Post High School Programs in Canada

“Hopeful Transitions” was the title of the CAST UDL recorded session I watched today. Tricia Berry is the Learning Specialist for Universal Design for Career Education. The session goals included understanding how peer-to-peer storytelling can be a tool for career development. A live event called Grad Stories: Exploring Options After High School included recent graduates from Canadian high schools. Berry played a clip of the session with several students speaking about their trajectories after high school. One student from Sudan spoke about the program they participated in that supported their experience and refugees. Another student spoke talked about a program in which a group of students live in towns in two provinces and participate in volunteering and reconciliation activities. Another student joined the armed forces. Another recent graduate traveled, and one more started a business. Berry then spoke about different paths, including skilled trades and the lack of awareness of some options. Berry explained that it is important to consider learner voice and universal design for career education. They asked: “Who is the “expert?” and “how can we engage others? ” Students shared advice and the importance of diverse experiences. The Katimavik experience Olivia Blythe participated in sounds amazing: twelve students learning about different people and places. Berry ended the presentation by saying that we can learn so much from learner voices. Also, the post-secondary pathways available at: https://www.myfuture-monavenir.ca/ are fascinating!

Mountains with snow and person staring at the clouds and mountains
What can we learn from recent high school graduates who enrolled in Canadian programs? Photo by James Wheeler on Pexels.com