A lesson in skills for life
That the end of high school means teens are set for adulthood is an outdated notion, says Adam dePencier, principal of Blyth Academy’s Yorkville, Ont. campus. “That’s why the school works hard to ensure students have the necessary life skills to succeed before they graduate,” he says. “We want those going on to university to know how to manage relationships and money, how to advocate for themselves and how to address issues before they reach crisis point.”
Blyth is a co-educational private school for students in grades nine through 12. Part of the curriculum comprises a two-year long foundations course that covers a range of subjects, including postsecondary study techniques, personal finance, résumé preparation, job hunting and conflict resolution. An app management component teaches students to how make smart choices about downloads to their cell phones. The culmination of the foundations program is a three-night visit to a lighthouse on Lake Superior, where participants study history, geography and astronomy while engaging in community service activities.
Seniors also participate in a co-op work program. “This is where they learn about the real-world consequences of their actions. It is one thing to get chewed out by the principal; quite another to lose a job because of poor performance in the workplace. Kids are motivated by the setting and realize there is much more at stake,” says dePencier.
Brighton School in Toronto helps students learn the skills needed to transition from a school environment to independent or supported living. It has just 70 students who span elementary to high school, and caters to children needing additional support for learning and who do better in small groups.
Many of Brighton’s students attend for a period of remedial learning before returning to their school of choice. For teens not in a position to move on to another high school, Brighton provides necessary life skills and real-world preparation so that they are able to enter the workplace, community college or a vocational program.
The school’s real economy program gives students a cash allowance each week with which they learn to budget, save and spend. Learning is reinforced with practical activities such as shopping, banking and dining out. Students also learn appropriate behaviour and self-advocacy in different settings. “We are literally teaching our students what they need to get along in the world — all the skills that will help them to live independently or in a supported living arrangement,” says Kathy Lear, executive director at Brighton.
Family studies focuses on cooking, food safety, laundry and home management skills, while Exploring the World of Work sees students develop basic résumés and spend time in different environments and sectors, such as retail and food services. “We have some excellent partners for work placements,” Lear explains. “We rotate students through the different businesses so they are able to gain a variety of experiences, because not all know what they would like to do once they leave the school.”
Importantly, Brighton focuses on teaching the nuances of the digital world. “We have a computers skills and media studies program,” says Lear. “For many of our students it is their preferred output medium. However, we not only teach keyboarding, we highlight safe internet usage and how to evaluate what is real and what is not. This is a huge issue today.”
Three years ago, as a way to help students over the age of 18 who had finished high school yet needed more hands-on life experience, the
Brighton Launch Adult program was developed. “Our transitions to adulthood skills curriculum (TASC) is unique,” says Lear. “The emphasis is on skills for life, career development, workplace and community.” Participants can enrol full- or part-time.
In addition to practical day classes and six-month to oneyear work placements, the program includes an internal work experience component called Brighton Launch Creations, a boutique producer of personal care items such as bath bombs, lip balm and lotions. Products are sold on Etsy and at craft shows by program participants. “The Creations program is supercharging all the things they are learning inside and outside of the program — quality control, deadlines, teamwork, sales, customer service and more,” explains Lear. What’s more, Christmas students actively engaged in community spirit as they packaged and delivered 150 gift baskets of product to Sistering, a Toronto drop-in agency for at-risk women.
It’s not all work and no play at Brighton, however. Weekly Friday night socials transform the north building at Brighton into a meeting place for students aged 13 and over. “This is where friends and peers meet and hang out. It is facilitated and supervised and gives students a social outlet where otherwise it might not exist,” says Lear. “We really are trying to tick all the boxes here: work, safety, household management and the social aspects of life.”