A world of possibilities: Grade 8 students explore tech at John F. Ross
November 25, 2016
GUELPH, Ontario – This week, hundreds of grade 8 students got an eye-opening experience, as staff and students at John F. Ross CVI showed them what a career in tech could be like.
On Friday Nov. 18 and Thursday Nov. 24, the secondary school held its thirteenth annual Technology Days. Every year, teacher Trent Bewick and a group of 10 tech teachers run and organize the event.
Over the course of the two days, approximately 500 grade 8 students from Ross’s eight feeder schools spent half-day sessions touring the school’s shops and learning about the courses offered in communications, construction, cosmetology, tech design, green industries, manufacturing and transportation. Students learned about potential career pathways in tech, and also had the chance to build a project and take it home that day.
Ross students were on hand to help introduce the grades 8s to the machines and equipment in the shops.
Also on Thursday, the students were joined by special guest Sherry Holmes, from the home reno show Holmes Makes It Right. One part of the day that really stood out to Holmes was learning about the school’s all female tech classes, which Ross has offered since 2008. The school has been working actively to encourage more female students to sign up for tech classes.
When it comes to introducing students to the world of opportunities tech offers, Ross has led the way. By the end of next year, all UGDSB secondary schools will be following the John F. Ross model of running grade 8 tech days. The school was one of the first in the board to run the event.
Students are given the opportunity to come out of school with a special designation in the Specialist High Skills Major program, with certifications, and they are ready to go into post-secondary or the workforce without missing a step.
During Technology Days, the teachers hope students got an authentic introduction to the high school possibilities available to them and hope that many will be encouraged to take a tech class once in high school.
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For more information:
Heather Loney, Communications and Community Engagement Officer
Upper Grand District School Board
519-822-4420 ext.725
[email protected]