This September, Conestoga will relaunch Discover Your Future - a free, six-week program that will be offered at both the Waterloo and Brantford campuses for individuals who may face barriers to accessing post-secondary education or who need help starting their post-secondary path.
Through individualized support from a team that includes a counselor-qualified teacher and a student success advisor, participants will explore their personal strengths and values and receive support in establishing academic and career goals.
“We are very pleased to offer this program again with the support of our community partners, funded by the Ministry of Training, Colleges and Universities,” said Tanya Kell, chair, Academic Upgrading & Workforce Development. “The new version of Discover Your Future is specifically geared to individuals who are furthest removed from accessing post-secondary education and who may not know what career options are best suited to them. Sometimes the hardest part of pursuing your goals is knowing where to start and that’s what the program aims to help with. Discover Your Future is a starting point - participants will learn about the college and career options available to them and will build their confidence so they can take the next steps in their journey. We want to spread the message that college is possible for everyone, you may just need a little help getting started.”
Throughout the six-week program, participants will complete academic and career exploration activities; receive exposure to the post-secondary environment through college visits and participation in college classes; and increase their confidence in academic skills. The overall program goal is to increase awareness of the benefits of a post-secondary education and the alternate routes available for accessing that education, as well as providing ongoing personal support for participants so they are able to complete a post-secondary program.
Discover Your Future is supported by multiple community partners in Waterloo and Brantford, as well as internal partners that include Student Success Services, the Conestoga Career Centre, Student Engagement and Institutional Research and Planning. Students will also have exposure to numerous guest speakers from across the Conestoga community.
Eligibility for the program will be determined through a personal interview that will assess commitment to attend classes and ability to participate in program activities.
The first delivery of Discover Your Future will begin September 10 at the Waterloo campus, and a second delivery starts October 29 in Brantford. For more information, or to refer potential participants, contact Janet Jones at 519-885-0300, ext. 5230.
Visit Discover Your Future for more information.