Every Grade Eight student from Shuswap Middle School will descend upon Okanagan College in Salmon Arm on May 3rd.

Over two-hundred SMS students will spend the morning at the Shuswap campus learning more about what the campus has to offer.

SMS Principal Scott Anderson is excited about the upcoming event. “Visiting the OC Salmon Arm Campus is a wonderful chance for our students to see the post secondary learning opportunities that are available right here in their home town!” said Anderson. Students will rotate through different stations while at the College. These stations include a tour of the facility, a talk with a college advisor on various programs, view scientific and other interactive demonstrations and participate in some games as well.

The college will be busy during that week as on Friday, May 5th, secondary students throughout the District will be invited to “Experience OC” by attending lectures given by College professors in their chosen fields. Grade 10-12 students interested in the opportunity are to talk with the Career Coordinator at their school or they can contact George Richard at 778-824-1188 or email grichard@sd83.bc.ca.

School District 83 Careers Team and the Department of Fisheries and Oceans are collaborating in a two-part experiential learning opportunity next month.

Fisheries officers will be coming to SAS-Sullivan and Eagle River Secondary on Tuesday, April 4th and then will visit AL Fortune and Pleasant Valley Secondary on Wednesday, April 5th. DFO officials will be talking to interested students about careers in habitat restoration, resource management, stock assessment, conservation, protection and enforcement. The talk is part of a key note address at SAS-Sullivan as the DFO will be part of a mini-career fair taking place at the campus that morning. Any high school students can sign up to attend the live panel discussion by getting a parent permission form from the career coordinator at their neighbourhood high school.

Then on Tuesday, April 25th, only 20 district students will be able to attend a special DFO/ SD 83 Field Trip at the Kingfisher Interpretive Centre east of Enderby. Members of BC’s Conservation Service will be joining DFO Enforcement officers to participate in role playing events of how law breakers are dealt with. As well, those interested in biology will be able to do some counting of stock in the Shuswap River and learn more about fish habitat. Students wishing to do this trip should attend the first session in early April and also need a signed parent permission form to attend the event. If you wishing more information about the event, don’t hesitate to contact the career coordinator at your neighbourhood school or you can reach out to George Richard at 778-824-1188 or email grichard@sd83.bc.ca.

Nearly two-hundred Grade 8 students have participated in a learning session this week on the power of Math to solve societal questions.

SD 83 Careers teamed up with the Canadian Institute of Actuaries (CIA) to offer the 45 minute session to Shuswap Middle School students. An Actuary is a person who applies mathematics, statistics, probability and risk theory to assess potential financial impacts of future events. Actuaries have traditionally and extensively been used in the insurance industry but are now being employed by universities, governments, bank and trust companies, professional associations, and science and engineering consulting firms.

During the session, students worked in teams and were given the scenario that their team owned an ice cream stand. The team had to figure out what things could go wrong in the operation of their business. They also brainstormed about what work/life qualities they would like to have for their future careers.

This is one of the first times the national institute has worked with students in raising awareness of its profession and the CIA and SD 83 Careers will carry on with the pilot program next fall. A session will be held for any district Grade 10-12 student interested in a career involving Math or being an actuary. If you would wish further information, you are welcome to contact George Richard at 778-824-1188 or email grichard@sd83.bc.ca.

SD 83 Grades 10-12 students have an opportunity to learn more about careers in mining and exploration through a series of events happening in the months of April through June.

MineralsEd, in conjunction with SD 83, will host a virtual panel of young mineral industry experts sharing their stories of how they got into the industry, education and training they received and what their job involves, among other topics. The panels range from geologist and environmental scientists to drillers and trades people and other careers in between. The session is open to any Grade 10-12 students interested in careers involving the earth, technology, working with their hands and/or being outside!

Interested students can register through the career coordinator/counsellor at their school. The virtual session will be broadcast on Wednesday, April 19^th between 9:30-11AM at your neighbourhood high school.

As for the other phases of this series, they will take place in May and early June where SD 83 students will tour an active mine, visit a natural resource sciences faculty and trades centre at a university and actually work at a real exploration site gathering soil and water samples, identifying vegetation and other hands-on learning.

If you have any questions connected to this event or the series, please contact George Richard at 778-824-1188, email grichard@sd83.bc.ca or please reach out to your high school’s Career Coordinator/Counsellor.

Over 30 students from Arwen Holmlund’s Kindergarten and Katie Dawson’s K-1 classes did some career exploration in Sicamous on Tuesday.

The students joined the presenters virtually to carry on the BC Education Ministry Pilot program which began two weeks ago. School District 83, the Ministry and the U.K. non-profit charitable organization Education and Employers, are working together to breakdown gender roles in the work world. The project is seeking to raise children’s aspirations and broaden their horizons by connecting grade schools with inspiring, relatable role models from the world of work.

The five and six year old’s played “Guess My Career”, where students ask a question and the guest could only respond with “Yes” or “No” answers. One of the workers in the three-member panel was Lisa, a BC School District Electrician.

The pilot is taking place in a few other BC districts. A review of the program will take place before Spring Break. For those wanting to learn more about the program and about any other programs in careers, they can contact SD 83 Career Education Coordinator George Richard at 778-824-1188, email grichard@sd83.bc.ca or simply contact the Career Coordinator at your neighbourhood high school.