Pathways and Transitions
WRDSB is preparing students for the next step in their elementary and secondary education and their postsecondary pathway.
We are proud of the ways that WRDSB students are making an impact on Waterloo Region and beyond. We continue to help students develop a sense of agency, which will help them to succeed in the future. Students are demonstrating leadership, engaging in different learning experiences and educational opportunities outside of the classroom to pursue their interests and ideas.
WRDSB students are making their mark on the world. We are proud of the innovative ways that students are using their agency and voice to explore potential postsecondary pathways.
Students from Cameron Heights Collegiate Institute were recognized at the South by Southwest (SXSW) EDU Student Impact Challenge in Texas for their ReAlign app, which diagnoses and treats amblyopia, commonly known as “lazy eye.”
Grade 12 WRDSB student Karina gained international acclaim for her 3D animated film Nix’s Symphony. It has received awards at the Berlin International Art Film Festival, the Cannes Art Fest and the Accolade Global Film Competition. Karina wrote the script, composed the music and designed the characters herself.
Bluevale Collegiate Institute’s Electric Car Club raced to victory at the Waterloo High School Electric Vehicle (EV) Challenge. Hosted by the Faculty of Engineering at the University of Waterloo, the Waterloo High School Electric Vehicle (EV) Challenge encourages students to design and test their own electric car in an annual endurance competition. Teams from Laurel Heights Secondary School (LHSS) and Waterloo Collegiate Institute (WCI) also took part in the event.
Members of the Elmira District Secondary School robotics team, 4917 Sir Lancerbot, attended the First Robotics Championship in Houston, Texas. The First Robotics Competition teaches students valuable STEM and business skills through hands-on learning experiences.
Extracurricular learning opportunities provide students with the chance to engage in STEAM activities, develop friendships and build leadership capacity. Students at Blue Heron Public School have a Girls Who Game Club who engage in Esports.
As we prepare students for graduation, we are focused on strategies focused on credit accumulation. For example, we provide opportunities for “Reach Ahead” credits for Grade 8 students. To help support positive transitions between schools, WRDSB offers Grade 6 to 7 and Grade 8 to 9 transition support to students. Staff, including System Navigators and a Graduation Coach to support Black students, build connections between students, families and their communities. As well, supportive intervention programs are available in secondary schools for credit rescue and credit recovery.
We know that not all students will follow traditional pathways of learning. Through “Build a Credit” and e-learning opportunities, students are able to expand their ways they earn credits towards their diploma. WRDSB continues to expand offerings available through Specialist High School Majors (SHSM), Ontario Youth Apprenticeship Programs (OYAP), and Cooperative Education. Additional job skills training programs were offered through Dual Credit (College) programs and School Within a College (SWAC) program with Conestoga College.
As a way to integrate student voice into the Communications Department, student journalists joined the team for co-operative experiences to help their peers tell their stories. They, along with other students featured in #StudentVoice articles, shared personal experiences and stories about their schools and communities in their unique voices. Kyo Lee was also honoured as being the youngest winner of the CBC Poetry Prize and credits her WRDSB educators for fostering her creativity and professional writing success.
As we continue to transform education from within Waterloo Region, WRDSB students are at the forefront of those conversations. WRDSB students organized the TEDxColumbia Lake Youth conference at the University of Waterloo on October 14, 2023, where youth engaged in conversations about reinventing education. Student roundtables, such as those hosted at Laurel Heights Secondary School, connect students and staff to discuss issues that are important to them and engage in creating change. Fostering student leadership opportunities, such as engaging in Student Roundtables, representing their peers as a Student Trustee, or being a City Councillor for a Day open windows into the many different pathways and opportunities for students to share their voice and impact their communities.
In April 2024, Black and Muslim students from six WRDSB secondary schools experienced what it was like to be a chemistry student for a day, including attending a lecture, getting hands-on lab experience and touring the science building. This was thanks to a partnership between our Indigenous, Equity, and Human Rights Department and the University of Waterloo Chemistry Department.
Students at Groh Public School in Kitchener are taking the lead in their learning journey thanks to a design thinking approach used by their teachers and in partnerships with Smart Waterloo Region Innovation Lab (SWRIL). One of the ways they were able to showcase their learning was through the development of the Groh Global Gala, aimed at providing a meaningful experience to help improve the experiences of newcomers.
Students from 12 WRDSB schools competed in the Earth Day Amazing Race 2024 at Camp Heidelberg Outdoor and Environmental Education Centre, where 48 environmentally-minded students engaged in environmental and wildlife challenges and hands-on learning.
We know that supporting students in their learning through to graduation is a collective effort, and involves partnerships with families, caregivers and communities. The WRDSB’s commitment to community engagement reinforces ways to work together to ensure students can reach their highest potential.
Read more about how we’re supporting Pathways and Transitions:
