Grade 8’s Explore OC in Three Weeks

Pizza & Learning—sounds like a great combination for SD83 Grade Eights coming soon.

Over five-hundred grade eights from across the district will descend upon Okanagan College Salmon Arm April 30th and May 2nd for the first annual district-wide Explore OC day. Grade Eight students from Shuswap Middle and King’s Christian Schools will take in the morning activities of learning and exploring career options on Wednesday, April 30th. Students from the remaining nine schools in the district will be bussed in on Friday, May 2nd. The students will marshall in the central courtyard to start the morning fresh from their walks or rides from their schools. From there, the students chose one of three learning streams: University, Trades and Technology and Health and Human Services. Those who were curious about University will learn about science, arts and business careers; others who enquired about health and human services careers will learn about early childhood education, social work, nursing and other health careers Okanagan College offers; the final trades and technology group will learn more about engineering, red seal trades and dual credit opportunities.

Many of the activities will be interactive. Tours of the campus will also given to students as well as students participating in some indigenous games and a scavenger hunt. Students will end the session with a pizza lunch in the courtyard.

This is the third year of a pilot program involving Salmon Arm’s Okanagan College campus and SD83 Careers. The previous two years involved just Shuswap Middle school. The purpose of the event is to expose Grade Eights to start exploring their future selves. The pilot has been expanded thanks to a generous grant from the BC Government.

If you have any other ideas to expose students to career learning, don’t hesitate to reach out to SD83 Career Education Coordinator George Richard via text or phone at 778-824-1188 or you can email grichard@sd83.bc.ca.