the Minister of Indigenous and Northern Affairs to provide new funding to promote, preserve and enhance indigenous languages and cultures. 4April 1, 2016; Keynote address, Open Government, Canada, 2020 by Kathleen Wynne, Ontario Premier. SECTION 1 The digital race GROUPE MÉDIA TFO The Department of Heritage also recently Groupe Média TFO is committed to providing high concluded a consultation on how to enhance the quality francophone content to Ontarians and creation, discovery and export of Canadian across the globe. By empowering TFO to seek content in a digital world. growth opportunities in the private sector, the Governments of Ontario and Canada will help There are many issues to consider as the sustain and grow a flagship French language Government of Ontario and the Government of asset. Canada plan