$2 MILLION FOR LOCAL KIDS TO IMPROVE STEM SKILLS
Mark Clairmont | MuskokaTODAY.com
PARRY SOUND — A $2 million provincial incentive to help local kids improve math skills, learn financial management, explore STEM opportunities and study social media impacts on students has been announced.
The Grade 10 revised Career Studies course will focus on preparing students for jobs of the future and for life with a financial literacy component,” says MPP Norm Miller.
Information about the new course to be taught in schools this September is available online at http://www.edu.gov.on.ca/eng/curriculum/secondary/career-studies-grade10.pdf.
“We are focused on preparing students for the opportunities of tomorrow. The new Career Studies course will help students further explore growth industries, plan their future, and succeed in the real world,” said Miller. “I am pleased to see the emphasis on careers in the skilled trades and on financial literacy.”
The updated Career Studies course, which is a mandatory requirement for achieving an Ontario Secondary School Diploma, now includes learning on financial literacy and an enhanced focus on career pathways, such as apprenticeships in the skilled trades. It also takes a deeper look at:
- Financial management and budgeting;
- Careers in high-growth industries such as the Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) disciplines;
- Social media usage and its implications for students; and
- Transferable skills such as creativity, collaboration, and technological fluency.
The Education Ministry is also launching a major effort to strengthen math skills for all students in the province.
“I am proud that our government is investing more than $2 million in school boards that serve Parry Sound-Muskoka to help our students build the math knowledge and skills they need to succeed now, and in the future,” said Miller.
School boards serving Parry Sound-Muskoka students will receive the following funding allocations:
- Near North DSB will – $468,000
- Nipissing-Parry Sound Catholic DSB – $188,000
- Simcoe Muskoka Catholic DSB – $673,500
- Trillium Lakelands DSB – $555,500
- Conseil scolaire catholique Franco-Nord – $238,584
These local supports are part of a four-year math strategy, that is focused on fundamental math concepts and skills, and how to apply them, says a government release.
In 2019-2020, Ontario will be supporting the strategy with a $55-million investment.
The math strategy will ensure that students are prepared for success in the classroom and in their future, teachers are confident and capable in teaching math, and parents and families are confident and equipped to support their kids, it says.
“We are listening to parents and educators. Ontario students need greater support to strengthen their math skills to achieve success in school and in their careers. This investment provides our young people with access to the skills they need to enter the workforce with confidence, and further underscores our government’s focus on STEM in the classroom,” said Stephen Lecce, Minister of Education.
In addition to funding for Parry Sound-Muskoka area school boards, the government is committed to helping improve math scores by investing more than $6 million for summer initiatives throughout the province.
In Parry Sound-Muskoka, the Near North DSB, Trillium Lakelands DSB and CSDC Franco-Nord are offering a three-week, math-focused Summer Learning Program for students in Kindergarten to Grade 5. This will help students who require additional supports minimize summer learning loss, build confidence, increase skills, and have greater success during the regular school year.
The government says it has also launched a virtual resource, which will act as a summer learning refresher for students and parents.
The online resource, called Math at Home, will help support student learning, mitigate against summer learning loss and ensure parents are aware of opportunities to help prepare their child for success in math. Parents can access this resource athttps://math.thelearningexchange.ca/math-at-home/
