GJOA HAVEN, NUNAVUT -- In Canada鈥檚 most northerly territory, a set of Arctic greenhouses is growing more than just leafy greens.

Locals in Gjoa Haven hope that their new 鈥済row pods鈥� can be seeds for their children鈥檚 future.

The project, developed by the non-profit Arctic Research Foundation, has already produced food for the hamlet of about 1,000 people. Food scarcity plagues much of Nunavut where groceries can cost 10 times the national average. Job scarcity too compounds the problem in Nunavut, where the unemployment rate is the highest in the country at more than 14 per cent.

But areas of the northern territory, which has maintained a rich traditional culture, are embracing new technologies like the 鈥済row pods.鈥� The greenhouses are dubbed 鈥淣aurvik,鈥� a word that means 鈥渃ontinuous growing鈥� in Inuktitut. They鈥檙e an investment in Gjoa Haven鈥檚 future.

One of the hopeful benefactors of that future is Dustin Atkichok, a 22-year-old local who helps operate the 鈥減ower pod鈥� that charges the greenhouses.

鈥淚t鈥檚 pretty hard up north, because they don鈥檛 do much hiring,鈥� said Atkichok during a recent visit with CTV National News. 鈥淚鈥檓 learning here. I learned a lot about the computer.鈥�

The territory has a large and growing population of youth like Atkichok. Almost 60 per cent of its population is under 25, and most of them under 15. But the region鈥檚 schools have struggled with low attendance rates in recent years. According to a Department of Education , attendance dipped below 70 per cent during the 2016 to 2017 school year.

Curriculums are evolving and projects like the Arctic Research Foundation greenhouses are making efforts to re-engage youth. On a recent field trip, a group of young locals took a school bus to the 鈥済row pods鈥� where they learned about the operation and its potential.

鈥淚t鈥檚 a good future,鈥� one of the operators implored as the kids filed out. 鈥淛ust stay in school.鈥�

Those same kids will likely become the stewards of the project if it continues, which it very well could, according to Adrian Schimnowski, the CEO of the Arctic Research Foundation. The Gjoa Haven council has endorsed the project and hopes to expand the use of green energy.

鈥漈his project can last 20 years and beyond. There鈥檚 no reason why it shouldn鈥檛,鈥� Schimnowski told CTV National News.

鈥淲e have new doors opened. We don鈥檛 know where that鈥檚 going to go but it鈥檚 very bright.鈥�