(SYDNEY, Nova Scotia) "Whatever Your Interests, there's a Cape Breton Heritage Site for You," is the theme of the anticipated new web site introduced by the Iona Connection Cooperative. With a strong mix of local heritage groups, a university college, students and a government department, this website has become a showcase of successful collaborations.

The site, located at http://tlc.uccb.ns.ca/cbmuseums includes 50 museums, heritage organizations and buildings. New web pages have also been created for five museums and one heritage site. "It is immensely satisfying to me to view this new user-friendly web site which shows visitors at home and overseas that we have excellent community museums on this Island well worth a visit," says Nancy More, President, Iona Connection Cooperative. "Plus there are other heritage resources that cater to the diverse interests of our visitors."

The Cooperative, which is a group of community museums that share a common interest in preserving the history of Cape Breton and the artifacts associated with it, agreed to develop a web site for its members' community museums and heritage sites. Dr. Donald Dunbar, a member of the Orangedale Station Society, spearheaded the project as a consultant and approached University College of Cape Breton (UCCB) with a proposal for student involvement in building a prototype which would then form the basis of a funding proposal.

Danny Yakimchuk, Information Technology Instructor at UCCB agreed to offer the web site development opportunity to a group of his students as part of a credit course in applied research. The prototype project was taken on by Bachelor of Technology Information students Jordan Wood, Amy Reashore, Dereck Melbourne and Sherry Bartlett.

With the support of the Province, the ideas became a reality this summer by another UCCB student. George D. Fletcher, a Computer Information Systems student took the lead, designing and completing the entire web site, as his co-op work term project. The site -- which features a unique "flags" design -- offers an informative medley of information, links and photos guaranteed to enrich viewers' knowledge and stimulate their imagination. "It has been a great experience and the fact we have been able to involve UCCB students in this community project has provided them with an innovative 'real-world' learning experience," says Dunbar. "The end result is a first-class web site for people on the Island and around the world."

Currently, the site is hosted by the Teaching and Learning Centre (TLC) at UCCB, a center designed to facilitate instructional effectiveness by offering a range of services, training and resources to faculty. Yakimchuk, who is also the Technology Advisor for the TLC, believes this type of collaborative project can serve as a valuable teaching and learning model.

Along with the UCCB Teaching and Learning Centre, students, and members of the Iona Connection Cooperative, this project was also made possible with assistance from the Department of Tourism and Culture. The Department's Strategic Development Initiative for Community Museums Programs supports initiatives aimed at enhancing the self-sufficiency of community throughout the Province.