Beaver Brae’s unique ACE program to assist at-risk youth is still up and running after some innovation from staff, despite the COVID-19 pandemic.
Beaver Brae Secondary School’s Academic Connections for Empowerment program, or ACE, was developed and is operated in partnership with WJS Canada within an office on Lakeview Drive. WJS provides the funding, and the Keewatin-Patricia District School Board provides the teacher.
It’s now been in operation for six years. Over the last four years, ACE teacher Andrew Jordan says he’s worked to create an open and welcoming classroom for any student who needs additional social or educational supports.
“It’s a pretty neat little set-up,” said Jordan. “Essentially, anything I think the students might engage with, WJS buys it for us. So we have some pretty neat ways to help engage students and help them take the next step to engage with their education.”
As well as a number of social supports, students have access to musical instruments, virtual reality headsets, books, drones and robots, cooking and painting supplies, and a number of other activities they may be interested in.
“The reason we do that, is we’re getting some of the most at-risk kids who may be struggling at Beaver Brae, be in danger of dropping out or just needs a caring adult’s support,” explained Jordan.
“It gives us more flexibility to try these techniques and tools to try to engage these students. Anything they engage with, we use that to get them in the door and wanting to come back, and hopefully, after building some confidence, we can get them back on track to graduation.”
But due to COVID-19, Jordan explains their in-person field trips have transitioned to virtual trips, and staff have been recording videos with instructions, life skills, cultural supports and mental health supports to assist students who have continued to learn virtually.
“The most successful are the ones that really engage with the program and take part in all of the opportunities we offer,” said Morgan Ann, WJS Transition Leader.
Ann explains she works to provide HUB programming, counselling, life skills and supports and helps students engage with employment opportunities, mental health counselling and any additional supports.
“We also teach life skills. We have all sorts of cooking equipment, and we teach kids how to shop on a budget, while still cooking and eating healthy,” adds Jordan.
ACE also employs Evelyn Finlayson, who works through WJS as a Cultural Liasion. She provides weekly cultural activities to students which include Indigenous teachings and also provides ‘in-kind’ cultural programming to the Kenora Youth Wellness Hub. She’s known there as Kokum.
“She is just an absolutely wonderful person and is a great resource for the students. Every Monday she would come in and do cultural programming. It was optional but the kids really engaged with it. She’s even taught me to bead,” said Jordan.
He notes the ACE program has helped develop a number of high-school and college graduates through the additional supports, and he says many students have been extremely positive about the program.
“Initially, the program was set-up as a transition program where we get kids back on their feet and they go back to the high-school. But what I’ve found, is that students like it so much, they have no desire to go back and they want to stay with us. The kids really engage with the program,” he explained.
“The difference is just the mode of delivery. Instead of being in a number of different classrooms with a number of different teachers, I’m essentially their teacher for whatever they want. It provides a range of supports to a range of students at the same time.”
Jordan notes the program doesn’t end after high school. WJS has community programs to allow students to work on their college credits with the additional supports as well.
If you’re interested in the ACE program, students are asked to talk to Beaver Brae’s Vice-Principal Dave Tresoor.