Aboyne, Ont.- Wellington Terrace Long Term Care Home and the Upper Grand District School Board (UGDSB) are starting a Living Classroom Programme.
The Living Classroom is a training model designed to educate and prepare the next generation of health care students by immersing them directly in the operations of long-term care and retirement homes.
Benefits of a Living Classroom Include:
An Immersive Learning Environment: Students spend valuable instruction time inside a care home setting, working alongside health care professionals, interacting with residents, and applying their learned skills in meaningful, real-world circumstances.
A Collaborative and Supportive Culture: The Living Classroom fosters a team-based approach, bringing together faculty, residents, families, and care teams to create a rich learning environment that enhances both student education and resident well-being.
A Stronger Healthcare Workforce: As the demand for skilled and compassionate health care providers continues to grow, the Living Classroom model ensures graduates are ready for the workforce from day one. Students receive hands-on experience that prepares them to deliver exceptional senior care and sets them up for long-term career success in the long-term care and retirement home sector.
Innovation in Personalized Care: Each Living Classroom is designed to meet the unique needs of the partnering long-term care home and educational institution, ensuring that training methods and care approaches are adaptable, effective, and applicable to the needs of the people they care for.
Education: Upon completing the 10-month Living Classroom Programme, students will receive their PSW certification; CPR and First Aid Certification; Gentle Persuasive Approach Certificate (GPA®) in Dementia Care; marketing skills; employer contacts; work experience; OSSD credits if required.
Application Process
(1) Interested candidates must attend an information session:
Tuesday July 29, 2025
2:00 – 4:00 pm or 6:00 – 8:00 pm (2 sessions offered)
Wellington County Museum and Archives – Aboyne Hall
0536 Wellington Road 18, Fergus
Register here: https://forms.gle/qzjHYGHVsWdSSk2JA
(2) After completion of the information session, candidates will be given an opportunity to write a diagnostic entrance exam following the presentation.
(3) Once the information session and diagnostic exam have been completed, successful candidates will be offered an interview time in early August.
(4) After the interview and diagnostic exam, offers of acceptance will be sent to approximately 21 potential candidates. A waitlist will be maintained.
“Wellington Terrace is pleased to partner with the Upper Grand District School District Board on the Living Classroom Programme,” said Suzanne Dronick Wellington Terrace Long Term Care Home Administrator. “Through hands-on experience and mentorship, our students will develop the critical skills and compassion required to care for our residents with confidence and excellence.”
“We are thrilled to see the Living Classroom expand. This programme not only enhances student learning but also strengthens the future of healthcare support in our region,” said Peter Sovran, UGDSB Director of Education.
Background
A pioneering partnership in 2009 between Conestoga College, the Schlegel-UW Research Institute for Aging (RIA), and Schlegel Villages launched our Living Classroom programme. The programme is currently funded by the Government of Ontario and led by the RIA through the Centres for Learning, Research and Innovation in Long-Term Care (Ontario CLRI), in partnership with the Ontario Association of Adult and Continuing Education School Board Administrators (CESBA). There are over 20 Living Classrooms across Ontario, with that number expected to grow.