What École en réseau does

École en réseau (ÉER) is a Quebec-based non-profit educational organization founded in 2002 that operates a province-wide collaborative digital learning network connecting small schools across Quebec. The organization targets primary and secondary schools with 150 or fewer students (primary) and 250 or fewer students (secondary), serving classroom teachers, pedagogical advisors, complementary service professionals (speech-language pathologists, psychologists, psychoeducators, career counselors), and students from preschool through secondary level. Its core offering centers on inter-class "Activités en réseau" — collaborative distance-learning activities delivered via videoconferencing (Microsoft Teams), the Knowledge Forum collaborative platform, Padlet, AhaSlides, and Book Creator, with student-led Mini-Tech Brigades providing first-line technical support within participating schools. The 2023-2024 programming delivered more than 230 activities spanning all disciplines of the Quebec Education Program (PFÉQ), co-developed with 23+ institutional partners including Parcs Canada, Bibliothèque et Archives nationales du Québec (BAnQ), UQAM's Cœur des sciences, Génome Québec, Musée de l'Holocauste Montréal, and Esri Canada.

The organization complements its core activity programming with a structured professional development portfolio — FormaPROFS workshops, annual Transfer Sessions, the ÉER Colloquium, the CADRE21 collaborative work training module (with BADGE21 digital credentials), and the annual $1,500 Bourse ÉR-AQUOPS bursary — plus self-paced Digital Pathways (Parcours numériques) and inter-CSS Communities of Practice for specialized professionals. École en réseau reaches educators through a weekly email newsletter (Info-réseau), the eer.qc.ca website, partner distribution channels, and earned media in Quebec education publications (École branchée, Carrefour Éducation, RIRE/CTREQ).

The organization is funded primarily by the Quebec Ministry of Education under the Plan d'action numérique, with supplementary support from the federal CodeCan programme, and operates as a non-profit entity with approximately 10 employees led by Director Josée Beaudoin. All activities, training, and resources are offered free of charge to Quebec educators and francophone Canadian jurisdictions, eliminating adoption friction but creating institutional dependency on continued government appropriations.

Name

École en réseau

Legal name

École en réseau

Website

https://eer.qc.ca

Company type

Private

Founded year

2002

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

École en réseau is a Quebec-based non-profit founded in 2002 that operates a province-wide collaborative digital learning network connecting small primary and secondary schools through 230+ inter-class network activities, professional development programs, and partner-delivered content, funded by the Quebec Ministry of Education.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Educational Network Services for Schools

NAICS

Elementary and Secondary Schools (6111), Educational Support Services (6117), Educational Services (61)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Public Virtual & Blended Learning Programs (District-Run) (EDAJAAAI)

akta.pro secondary industries

Virtual Classroom Platforms (Synchronous Teaching Environments) (EDAFABAA), Group Work, Breakout & Collaborative Document/Workspace Tools (EDAFAGAE), Integrated Tutoring + Learning Content Platforms (Curriculum + Tutors) (EDANAGAL)

Keywords

• Collaborative learning network
• Distance education activities
• Inter-class network activities
• Digital pedagogy platform
• Teacher professional development

Headquarters

HQ city

Quebec (specific city not disclosed)

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Government Funding: École en réseau operates as a publicly funded educational initiative supported by the Quebec Ministry of Education (Ministère de l'Éducation du Québec). Funding is supplemented by programme CodeCan (federal) for certain initiatives.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

École en réseau operates a collaborative digital learning network that connects small, often geographically isolated schools across Quebec through inter-class distance activities, videoconferencing, and the Knowledge Forum platform. It offers 230+ curriculum-aligned network activities spanning all disciplines of the Quebec Education Program, complemented by professional development programs (FormaPROFS, Transfer Sessions, Colloquium), Mini-techs student support brigades, Communities of Practice, and self-paced Digital Pathways — all provided at no cost to educators.

Product overview

École en réseau (ÉER) is an educational network organization that connects small schools in Quebec through collaborative distance learning activities. Its core offering is networked activities that enable inter-class collaboration across different school service centers, complemented by professional development programs (FormaPROFS, Transfer Sessions, Colloquium), an extensive resource repository, student mini-tech support brigades, Communities of Practice for educational professionals, and themed digital learning pathways (Parcours numériques). The organization also administers the Bourse AQUOPS-ÉER award recognizing excellence in networked teaching practices.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Activités en réseau (Network Activities) Collaborative distance and networked learning activities connecting small schools in Quebec (≤150 students at primary, ≤250 at secondary) through inter-class joint projects spanning all disciplines of the Quebec Education Program (PFÉQ), co-developed with museums, Parcs Canada, BAnQ, scientific organizations, and other institutional partners. Activities are delivered via videoconferencing, the Knowledge Forum platform, and complementary tools (Microsoft Teams, Padlet, AhaSlides).
• FormaPROFS Professional Development Annual professional development programming offering workshops on collaborative work, digital tools (Book Creator, PADLET), and networked teaching practices for Quebec classroom teachers and pedagogical advisors.
• ÉER Colloquium (Colloque de l'ÉER)
• Transfer Session (Session de transfert)
• Digital Pathways (Parcours numériques)
• Communities of Practice (Communautés de pratique - CoP) Inter-CSS (Centres de services scolaires) communities for speech-language pathologists, psychologists, psychoeducators, and career counselors, providing exchange and sharing opportunities including remote/tele-orthophony service models.
• Mini-Tech Brigades (Brigades mini-techs) Student-led tech support teams established in schools across Quebec, providing first-line support for network activities, preparing equipment for video conferences, and ensuring Knowledge Forum functionality.
• Educational Resources Repository (Répertoire des ressources) Digital library organized by audience (teachers, pedagogical advisors, complementary service professionals, students) including tutorials, videos, activity examples, workshops, and training materials.
• CADRE21 Collaborative Work Training Online training on collaborative work (travail collaboratif) developed jointly by École en réseau and CADRE21, available free of charge to Quebec and francophone Canadian educators, with BADGE21 digital badge credentials. Funded by the Quebec Ministry of Education and federal CodeCan programme.
• Support Room (Salle de soutien) Online support service available Monday to Friday 8:30-11:30 and 12:30-15:30 for teachers and educators using the network activities.
• Bourse ÉER-AQUOPS Award Annual $1,500 bursary awarded since 2020 in partnership with AQUOPS to recognize exemplary collaborative network teaching practices among Quebec teachers.

Quantifiable outcome

• Nearly 270 classes participated in a single Parcs Canada network activity
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers9 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration5 records

AI capability2 records

Feature5 records

Partnerships

26 partnerships are on record, tiered core, flagship and minor.

• Ministère de l'Éducation du Québec (MEQ)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Quebec Ministry of Education is the principal funder and strategic partner of École en réseau. The organization operates as a key initiative under the Quebec government's Plan d'action numérique, with the ministry providing core funding and institutional legitimacy. École en réseau aligns all its activities with the Quebec Education Program (PFÉQ) and the Cadre de référence de la compétence numérique.
• Parcs CanadaflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerMulti-year collaboration (fourth year in 2025-2026) where Parcs Canada experts deliver monthly virtual learning activities for primary and secondary classes on Quebec's natural and cultural heritage. Activities include ornithology, salmon recovery, fur trade history, and more, reaching nearly 270 classes in the first activity alone.
• Parcs CanadaflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerParcs Canada provides approximately 10 virtual activities per year for ÉER, animated by Parks Canada specialists, covering topics from wildlife to Canadian history. Contact: Sonia Normandin ([email protected]).
• Bibliothèque et Archives nationales du Québec (BAnQ)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBAnQ provides educational offerings for teachers and students through ÉER's Cabanes à culture program, including activities with Danse-Danse, the Canadian Space Agency, Hydro-Québec, and Nikan Heritage, all aligned to the Quebec Education Program.
• CADRE21coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerJointly developed an online training on collaborative work (travail collaboratif) with École en réseau, available free of charge to all Quebec and francophone Canadian educators. Training leads to digital badge credentials via BADGE21. Funding provided by the Quebec Ministry of Education and federal CodeCan programme.
• Cœur des sciences (UQAM)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUQAM's science culture center delivers school activities allowing secondary students to experience scientific inquiry through encounters with young researchers, including scientific walks, online conferences, podcast contests, and science sprints.
• Génome QuébeccoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDevelops citizen science projects such as Mission ADN-eau, where students collect water samples to study Quebec waterway biodiversity through environmental DNA, with support from government and scientific partners.
• Musée de la mémoire vivantecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocated in Saint-Jean-Port-Joli, this museum provides cultural mediation activities including 'Des pommes à croquer' (apple history), 'Le loup-garou du Kamouraska', and more, drawing on its collection of 3,000+ oral testimonies.
• Musée de l'Holocauste MontréalcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerProvides innovative educational programming on the Holocaust, antisemitism, racism, and indifference, including the 'Le Cœur d'Auschwitz' activity aligned to historical inquiry and primary source analysis.
• Parc national de Miguasha (UNESCO World Heritage)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUNESCO World Heritage Site focused on Devonian-period fossils, offering educational activities on evolutionary biology, paleontology, and geology, including 'Voyage au temps des dinosaures' and 'Les fossiles, mémoire de la Terre'.
• Maison ThéâtrecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMontreal's premier youth theater venue provides theatrical programming for youth from 12 months to 17 years, with enrichment materials and workshops for school groups visiting performances.
• Centre de démonstration en sciences physiques (CDSP)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBased at Cégep Garneau in Quebec City since 1998, CDSP provides science and technology outreach and development of scientific culture through original mediation approaches.
• Minéro - Musée de ThetfordcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMineralogical and mining museum (est. 1976) providing educational programming on geology, minerals, and regional mining heritage for Quebec schools.
• À la découverte de l'universcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerProvides free astronomy resources and training for primary and secondary teachers, including activities like 'Créons notre projecteur de constellations'.
• ÉducaloicoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerIndependent legal education organization providing free classroom legal Literacy workshops and turnkey pedagogical kits aligned to the Quebec curriculum, including 'FormaPROFS: Les trousses pédagogiques d'Éducaloi'.
• École branchéecoreGTM or Marketing PartnerMajor Quebec educational media outletBulletin focused on innovative pedagogy and digital technology in education, covering École en réseau activities and providing a platform for ongoing media exposure to Quebec's francophone educational community.
• CQCM (Conseil québécois de la coopération et de la mutualité)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRepresents Quebec's cooperative and mutualist movement, providing the Entrepreneuriat jeunesse service that supports hundreds of student cooperative projects from primary to university level across Quebec's 17 regions.
• Association forestière Saguenay-Lac-Saint-JeancoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegional forestry education organization providing interactive forest-themed workshops aligned to the Quebec Education Ministry's objectives, including 'Mission plein air: Au cœur des arbres' and seasonal activities.
• Institut des troubles d'apprentissagecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner50+ year-old non-profit (formerly AQETA) dedicated to helping school-age youth with learning challenges, focused on inclusion, perseverance, and academic success through education, support communities, and training.
• CQÉMI (Centre québécois d'éducation aux médias et à l'information)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHelps citizens develop critical thinking about media and information to combat disinformation. Born from the #30secondes program that reached 40,000+ people in 500+ establishments across Quebec in four years.
• Esri CanadacoreTechnology or IntegrationProvides ArcGIS Online GIS (Geographic Information Systems) platform and tools, recognized officially by the Quebec Ministry of Education since February 2020, offered free to Quebec schools. Supports teachers in integrating interactive collaborative mapping into teaching.
• Grandir Sans FrontièresminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCanadian charity (est. 2003) specialized in digital education for youth ages 7-17, focused on improving technology access and promoting responsible, enriching digital tool use across all communities.
• Éditions Exclamation inc.minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerQuebec publisher (est. 2012) creating interactive 3D illustrated books, comic workshops, collaborative writing projects, and the cultural magazine 'Osez lire!' for library networks.
• Idée éducation entrepreneurialecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerProvides entrepreneurial education accompaniment through passionate teams of teachers, school administrators, and experienced professionals, operating the international OIECEC network of 150+ schools across three continents.
• Fondation Monique-Fitz-BackcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFoundation延续Monique Fitz-Back's legacy (teacher, pioneer, unionist, EVB-CSQ co-founder), promoting environmental and healthy environment education in a sustainable development perspective.
• TÉLUQ UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerÉcole en réseau collaborated with TÉLUQ to make its distance teaching micro-programs available in full, covering topics like accompanying distance learners, adapting courses, disseminating resources, and evaluating distance learning.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves2 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Emerging players

• TakingITGlobal: Canadian non-profit that engages youth globally in collaborative learning, action projects, and digital citizenship, with significant overlap in the Quebec/Canadian education ecosystem. Comparable in mission and audience (K-12 educators and students, free-of-charge, partner-driven content) but focuses more on youth civic engagement than small-school network activities.
• Outschool: Marketplace for live online classes and group learning experiences for K-12 students, including collaborative formats. Compares on the live virtual classroom dimension but operates as a commercial platform while ÉER is a publicly funded free service, so business models diverge.

Direct peers

• iEARN (International Education and Resource Network): Global non-profit network that connects classrooms across countries for collaborative project-based learning, closely analogous to ÉER's inter-class network activity model. Both operate as facilitator/aggregator platforms curating cross-school projects with partner organizations, and both rely on community-led GTM through teachers.
• Empatico: Non-profit that pairs classrooms globally for live video interactions and cross-school collaborative learning activities, mirroring ÉER's inter-class videoconferencing model. Both target K-12 teachers, operate free of charge, and rely on partner-supplied activity content.
• PenPal Schools: EdTech platform that connects classrooms worldwide for guided collaborative learning projects with curriculum-aligned content, conceptually similar to ÉER's network activities. Both organize and curate cross-school projects that teachers integrate directly into their instruction.
• Knowledge Building International (KBI) / IKIT: Organization that originated and maintains Knowledge Forum, the very collaborative knowledge-building platform ÉER deploys for student writing and co-construction activities. KBI and ÉER share both technology and pedagogical approach (knowledge building communities, CSILE lineage) and serve similar K-12 educator audiences.

Broad incumbents

• UNESCO Associated Schools Network (ASPnet): Global network of thousands of schools coordinated by UNESCO that collaborate on shared pedagogical projects, including cross-border and cross-cultural activities. Overlaps with ÉER's mission of connecting classrooms for collaborative learning but operates at international scale across all UNESCO member states rather than focusing on a single sub-national segment.

Others

• CTREQ (Centre de transfert pour la réussite éducative du Québec): Quebec's educational knowledge transfer center, which disseminates evidence-based practices and produces the RIRE information network. Adjacent to ÉER as a fellow Quebec education ecosystem organization funded by the MEQ, but focused on knowledge transfer rather than live inter-class network activities.
• Réseau de développement pédagogique (RÉCIT): Quebec pedagogical advisor network that supports integration of digital technologies in schools and is referenced in ÉER's partner ecosystem (RIRE/CTREQ). Functions as an adjacent Quebec K-12 digital education network rather than a direct competitor; relevant as a peer because it serves similar educators and is funded by the same ministry.
• CADRE21: Quebec-based organization that delivers free online professional development and digital competency training to educators, including the collaborative-work training co-developed with ÉER. They are an active strategic partner and ecosystem peer in the same Quebec digital education niche, but their primary mission is teacher PD rather than student-facing network activities.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/SIG_a_lecole
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCotBSPta
• Facebookfacebook.com/SIG.a.lecole
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/%C3%A9cole-en-r%C3%A9seau

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about École en réseau