Education Community Teaming Together to Benefit High School Students

(Thunder Bay - January 12, 2004) Thunder Bay's educational community is coming together to help address an important educational need for teachers of high school students bound for college-based careers.

The project Future Teachers Widening Horizons is an initiative of Lakehead University's Faculty of Education, and brings the University, Confederation College, Lakehead District School Board (LDSB), and Thunder Bay Catholic District School Board (TBCDSB) together to help create an experience-based course for intermediate/senior teacher candidates.

"A significant portion of the current high school population has academic needs and career aspirations that vary from the experiences of our teacher candidates," says Dr. Juanita Epp, Chair of the Undergraduate Studies in Education at Lakehead and Chair of the Widening Horizons project. "This project will enable the Faculty to introduce this special topic as part of teacher education in cooperation with Confederation College and the local school boards."

In fall of 2004, approximately 25 students in the Intermediate-Senior program in Lakehead's Faculty of Education will take part in the pilot course to collect data on the effectiveness and impact of the course. The course will include a theoretical component of professional development seminars and an experiential component consisting of time at Confederation College, with the Curriculum and Technology Planning Team, and the high schools of both school boards. The pilot course will also include community, business, and agency involvement to ensure current knowledge and understanding of placement and apprenticeship opportunities for post-secondary students.

"The Future Teachers Widening Horizons project is an inaugural initiative for the Province of Ontario and is a reflection of the spirit of creativity and innovation that is possible in Northwestern Ontario," says Patricia Lang, President, Confederation College. "I applaud the partners for their wisdom and their insight in creating this course."

"Widening Horizons is an excellent example of Thunder Bay groups coming together to commit to a common goal," says Dr. Fred Gilbert, President, Lakehead University. "This collaboration is just one way in which the educational community can work mutually to benefit the city's high school and post secondary students."

Some of the aims of this project are: to provide teacher candidates with an increased awareness of education and career opportunities for workplace and college destination students, as well as a familiarity with the College structure, course offerings, and business and industry links; and give teacher candidates a background that will better equip them to discuss career opportunities with students and their parents.

For more information on the project, please call Ric Windsor, Widening Horizons Coordinator, at 345-5597.

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Contact: Marla Tomlinson, Lakehead University, 343-8177