Sheridan recently played host to two different groups and each event was a great success. A large group of about 140 senior-level students from Brampton high schools in the Peel District School Board were treated to an action-packed and informative morning at the Davis Campus. These students all had something in common – they had come to Canada from another country with their families and were enrolled in English-language courses along with other secondary high school subjects at their schools. Through a collaboration with the Peel District School Board, Sheridan was able to give these students a chance to see what college has to offer. After hearing from Associate Vice President Bill Holmes, they learned about the types of programs at Sheridan, how to apply, got a glimpse of what the life of a college student is like, and toured the campus.
Many students commented that they had no idea there was so much variety in the programs available at Sheridan, and several commented that though they had not considered Sheridan, or college, as a post-secondary destination before attending the event, they now felt very differently. An influencing factor for many was the role that experiential learning plays at college, and they were very impressed with Sheridan’s facilities and equipment. Some students even got up close and personal with the technology as you can see above!
A few days later, a large contingent of high school co-op teachers who were attending a provincial conference nearby were also welcomed by Bill Holmes, and were treated to a whirlwind tour of Sheridan, visiting the Davis, Trafalgar, and STC Campuses all in one day. They were similarly impressed with the college’s programs and facilities, and the day gave them a chance to better understand the kinds of opportunities available to their students at Sheridan.
Both of these events came as a result of Sheridan’s close ties with the high school system and the relationships developed as a result of Sheridan’s involvement with the School College Work Initiative (SCWI). Sheridan SCWI Project Manager Christine (Chris) Pearson, a former teacher with the Dufferin Peel Catholic District School Board, who worked on both events, observed that “getting high school students and teachers on campus is worth its weight in gold. Many of them have little understanding of the college system, often are unaware that colleges like Sheridan offer degree programs and don’t realize the calibre of our faculty, programs and facilities until they have experiences like this.”
Co-op teachers at STC
A big thank you to the staff in the Recruitment Department and to the student STARS for their role in planning and coordinating these events and making them such a resounding success.