Only 20 SD83 students will have the opportunity to check out a hands-on opportunity to learn more about inland fisheries and conservation careers later this month. SD83 Career’s Department, along with the Department of Fisheries and Oceans, is sponsoring a half-day field trip to the Kingfisher Interpretive Centre on Wednesday, April 24th.

Students will work in three rotating stations: Fisheries and Conservation enforcement where they will go through a simulation with a violator; Stock assessment and stream enhancement work where student will get into the Shuswap river to do some counting; and fish biology where they will get hands on to examine the make-up of our local salmon and learn about volunteer and career opportunities in the industry.

Students and parents are reminded to talk with their school-based career coordinator to receive a permission form for the event. Due to limited seating, space will fill up fast. If you do wish to learn more about the event, please phone or text George Richard at 778-824-1188 or email grichard @sd83.bc.ca.

Over 40 Grade 10-12 students got an opportunity to play in Kelowna this week. The students visited the Centre for Arts and Technology (CAT) for a full-day workshop in the creative course of their choice.

Students from JL Jackson, Salmon Arm, AL Fortune and Pleasant Valley Secondaries had a tour of the two building facility and had their choice of creative workshops to participate in. The workshops included: Photography, Interior Design, Video Production, Audio Engineering, Animation and Graphic and Web Design. All of the workshops were led by CAT instructors who are also active professionals in those careers.

CAT High School Liaison Jon Matlock says although the Centre has offered a spring break camp for high school students for decades, it has never offered a one-day, interactive workshop for students during the academic year. “We have had students walk through our facility but we have never had a hands-on component to it. So, with today, and SD83 coming down here, we wanted to use this as a starting point to offer this to other schools from other districts,” Matlock says. “We wanted to give them (students) a real experience, something to take home and reflect on that they may have enjoyed their time here. That’s the ultimate goal”.

Matlock says he is pleased with the results of the visit and how involved both teachers and students were. “Not only are the students having fun, the teachers and counsellors here are too,” Matlock explains. “The students are quite engaged—the video production students are really engaged.”

This is a reminder for any students wanting to apply for academic dual credit courses for next year to get in their applications to their school’s career coordinators before April 30th. If you have any other questions or ideas for field trip activities we can do in the district, please contact George Richard via text or phone at 778-824-1188 or email grichard@sd83.bc.ca.

The 7th Annual Tech Meet-Up is taking place at Salmon Arm Secondary the morning of April 17th.

The event is sponsored by School District 83 Careers and the Salmon Arm Economic Development Society. Shuswap companies will be able to showcase to SAS and JL Jackson students how they are on the leading edge of technology in their fields. Students will be able to tour the exhibits and be able to interact with some of the displays in the school’s atrium. Some of the more than 20 local businesses in attendance include Raptor Integration, Valid Manufacturing, Sky Crew and Dinoflex. Students are welcome to drop off resumes at these companies as some of them are hiring.

Employers still interested in being a part of this event can contact SAS Career Coordinator John Quilty at jquilty@sd83.bc.ca or SAEDS Business Support and Marketing Coordinator Kate Watson at 250-833-0608.

SD83 Careers Department and B.C.’s Emergency Health Services (BCEHS) are pleased to offer another information meeting this month for parents and students interested in one of the District’s latest dual credit courses. The information session takes place Tuesday, April 9^th at 7PM in the JL Jackson Library.

The Emergency Medical Responder Program will be hosted at JL Jackson Secondary in Salmon Arm starting in February 2025. There is a hope the program can expand to the southern part of the district as well in time. The program is open to all district Grade 10-12 students but older students will be favoured in the interview process.

The one semester course is sponsored by the JIBC (Justice Institute of BC), BCEHS and SD83. The program is geared towards students interested in the following careers: Paramedic, Firefighting, Law Enforcement, Medicine, Nursing, and working in remote resource camps where industrial first aid attendants are required. At the end of the course, students who achieve over 75% will receive their EMR ticket and then be able to license as an EMR.  The EMR ticket is a prerequisite for the PCP (Primary Care Paramedic) license which is a prerequisite for more advanced and specialized tickets.  Students will also receive four credits towards high school graduation. The course will be taught by JL Jackson Teacher Greg Seed, who will be trained as an EMR this summer.  Students will work with real ambulance equipment and likely have assistance from real paramedics in the community to help teach different parts of the course. As this is a dual credit course, tuition for students is free but there will be a fee for the main textbook and other administrative costs.

BC Emergency Health Services Youth Program Lead Deborah Roberts and BCEHS Talent Acquisition Specialist Rhiannon Anderson will be in Salmon Arm to present an overview of the program, answer any questions and lay down expectations for students accepted into this rewarding but demanding course. The deadline to apply for the course is April 30th. Applications can be picked up at the neighbourhood high school’s career department or you can pick one up at the event. 

If you wish further information of the event, please contact George Richard via text or phone at 778-824-1188 or email grichard@sd83.bc.ca

SD83 parents have an opportunity to learn how to help their kids become more financially literate.

SD83 Careers, the Canadian Federation of Economic Education (CFEE) and Investors Group are sponsoring a province-wide virtual workshop on April 3rd at 7PM. This event flows from the in person session CFEE conducted in Salmon Arm in November.

The free workshop will give tools to some parents to help students build their financial future discussing topics like managing money, goal setting, budgeting and transitioning from the public school system to post-secondary studies or the world of work. There will be another session coming up in May that will be directed specifically to students. That registration information will be coming out next month.

In the meantime, parents wishing to register for the April 3rd event can scan the QR code below. If you have other ideas on other “Parents as Career Coaches” events, please get hold of District Career Education Coordinator George Richard either by text or phone at 778-824-1188 or you can email. grichard@sd83.bc.ca.