A dedicated pathways program was a new KPDSB initiative in 2019–2020. A central coordinator worked with pathways teachers for the senior elementary grades to implement the Education and Career/Life Planning Program beginning with developing an Individual Pathways Plan (IPP). The goal was for all students in Grade 7 and 8 to access the web-based tool, myBlueprint, to discover more about themselves, including their learning styles, interests and personal strengths. Families and caregivers were recognized as influential in how students view themselves and their future opportunities and were encouraged to engage in this student-led process.
Creating Pathways to Success is founded on a vision that views students as the architects of their own lives. The IPP will be an important tool as students move through high school to their initial post-secondary destination, whether it be apprenticeship training, college, community living, university or the workplace. Students also learned about the guidance counsellor’s important role during their high school years to support future planning and to ensure students can access the support they need for all aspects of their high school experience. The importance of the continuum of pathways for teachers and guidance counsellors was apparent in the spring of 2020 when the in-person transition activities involving high school visits were cancelled due to COVID-19. The pathways school teams provided students and families with the tools they needed to access the information to complete course selections using myBlueprint and the support to navigate transition planning.
Before COVID-19, the pathways program focused on learning in and outside of the classroom to help students develop the knowledge and skills they need to make informed decisions about the future for many aspects of their lives. Students learned from community partners about a wide range of career opportunities, attended career fairs and Skills Ontario initiatives, and participated in entrepreneurial workshops. A highlight for 2019–2020 was the cardboard boat race and video challenge event hosted by Skills Ontario at the Dryden Recreation Complex. All Pathways teachers attended the event with student teams that competed in a race and weight challenge. Red Lake Madsen students captured a silver medal and Sioux Mountain students earned a bronze medal after competing against a full complement of regional teams.
Subsequently, two centrally supported Skills Ontario events were attended to full capacity with student representation from Grades 7–12 focused on Women in Trades and FNMI Trades and Technology Exploration. Students from Sioux Mountain Public School indicated in their exit slips that the opportunity to try some hands-on learning opened their eyes to trades that they would consider pursuing. Students from the region converged at the Dryden Regional Training and Cultural Centre to learn about OYAP, participate in team challenges, hear from mentors and attend hands-on workshops.
Critical to the Pathways program is the broader community that will also influence students’ decisions about their future. Students made connections with various community, regional and provincial partners and had their eyes opened to the many supports and services available to them within their region and beyond. The Grade 7 and 8 Campus Take Over Day at Confederation College and Lakehead University were cancelled due to COVID-19. However, Pathways teachers facilitated virtual events for students to learn about a wide range of programs, including those offered in our region through Seven Generations Education Institute.
Students in Grades 8 and 12 completed exit surveys in the spring of 2020. Pathways teachers and guidance counsellors did their best to capture student voices by supporting students in completing the surveys and reflecting on their experiences to prepare for Grade 9 and their initial post-secondary destination. Key findings will inform future programming to meet student needs and allow for comparison of 2020 to future surveys.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, Pathways teachers are acknowledged for their efforts with the support of experiential learning funding to continue with hands-on activities to meet their students’ needs. Students participated in the virtual Skills Ontario #SkillsAtHomeChallengeSeries and shared pictures and videos with their Pathways teachers. Many Pathways students participated in the virtual conferences hosted by Skills Ontario. Pathways teachers initiated music programs, community gardening projects, building challenges, and culinary endeavours, to name a few. Pathways teachers implemented very creative ideas to keep students engaged while preparing them to transition in the fall of 2020, despite various challenges.
The Pathways program will continue to empower students to have confidence in their ability to develop a plan and revise and adapt their plan throughout their school lives and beyond as they and the world around them change.
