At one point in his life, school was not a priority for Jack. He was part of the high school Alternative Education program at the DRCSS and struggled to attend. Disinterested, Jack dropped out of school completely for nearly a year and a half. Today, he admits that he did not accomplish much during that time.
Jack is now thriving as a student in the Employment Readiness Program (ERP). The Dauphin Regional Comprehensive Secondary School (DRCSS) revamped the program in Sept. 2019, replacing the Alternative Education program with a more flexible student-centered approach to learning. The program remains credit focused, but the emphasis is to help students find purpose by keeping them connected and building skills for employment.
Jack is very interested in video editing. Through the ERP, he is able to access equipment and video editing software for project-based activities. Jack speaks to the importance of relevant learning and online course activity, which give him the skills needed for future training and work. Banking investment knowledge, workplace safety training, food safety and other certification-based training opportunities; help to gather evidence of success, build students’ portfolios and increase readiness for work. One student identified that getting useful certificates, was one of the reasons why they liked the program. Another indicated that they were, “Doing activities that will help us be more prepared for our future”. The class has taken advantage of community-based training opportunities, such as meeting with the local fire department and participated in fire extinguisher safety training.
Jack is 18 and is now living in his own place. He values the ERP environment and can speak to its importance in helping him to succeed in school and life. The financial literacy instruction in the program has taught Jack the importance of paying bills on time and making sure he stays on top of his responsibilities, as a student and adult living on his own. Jack’s goal of graduation as a mature student is much more attainable, with his commitment to attend school. One of the teachers noted that Jack is often smiling in class. Something that rarely occurred prior to the ERP.
Another successful student is Ryan, whose artistic talents are creative and effortless. He is able to gain art credits through the ERP. Ryan recognized that he used to skip out a lot of school. He even relocated to another community with family in an attempt to attend school outside of Dauphin. However, Ryan continued to have no interest in attending school and attributes his poor attendance to classroom instruction focused on module-based learning, which he says did not work for him. The welcoming environment of the ERP has contributed to his changed attitude about school. Today, he wants to attend school. He will be 18 years old soon and looks forward to a future where he can try a variety of jobs to see what areas he is most interested in. Ryan is hopeful that he can incorporate his artistic skills in his future work.
The ERP is successfully engaging students in learning, thanks to the dedicated instructional team of Cam Bennet, Colleen Sulatyski, Jill Forbes and leadership of Vice-Principal Melanie Gamache. A rebrand of the program, entering the school year in 2019, has resulted in a positive shift in creating meaningful school experiences for students through reduced class sizes, flexibility in scheduling, project-based learning, cultural education and opportunities to build relationships in the community. Elder Bev who regularly supports MVSD classroom activities, also encourages program activities at the ERP to inspire students. A distinct focus on fostering mental wellness is promoted.
Data was recently shared by ERP staff to the Mountain View School Division board of trustees, as part of a Celebration of Learning. Many of the ERP students reported a high number of adverse experiences relating to negativity or trauma growing up. Mid-way through the school year, many of these same students now indicate higher levels of self-esteem, improved emotional intelligence and self-efficacy. All of these indicators point to a higher engagement in learning and greater likelihood of students taking responsibility for their attendance and participating in school.
The starting point of the program is asking students what they really need for training which has helped to build purpose in keeping students connected and building skills for employment. Basic numeracy and literacy credits are still the goal of the program which keeps students engaged and coming to school. The program is aimed at supporting students who might otherwise want to drop out of school. Like all DRCSS programming, the ERP is enhanced with opportunities for accreditation and partnerships with Assiniboine Community College for dual credits and Advanced Placement program.
The ERP is delivered during afternoons at the DRCSS. Several students are part of mainstream DRCSS classroom activities in the morning or participate in vocational programing. Some students are achieving success in their pursuit of other program offers at the DRCSS, such as drama. The data speaks volumes to the good work of the ERP. The teaching team report that there has been a 54% overall increase in attendance for students, since the refocus of the ERP. Student engagement with those attending the program regularly is nearly 100%. One student who was in Grade 9 reporting high levels of disengagement, is now consistently attending the ERP. The average age of students in the program is 17 years and there are now 22 students attending the program regularly. The flexible learning environment and comfortable classroom setting are one of the draws which motivate Jack, Ryan and others to attend school and stay engaged.