Specialist High Skills Major
Students can build their strengths and develop their interests.
"The agriculture course opened a lot of doors for my future."
–Adrien, expanding his horizons
Adrien always wanted to go into agriculture. Having grown up on the family farm, he thought he knew a lot about it too. He was about to discover that there was more to farming than he had ever imagined.
He learned this first-hand when he took the Specialist High Skills Major in agriculture at his high school.
"I'm gaining experience while studying," Adrien explains. "I'm making lots of contacts that will help with a job search."
Adrien worked half days on the job with local companies. He experienced a variety of farming practices and got to meet successful employers in the community. The rest of his day was spent in classes that were adapted to match his major. For example, in his marketing class, a local seed company gave them a new product to sell. Adrien researched it thoroughly and then made a presentation to sell the product to area farmers.
The Specialist High Skills Major is opening Adrien's eyes to the broader world of agriculture and is preparing him for success in a field he loves.
Specialist High Skills Majors shine the spotlight on a future career.
"It's a real experience, in the real world."
–Vincent, artist in training
Vincent loves the arts. He acts, sings and dreams of being a TV entertainer. So his teachers encouraged him to sign up for a Specialist High Skills Major in the arts.
Now Vincent meets face-to-face with people who live his dreams. He meets guest speakers and learns first-hand from people working in the arts community. He takes field trips to visit local theatres and production facilities. Even his research projects demand that he approach working artists.
"We put on a play that we wrote ourselves and that we invented – so it really came from us."
The program has opened his eyes to new career possibilities. "I found out that I was able to create something – to write, to create scenery, to put together a project," Vincent explains. "Now I know that I am more than just a good actor."
Expanded Co-op
Co-op helps employers discover and train future employees.
"I think if I'd had that chance in high school I would have jumped right in there, full-blown."
–Mike Holmes, Co-op Employer
When Mike Holmes, well-known contractor and star of Holmes on Homes, was approached to take on a co-op student, he was interested right away.
"I'm high on the skilled trades industry," he explains. "The idea of tempting the kids in school into the skilled trades... it was just fabulous."
Students who choose co-op are looking for alternatives or enhancements to learning in a regular classroom. Sometimes they know exactly what they want to do. Sometimes they don't. Mike understands this and the important role employers play.
"I want students to get the experience of real work, not just the thought of working. Giving them the chance to say, 'Hey, you know what? I like this.'"
Matt was this student, and once he graduates Mike has invited him to work on his crew full time. So what would Mike say to other employers about taking a co-op student?
"It was easy and it doesn't cost any money so let's be serious, it's a very smart move."
And for Matt, his co-op program ended up giving him much more than simply four credits in one semester. As Matt puts it, "I had the time of my life."
"Co-op is a great program that high schools offer and... students should take advantage of it."
–Matt, co-op student
Expanded Co-op gives students both work experience and credits.
"In the hospital everything goes on really fast – and I think I can handle it!"
–Mbalia, aspiring medical student
Growing up in Gambia, Mbalia always knew she wanted to be a doctor. When this "A" student heard about Expanded Co-op, she decided to take part to get real work experience. Mbalia spoke to her co-op teacher who arranged a co-op placement in the Endoscopy Clinic at Toronto General Hospital.
"I got a first-hand look at a doctor giving a patient a gastroscopy – it was pretty fascinating."
She also gets to work with nurses, talk to medical students and reassure nervous patients. "That's the best part of my day – when the patients come in," Mbalia says.
Mbalia has applied to several universities and still plans to go to medical school. "Talk to your guidance counsellor," she advises other students. "Think about where you want to work and what you would like to do. Then go for it."
Expanded Co-op gives students who need workplace accommodations practical opportunities to succeed.
"This placement has allowed me to use my talents."
–Kevin, apprentice machinist
Kevin, who is deaf, was looking for a way to pursue his goal of becoming a machinist. He found it through the Ontario Youth Apprenticeship Program. As an apprentice machinist, he quickly discovered he had the right mix of skills and attitudes to be successful, and his employer saw him as a valuable part of the team.
"I really enjoy lathe work and milling. The work has to be exactly right."
A chance to learn in new ways, and build confidence.
"The classroom wasn't the best place for me to learn."
–Parminder, finding his vocation
Parminder couldn't speak English when he came to Canada. His co-op supervisor recognized his interest in cars and used it to get Parminder talking.
"My English improved in co-op. I learned about engines and all those parts."
Parminder excelled in his co-op placement at Oakland Ford. He got more than just two credits – he succeeded at school and his teachers noticed his new self-confidence.
"I want to be a car mechanic for my future... everyone loves cars."
The hours he's spent in co-op have counted towards his Ontario Youth Apprenticeship Program. This will make it easier for him to become a mechanic in an environment where he learns best.
Expanded co-op builds confidence
"I had no direction, until cooking helped me feel useful."
–Michelle, co-op student
"It was three years of agony," Michelle remembers. She was hanging out with the wrong crowd. She felt like she was living "in a bubble". And she had only six high school credits, when she should have had 16.
But the one course Michelle loved was cooking. It let her forget about her problems and be creative. So her teacher encouraged her to take a co-op program that would let her concentrate on cooking and earn high school credits.
The placement was a totally new experience for Michelle. She helped to organize banquets. She developed menus for important events. She got a job in a restaurant. Her work was genuinely appreciated, which boosted her self-esteem.
For the first time, Michelle felt like she was doing something creative and useful.
"Cooking allowed me to find out that I was interested in lots of things," explains Michelle. "Now I have new friends and my mother is proud of me."
With the confidence she gained in co-op, Michelle started to do better in all her classes. With the support of her school, she's back on track. After she gets her high school diploma, she wants to study culinary arts at college.
Lighthouse Projects
Lighthouse Projects are flexible. Schools can create programs that meet students' needs.
"It changed my thinking. I work harder now, and I am passing everything."
–Meaghan, learning in her own way
Meaghan was struggling in school. She was falling behind, and was having a lot of trouble with math.
Her teachers and principal recognized that the regular classroom didn't interest Meaghan. They thought a Lighthouse Project that included judo classes might engage her. They convinced her to join this new program where she could get more personal attention, recover lost credits – and take judo. Almost immediately, her performance in school improved.
"It was a lot better than regular classes 'cause I got to talk to people ... I could either do work, or I could help other people do their work."
Meaghan's teachers tied math to her passion for hands-on learning. Now Meaghan's taking a trade-focussed math program where she learns math by taking measurements.
Meaghan gained lost credits and is now planning an apprenticeship in carpentry.
New Courses
Online and other new courses give students more choice.
"I need this credit to graduate this year. It's ... the credit that I need for university."
–Genevieve, aspiring English teacher
Genevieve wants to be an English teacher. But when she moved to a new school for Grade 12, she couldn't find the course she needed.
Fortunately, her guidance counsellor understood. "We've tried to open things up, so kids can take something that interests them," says Cairin Nelson. So Genevieve enrolled in a Writer's Craft course online. "I usually do it at home, it's easier, it's calmer and quiet," she says. She writes the assignments on her computer and emails them to the teacher. She also gets to work at her own pace.
"It's a more flexible schedule ... because I don't have certain dates to get stuff in," explains Genevieve. "So if something comes up, it's not a big deal."
What else does she like about the course? "I like doing it by myself because you're not comparing marks to your peers and you're not comparing assignments."
And Genevieve is doing well. Taking an online course in a subject that interests her helps keep her marks high – which will help her get into university.
Student Success Culture
Student success gives kids confidence to be who they are.
"It's like magic, what you can get the kids to do for themselves."
–Deborah Scully, teacher
Deborah Scully is one of hundreds of passionate teachers working in Student Success programs across Ontario. She leads a class for Grade 12 students who need extra support. With only 12 kids, the class is small enough that she can build an environment of trust and mutual respect.
One student said: "I can't believe how much you listen to us."
Most of her students earn three to six credits each semester. Each week, they spend two days with Deborah and three days at a co-op placement. In the classroom, Deborah shares her infectious love of learning, while co-op helps students experience success outside the classroom. "I see these students come back to my class with a renewed confidence – with a sense that they can do it."
Connor and Rob, finding new confidence and interests
Before entering Deborah's class, Connor's grades were dropping steadily. A combination of an enhanced classroom environment plus co-op study turned him around. His co-op placement at Home Depot introduced him to a group of skilled tradespeople. It gave him a goal – he decided to finish high school and become a plumber.
Before joining Deborah Scully's class, Rob was on the verge of dropping out. As he describes it, "People knew that I wasn't super-interested in staying in school, so they were trying to find different alternatives for me and most of the alternatives weren't working."
What was so different about this program?
Part of it was Deborah Scully herself. Rob explains, "She's always full of encouraging words and helpful advice and ready to sit down and take as much time as you need to help you understand and do what you need to do."
Dual Credit Program
Dual credits let students 'try on' college courses while still in high school.
"I'm going to college and finishing high school at the same time."
–Chris, on the path to success
Chris never liked high school. "I was a bit of a slacker," he admits. "I didn't hand in assignments and didn't bother writing tests."
That was before he found out about a special program that let him earn high school credits while studying at a local college. Chris began taking construction manufacturing in the morning with a college instructor. Then in the afternoon, he took an English and sociology credit with a high school teacher.
The courses were dual credits – they counted as high school credits and as college prep courses. The prep courses would give him an advantage when applying to college.
His parents are proud of the change they've witnessed in their son. As Chris explains, "They were really excited about it when I could tell them, 'Hey, I'm going to college and I'm going to finish high school'... it's really exciting for them." The fact that his marks are a lot higher also makes his parents happy.
College also felt different from high school. "There's a lot of respect and freedom," Chris says. "I felt like it was just holding my future in front of me. It made me reach out and grab it. It was really motivating that way."
Chris' plan: graduate from high school and return to college to get an apprenticeship in the skilled trades.
Student Success Teams
Student Success Teams focus on the individual.
"Sometimes high school is too much to handle on your own."
–Ashley, getting the support she needs
In Grade 10, Ashley moved away for a year. Her new school tracked credits differently, and when she returned, Ashley discovered she was almost a year behind.
Ashley attends a small school, and she was determined to graduate with her friends. "That's the only reason I came back," she says. So her school's Student Success Team set to work to make it possible.
"They rearranged everything to help me get my credits."
Her teachers knew they had to help Ashley create a timetable that kept her motivated, so she could catch up. So they focussed on her interests and included a co-op course in auto mechanics. She loves the program, and it gives her two compulsory credits.
As Ashley's teacher puts it, "When you know someone is going to fight the odds, you've got to do what you can to help them."
Ashley is well on her way to earning all her high school credits. With more hard work and the help of her teachers, principal and guidance counsellor, she will graduate with her friends.
Grades 7, 8, 9 Transition
New programs help students prepare for high school.
"I had difficulty adjusting to high school."
–Devan, benefiting from one-on-one help
Devan found the transition difficult. With all the new people and pressures in high school, this sensitive and shy student wasn't getting the attention he needed in a regular class.
Then he heard about a new class that could ease his transition into Grade 9 and help him adjust to the stress of high school.
"I think I've come a long way," Devan explains. "Now I can present and talk in front of a class... and it's easier to make friends."
The class has two teachers and two educational assistants for 20 students. As Devan describes it, "They see you, and they'll just come and help you one-on-one with your work."
He spends the first three periods of the day in this environment. Now Devan is confident enough to succeed in his regular classes.
