Programming Priorities

There is much to be done to ensure that high quality educational experiences continue to be available to all Canadians. In the short term, the CCQEO has narrowed its focus to several key areas where it believes it can make the greatest impact.

Based on an analysis of existing education research and related data, programming priorities identified by the organization include:

School-to-Work Transition Programs

It is essential that students leave high school with the occupational and academic skills to succeed in the workplace or in post-secondary education. The CCQEO believes that effective school-to-work programs are at least in part based on strong partnerships between local schools and businesses. These partnerships are essential to broadening and enriching the learning experience for both students and teachers, and to preparing all students for successful and rewarding employment after they complete their education.

By working closely with schools, businesses can ensure that future members of the workforce are well-prepared to function in high-performance workplaces – environments that demand teamwork, problem solving and complex reasoning skills. Some of the ways businesses partner with education include career talks, job shadowing, mentoring and apprenticeship programs.

Playscapes

For younger children, play time is an essential part of the overall educational experience. Over the last several years, the safety of our elementary school playgrounds has been compromised. With universal safety standards for new playground construction already completed and ready to be put into place, the upgrading of school playscapes on a local, regional or even national level would be a turnkey process for willing community partners.

Science and Technology Education

It is becoming increasingly difficult for schools to cover the costs of providing appropriate classroom equipment and learning materials for science and technology education. Community partners could assist by providing in-class resources, as well as opportunities to learn more about the application of science and technology in the working world.

Scholarships and Bursaries

The CCQEO would also like to establish a national scholarship program for high school excellence, modeling provincial initiatives such as the former "Ontario Scholar" program. The financial scholarships would be awarded at the end of the academic year to students obtaining an academic average of at least 80 per cent.

Other Opportunities

There are numerous other ways in which a community partner could get involved with CCQEO programs. We welcome the creative exploration of ideas with any organization interested in investing in Canada's future through publicly-funded education.

Some other areas for collaboration would include, but are not limited to, the following: