The Learning Partnership Blog

Exploring the future

Tinker, tailor, soldier, sailor,

Rich man, poor man, beggar man, thief

In days gone by, children recited this nursery rhyme when musing about their futures. That’s because, whether rich or poor, their options were limited. Class, ethnicity and gender defined their futures. 

In Canada, those barriers have long been shattered and today’s children have free access to a first-class public education system and an abundance of possibilities. In addition, the digital revolution continues to create new specializations and opportunities.  Our young people can now choose careers that didn’t exist 20 or even 10 years ago.

Although the wealth of career options now available seems wonderful to adults, it can be overwhelming for many young people. This is why career exploration is becoming an increasingly important element in school curricula. Even as early as Grade 9, students need to begin seriously considering career options so they know what skills and abilities they’ll need to acquire in high school in order to gain entry into the relevant post-secondary programs. As a result, they need opportunities to explore as many careers and industries as possible.

At The Learning Partnership, we’ve seen the growing popularity of career exploration initiatives, including our own Ultimate Dream Job Contest and Take Our Kids to Work™ programs. Take Our Kids to Work began as just a one-day event in 1994 for students in the Greater Toronto Area. Today it is a three-month program and a quarter of a million Grade 9 students from every province and territory take part in Take Our Kids to Work day every November.  On this day, they spend time at the workplace of a parent, relative or family friend and get, in many cases, their first look at the world of work and their first chance to talk with a wide range of professionals.

Our children will, as the most literate, technologically adept, and knowledgeable generation to date, give our economy a much needed edge in the future, allowing us to compete successfully with such emerging economic giants as China and India. They’ll do this thanks to being educated in one of the top 10 public education systems in the world and to the many career exploration opportunities educators and companies are providing.

How can we ensure that today’s students have more opportunities to learn about future career options? What is your company or organization doing to create awareness among students about the career options available to them?

If your organization hasn’t participated in Take Our Kids to Work, click here to
learn more about it.

 

The first step

Our economy has undergone a complete transformation over the past 30 years.  Once reliant by manufacturing, it is now fuelled by information and knowledge.  This shift has meant the end of many traditional jobs and a wealth of new careers. Not since the Industrial Revolution has our economy experienced such a fundamental change.

While this shift presents challenges for those employed in the manufacturing sector, it presents boundless opportunities for our young people.  New careers are emerging, and will continue to emerge.  Never have there been so many opportunities and so many choices.

To succeed in the constantly changing 21st century economy, our young people will need 21st skills. These include communication, language, critical thinking, problem solving, and collaborative skills as well as digital literacy. They’ll also need to be creative, entrepreneurial and possess the ability to continually learn and adapt.

There’s one more determinant of success in my opinion.  Resilience – the ability to not give up, rebound from setbacks and remain focused on the end goal.  Resilience is not only important for children from less privileged or difficult backgrounds, for new arrivals and for those with disabilities – those groups who face daily barriers. Resilience is just as important for children deemed privileged. Many of these kids have not experienced failure. Protective parents and schools emphasizing building self-esteem have left these youngsters unprepared and unequipped for the challenges of adult life and reluctant to take risks.

The Canada of tomorrow will compete against today’s emerging economic powerhouses – China, India and Brazil – with their abundance of highly educated young professions. As a country we won’t have the same huge population as these giants, so we’ll need to be even more innovative, more entrepreneurial -- and more resilient. And we need to start now.

This is where educators can help. They can help students build resilience. They can identify those children who are struggling before they give up. They can teach problem solving skills, encourage creativity and innovation, model tenacity and provide opportunities for students to meet successful professionals and hear how they never gave up.

In fact, we can all help. We can speak in schools, mentor children who are struggling, volunteer to be business partners in programs such as The Learning Partnership’s Entrepreneurial Adventure, and take part in Take Our Kids to Work day. 

Being a role model is perhaps the most influential job of all.

How much homework is too much?

How much homework is too much? That’s a question many teachers and parents are grappling with as the new school year gets going. On September 8, I was one of several educators interviewed by Global TV News on the subject of homework. The story was in response to a news item about Gaithersburg Elementary School in Maryland. The school has abolished homework, instead asking students to read a book for 30 minutes every night. The results have been impressive as fifth graders showed dramatic improvements in recent Maryland proficiency exams, scoring about 72 percent proficiency in math and 81 percent proficiency in reading. Making the results even more significant is that the school’s student body is largely from poor families in which English is not the first language. Educators remain divided on the subject of homework. Many believe loading young children up with math, reading, science and other nightly assignments supports what is being taught in the classroom and builds time management and self regulatory skills as well as a strong work ethic. Others, like myself, agree with what Gaithersburg Elementary is doing. Yes, math, science and other homework becomes more important as children progress to ever higher grades, but limiting homework for younger children makes sense. According to the Canadian Education Association, there is little evidence that homework has a positive impact on student achievement in the primary grades. On the other hand, there is strong evidence that a love of books and reading is an indicator of a child’s ongoing academic success. Reading allows children to explore new worlds, stirs their imagination, fosters creativity and inspires them to reach for greatness. How can an educator argue against the Harry Potter books that extol the virtues of education and the excitement of chemistry and botany? It’s also important to remember that learning is not limited to what teachers assign. Homework can include a visit to a museum, zoo or aquarium, watching an education television program with a parent, or even a family vacation. It’s also essential that instilling a love of books begins before children even begin school. Reading to very young children every evening builds a firm foundation for later independent reading. So does seeing adults read and enjoy books and having a variety of reading materials in the home. Homework is a necessary enhancement of the curriculum for older children as it prepares them for the rigours of post-secondary study. However, let’s concentrate on lighting a fire for learning through independent reading. It’s the greatest gift we can give our children. What are your views on homework? Share them with us on our Facebook page or on Twitter @learning partnership.

Brave New World

Established in 1993, The Learning Partnership is a national charitable organization dedicated to championing a strong public education system in Canada through innovative programs, credible research, policy initiatives, executive leadership and public engagement. Since its inception, more than 4.5 million students and teachers have participated in one or more of The Learning Partnership’s programs, including Take Our Kids to Work™, Welcome to Kindergarten™, Change Your Future and Entrepreneurial Adventure.

Posted by Veronica Lacey, President and CEO of The Learning Partnership. For more information on Veronica and The Learning Partnership click here.

This month there are hundreds of thousands of high school students -- and their parents -- breathing a sigh of relief that graduation day has finally arrived. It is an exciting time because new worlds await them. For many, it’s the world of college or university. For others, it’s apprenticeship programs. For others, it’s a direct plunge into the world of work. Whatever their choice, these graduates share one thing. To be successful in their chosen career, they’ll need skills and abilities their parents didn’t require. They’ll need digital literacy, critical thinking and problem-solving skills and the ability to adapt, innovate, and continually learn new technologies.

This is a generation with enormous potential.  According to Don Tapscott, one of the world's leading authorities on innovation and technology, growing up in a digital world has encouraged today’s students to be “active enquirers”. They know how to multi-task and have learned to handle information overload.

Don Tapscott believes that our digital world has also made this generation the smartest in history. We only have to look around us to see that our children are the teachers where digital technology is concerned and we adults are the learners.

However, many may not reach their potential because, through no fault of their own, they lack the supports and/or resources to stay engaged in school. While overall drop out rates have been steadily falling in Canada since the early 1990s, there remain distinct groups of young people who tend to not complete high school. Unbeknownst to most of these at-risk students, the price of dropping out is steep. They will have difficulty finding a job, will earn less over their lifetime and are more likely to have health issues. Therefore, it’s essential we keep as many young people as possible in school and looking to the future.

Keeping students excited about their formal education, as well as life-long learning, is also essential to Canada’s long range health. If Canada is to remain economically sound, technologically advanced and socially progressive it needs engaged citizens and engaged employees. Dropping out of school is often the first step to dropping out of society.

How can educators keep all kids – but especially those children who need extra support -- not only physically present in school, but actively participating and preparing for their futures? It can be difficult in times of fiscal restraint when the first to feel the effects of cutbacks are those children on the margins.

This is where The Learning Partnership plays an important role. We provide a wide variety of program s that support students at all stages of their educational journey – programs that also help strengthen our public education system.  Welcome to Kindergarten helps prepare preschoolers for the transition from home to school, while Entrepreneurial Adventure and Investigate! Invent! Innovate! promote innovative thinking, collaboration, creativity and social responsibility. In high school, our Turning Points program supports character development and literacy through self-reflection, discussion with teachers and peers and the writing of a narrative essay. Change Your Future offers mentorship, support, resources, and opportunities to help students have positive high school experiences and plan for their futures. Take Your Kids To Work day and Passport to Prosperity further expose secondary school students to different career paths and connect employers with tomorrow’s workforce.

Our children are inheriting a brave new world and it is our responsibility to arm them with the physical, intellectual and emotional tools they need to succeed and thrive. 

You can send us your comments, opinions and questions by clicking here and posting them in the comments section.

 

Children of new Canadians are a force to be reckoned with

Established in 1993, The Learning Partnership is a national charitable organization dedicated to championing a strong public education system in Canada through innovative programs, credible research, policy initiatives, executive leadership and public engagement. Since its inception, more than 4.5 million students and teachers have participated in one or more of The Learning Partnership’s programs, including Take Our Kids to Work™, Welcome to Kindergarten™, Change Your Future andEntrepreneurial Adventure.

Posted by Veronica Lacey, President and CEO of The Learning Partnership. For more information on Veronica and The Learning Partnership click here.

Over the past six years, the federal government has made immigration a top priority and introduced much-needed reforms to Canada’s immigration system. This makes sense given our growing talent shortage and falling birth rate. Canada needs more highly skilled, highly educated citizens if it is to continue succeeding in an increasingly competitive global economy.  

What doesn’t make sense are the federal government’s policies towards supporting the children of these highly skilled newcomers. Although it is true that education falls under provincial and territorial jurisdiction, the federal government also has an important role to play in helping these children reach their full potential. All levels of government must understand the importance of non-teaching staff such as settlement workers, ESL instructors, guidance counsellors, librarians, and psychologists who are often essential in helping immigrant children have a smooth transition into the Canadian school system and ongoing educational success.

Yet these children are an enormous potential resource for Canada. In years to come, they will be part of our workforce – a workforce that must possess 21^st century skills and be able to innovate, create and adapt.  Without such a workforce, Canada will not be able to compete with emerging economic giants like Brazil and China.

By 2017, there will be 7.6 million immigrants living in Canada – 22.2 percent of our entire population! Traditionally, new arrivals chose to settle in Toronto, Montreal or Vancouver but today, virtually every large centre has growing immigrant populations and that means school boards everywhere having more students with linguistic and other challenges.  

Over the past 25 years, school boards in Toronto, Vancouver and Montreal have done a spectacular job creating programs to help their increasingly diverse student populations not only assimilate, but thrive, while at the same time respecting and protecting their cultural and religious beliefs. School boards across the country are now looking to the Toronto, Vancouver and Montreal boards to understand how they too can successfully support their burgeoning immigrant student populations. However, just at a time when they need to create and implement programs to support new arrivals and foster tolerance, their budgets are being drastically reduced.

Any cuts to our public education system hit those new to Canada the hardest and the impact will be felt for years to come. While it’s understandable that tough economic times call for tough fiscal decisions regarding the best use of taxpayers’ money, it’s not understandable that one of the best public education systems in the world is being compromised. By compromising our education system today we are jeopardizing the futures of thousands of children as well Canada’s future economic prosperity.

You can send us your comments, opinions and questions by clicking here and posting them in the comments section.

 

Cutting positions seriously compromises our public education system

Established in 1993, The Learning Partnership is a national charitable organization dedicated to championing a strong public education system in Canada through innovative programs, credible research, policy initiatives, executive leadership and public engagement. Since its inception, more than 4.5 million students and teachers have participated in one or more of The Learning Partnership’s programs, including Take Our Kids to Work™, Welcome to Kindergarten™, Change Your Future and Entrepreneurial Adventure.

   
Posted by Veronica Lacey, President and CEO of The Learning Partnership. For more information on Veronica and The Learning Partnership click here.

Invest in public education

In the wake of the Drummond Report and on the eve of both our provincial and federal budgets, it’s time to focus on what is really important to our province and our country: maintaining Canada’s economic prosperity and enviable international reputation. To do this we must continue to invest in our public education system – not compromise it.

The Drummond Report recommends eliminating 70 percent of non-teaching positions in Ontario, including settlement workers, educational assistants, guidance counsellors, librarians, and psychologists -- the very supports all children, but especially new Canadians and vulnerable children, need for a successful educational experience.

By 2017, there will be 7.6 million immigrants living in Canada – 22.2 percent of our entire population! The children of these new arrivals are an incredible resource for Canada. In years to come, they will be part of our workforce -- workforce that must possess advanced digital literacy skills and be able to innovate, create and adapt. Without such workers, Canada will not be able to compete with emerging economic giants such as India and China. We also want these young people to be proud citizens of an informed, fair and equitable society that embraces diversity and champions democracy.

Acting upon the recommendations of the Drummond Report to cut non-teaching positions will seriously compromise our public education system and, yes, our ability to compete in an increasingly competitive global economy and maintain our envied civil society.

As seen in The Sault Star, Monday March 26, 2012 

You can send us your comments, opinions and questions by clicking here and posting them in the comments section.

Thank you for an incredible Take Our Kids to Work Day

Posted by Veronica Lacey,  President & CEO of The Learning Partnership

It is hard to believe that another Take Our Kids to Work™ day has come and gone. Yesterday was a very exciting day for 200,000 Grade 9 students across the country.

Overnight, we have been receiving email from employers telling us about their Take Our Kids to Work day activities, and how well their Take Our Kids to Work days went. Take Our Kids to Work day 2011 was very successful. This year, young people participating experienced everything from putting a newspaper together, to finding out how an international seaport works.

I personally had the opportunity to start my Take Our Kids to Work day at Scotiabank, and see and talk with the Grade 9 students who were there for the day to find out about the many aspects of working in the financial services industry. The grade nines I met were excited and eager to begin their day of activities.

I would like to thank Scotiabank, and all the other employers across Canada who hosted Grade 9 students yesterday for The Learning Partnership’s 17^th annual Take Our Kids to Work day. Your commitment to young people has given them unique learning experiences and valuable knowledge that will help them make the best decisions for the paths they decide to follow through high school and beyond as they plan their futures.

You can visit our Facebook page for some photos of Take Our Kids to Work day activities, as well as photos documenting the Take Our Kids to Work day experiences that our Ultimate Dream Job Contest grand-prize winner Jacob had in Ottawa. We’d love to hear about your Take Our Kids to Work day experience @tlpcanada.

To receive information on the 2012 contest, please send an email to info@thelearningpartnership.ca.

Lessons learned, students inspired at Take Our Kids to Work Day events

Posted by Veronica Lacey,  President & CEO of The Learning Partnership

The second annual Ultimate Dream Job Contest, sponsored by The Learning Partnership in partnership with Scotiabank Group^®, was a tremendous success. Melanie Renn, a grade nine student from Yarmouth, Nova Scotia, earned over 10,000 votes in total – enough to win the Grand Prize, a trip to Ottawa to meet Prime Minister Stephen Harper and Peter Milliken, Speaker of the House of Commons, on Take Our Kids to Work Day™, November 3, 2010.

The contest also rewarded the top five schools that submitted the most entries with a prize of $1,000 each. The winning schools are Dr. Wilbert Keon School, Chapeau, QC; Superior C.V.I., Thunder Bay, ON; Hebbville Academy, Hebbville, NS; Pilot Mound School, Pilot Mound, MB; and Yarmouth Junior High School, Yarmouth, NS (which also happens to be Melanie’s school!). Congratulations to all the winners!

Take Our Kids to Work Day, November 3, 2010, was tremendously successful this year, with tens of thousands of workplaces all across Canada bringing in over 250,000 grade nine students for a great job-shadowing and learning experience. Here are just two of the many Take Our Kids to Work stories that appeared in the media:

On Take Our Kids to Work Day, Grade 9 students from two local high schools in the Kenora, Ontario area visited Lake of the Woods District Hospital, schools, government offices and retail outlets to gain an understanding of their parents and their work, and to learn the educational and experiential requirements to pursue their prospective careers. A group of ten students from both schools took a day-long tour of the justice system, including a visit to the Kenora Jail and the courthouse, and some time spent with the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP).

Winnipeg Airports Authority (WAA) hosted 12 grade nine students as part of Take Our Kids to Work Day. Starting with the airport fire hall, the students experienFireced the life of an airport fire fighter – trying on the gear, sitting in the new fire truck and spraying the fire hose – giving them a unique view of airport operations. The students also toured the new Air Terminal Building, which is still under construction. After lunch, Winnipeg Police Service officers took the students on a tour of their office and holding cells.

Please feel free to share your stories and/or pictures of Take Our Kids to Work Day on this page!

Tens of thousands of companies took part in this year’s event. These employers recognize the vital role they play in the students’ career development and in the choices they will ultimately make for their futures. We applaud these employers for supporting their employees’ participation in Take Our Kids to Work Day, and for giving students the opportunity to benefit from a wealth of career knowledge.

For a list of companies that registered for Take Our Kids to Work Day, please click here. Don’t forget to register your student or workplace for the 2011 Take Our Kids to Work Day on The Learning Partnership website at www.thelearningpartnership.ca. Registered companies will receive recognition and additional resources to help make Take Our Kids to Work Day run smoothly. This will allow companies to offer both students and employees the best possible job-shadowing experience.

To receive information on the 2011 contest, please send an email to info@thelearningpartnership.ca.