WCSS students seek immediate remote opportunities

DUNROBIN – With another winter lockdown implemented by the provincial government earlier this week, the West Carleton Secondary School (WCSS) co-operative program is looking for remote opportunities for their students left in the lurch.

Co-op students are Grade 11 and 12 students taking a program that has a work apprentice element to the program. In 2019, West Carleton Online profiled three students taking part in the program that year. The new lockdown regulations limit gathering and encourage businesses to have employees work from home. The hospitality industry has been pretty much shut down for the next three weeks.

This has left many co-op students, as well as those trying to fulfill the provincially mandated volunteer hours requirement.

The trickle-down effect is WCSS students are having a difficult time fulfilling the requirements needed to graduate.

WCSS co-op program head Jen Stewart is putting the call out to the community for help, looking to provide these students with any type of opportunity.

“I am looking for some remote opportunities for my immediate students, as that is the only thing they are able to do at this point,” Stewart told West Carleton Online today (Jan. 6). “With school going remote we are thinking outside the box for experiential learning opportunities. Grade 11 and 12 students want you to tell us how we can help you.”

Some of that work could include social media, emails, website work, working with the elderly online, anything an organization would find helpful remotely, Stewart says.

“I have a number of Grade 11 and 12 students who do not have any of their volunteer hours done either so I am looking to compile a list of any organizations that may need support now, if the student and family feel comfortable, or in the near future when we actually go back to in-person learning and I am allowed to advocate for anything else,” she said.

Stewart is also looking for long-term opportunities with local organizations in the West Carleton and Kanata North area.

“I am also looking, as I always do, for potential organizations I can partner up with in the future for future co-op opportunities for students for a four-month period,” Stewart said.

Stewart says she has a lot of skilled and motivated students whose talents would be a boon to any organization.

“Honestly, I always have talented students in many different fields, art, graphic design, computer science, trades, etc.,” Stewart said. “WCSS has the most amazing students and it’s times like these we need to look within our community for how we can find practical applications for these students to participate in while learning remotely. Any help would be appreciated.”

If you think you can hep, or have further questions, you can contact Jennifer Stewart at jenniferl.stewart@ocdsb.ca.