BELONGING & Purpose
CAREER EDUCATION AT CROFTON HOUSE SCHOOL
How can students explore their interests , learn more about themselves and what career paths they might like to pursue , and gain valuable work experience and skills ?
The Senior School ’ s Career Education team helps students answer these questions through a range of learning opportunities and experiences .
Learning about oneself and connecting with others is an important part of discovering interests and potential career pathways . In the Senior School , the journey begins in Grade 8 with a three-part research assignment into local volunteer opportunities . Students create posters to promote the opportunities , and they are displayed in a gallery for all students to review . Students who connect with an opportunity can apply to volunteer .
“ Participating in volunteer opportunities is an early and easily accessible avenue through which students can begin to expand their networks and grow their confidence and skill sets ,” Ms Dixon , Teacher , Career Education & Post-Secondary Counsellor , Senior School , said . “ For many students , these opportunities help them identify the experiences that bring them joy , satisfaction , and a sense of belonging and purpose .”
For Grade 9 students , the annual Take Your Kid to Work Day helps students learn from the role models in their lives . It ’ s also a fun way to experience a professional environment before exploring more involved opportunities in higher grades .
Peyton , Grade 9 , spent the day at a veterinary clinic , where her passion for veterinary medicine grew . “ Seeing all of the interesting processes to understand what is wrong with the animal and how to help it was so interesting and looked like something I would resonate well with ,” she said . “ The many steps in this career make it seem like each patient is a puzzle to solve , and I like that approach .”
In Grade 10 , the Self-Awareness Project explores components of a student ’ s academic , personal and social identity . It also aims to equip them with agile decision-making skills and determination , and it helps them connect with opportunities that exist beyond Crofton House .
“ Prior to this project , I was really anxious about pursuing an art career pathway because of how unstable it can be . However , as I was answering the questions for this project , I realized how many resources I have supporting me and how fast the art community has grown in recent years , and it helped a lot with the anxiety knowing that it ’ s entirely possible to have a stable career as an artist ,” said one student .
Grade 10 – 12 students are also exposed to various career pathways through the Professional Mentorship Speaker Series . This initiative has been running for three years and features speakers from our alumnae and parent communities , as well as the wider community . Students listen to first-hand accounts of what it ’ s like in fields such as research , science , technology , engineering , business , creative arts and more . This year , the series featured Peyton Thomas ’ 11 , award-winning author of young adult fiction , Both Sides Now ; Wai-Ke Kim , Regional Director for Manulife Securities Advisory Services ; and Chinmayee Bhedi , a microbiology and biopharma professional , among others .
“ The goal is to reinforce this messaging from external speakers to highlight the relevance of what students are learning in class ,” Ms Hannigan , Teacher , Career Education and Head of Grade
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