More than 400 Grade 8 and 9 students from across the Portage College service area in northeast Alberta took over the College’s Lac La Biche campus on Thursday, May 28 for a student education fair.
The students from Northern Lights Public Schools attended information sessions on all of the available programming at Portage, took part in team-building events, had a lunch … and were shown the benefits of post-secondary learning in their own communities.
The goal of the collaborative event, according to NLPS officials, is to engage, inspire, and inform students about future educational pathways and career opportunities.
Students attending the morning and afternoon sessions participated in hands-on learning opportunities that included welding displays (viewed from behind the safety visors of welding helmets), healthcare scenarios with Nursing and Paramedic faculty members, creating their own Indigenous art, taking part in team-building exercises in the Business program, seeing (and tasting) the skills involved in the Culinary Arts program, learning the many facets of the Community Social Work program – and asking questions directly to instructors and coordinators about the programs and the career choices that can follow.
The visit is designed to introduce younger students to the variety of programs offered at Portage, helping them begin to explore potential interests as they prepare for high school and beyond.
The partnership with the school division aims to spark early interest in post-secondary education, increase awareness of local opportunities, and empower students to envision their future pathways in a fun, interactive, and supportive environment.
Similar events have taken place between Portage College and local school divisions in recent years, with more planned for the near future.
A gallery of additional images can be found on the Portage College Flickr site HERE