Seneca CollegeSeneca @ York

Toronto District School BoardEmery/Westview/Jefferys

York UniversityFaculty of Education

History

York Faculty of Education and Westview Centennial Secondary School Family

5 schools 1991-92

11 schools by 1994-95

Current Scope

Partnership initiatives impact 23 schools,

directly engage approximately 3000 students

from the neighbourhood, involve 9 faculties at

York, Seneca@York, the Office of the

Ombudsperson, the Y.U. Art Galleries, 12 community

groups and constitute over 20 different programs

Partners 2007-2008

York University

Toronto District School Board

Toronto Catholic District School Board

Seneca College of Applied Arts and Technology

Ministry of Training, Colleges and Universities

York University Faculty Association

Jane-Finch’s Caring Village

Community Organizations

Four private donors

Mandate

•To enhance academic opportunities and access to post-secondary education and training for students living in the Jane & Finch community

•To provide opportunities for teacher candidates and practising teachers to increase their skills and knowledge in urban education

Partnership Paths

•Pre-Service Bachelor of Education Path

•Post-Secondary Path for elementary and secondary school students

Opening the Doors to Post Secondary Education

• To make intentional the aim of post secondary education

• To engage students from JK to grade12 and their parents

• To make York campus a familiar part of the community

• To afford a taste of post secondary in high school

• To help young people identify strengths & set goals

“My goal has always been to attend university but I was a bit nervous. After being part of this experience I have greater confidence university is the right place for me.”

Post-Secondary Path Programs

A variety of programs which will assist students to overcome systemic barriers:

• Race• Ethnicity• Gender • Economic Means• Social Class• Postal Code• Status or length of time in Canada

Our Schools/Our Students 1

• More than 160,590 children are growing up in high poverty neighbourhoods

• 400% increase in immigrant families living in poverty between 1999 and 2001

More than 311,500 immigrant families are living in high poverty

neighbourhoods

Poverty by Postal Code (2004) The United Way of Greater Toronto and

the Canadian Council on Social Development

Our Schools/Our Students – TDSB2

• Approximately 280,000 elementary and secondary students

• Over 150 nationalities and 80 languages• 25% of elementary students were born outside

Canada• 43% of secondary students were born outside

Canada• Approximately 50% ESLDonna Quan, System Superintendent, TDSB

Intergovernmental Committee for Economic and Labour Force Development,

9th Annual Meeting, May 2006

Our Schools/Our Students – TDSB3

• 109 TDSB schools fall within the 13 priority neighbourhoods; 20% of those schools fall within the Jane-Finch community

• Students in low income neighbourhoods are less likely to achieve provincial standards in reading and writing

• Students in low income neighbourhoods are less likely to receive the extra curricular, nutritional and cultural supports students in more advantaged neighbourhoods

marginalizationQuan, 2006

TDSB Learning Opportunities Index

The LOI is• A measure of “cultural capital” in a school population based on 10 statistically valid and reliable measures

• Ranks each school from most needy to least needy (Elementary:1-473; Secondary 1-107)

Programs for Parents/Caregivers

Home and School Learning at

Firgrove Model School

Westview Alumni @ York (WAY) Mentoring

Programs for students in Post Secondary

Programs for Elementary

• Summer Arts

• Higher 5

• After School programs

• Triangle of Hope

• Festival of the Arts

Programs for Middle School

• Promoting Excellence

• Math Experience Camp

• Summer Arts

Programs for Grades 9 & 10

• Readers to Leaders

• Mentoring

School of Nursing

Schulich School of Business

School of Kinesiology

Justice Department

• Promoting Excellence

Programs for Grades 11 & 12

• Advanced Credit Experience

•York/Seneca Summer Science & Technology

Impact

“I used to think about going to university, but I never actually understood what it meant, financially or academically.”

ACE Participant, 2003

“ The program made me feel like I had a chance...that maybe I could pass high school, maybe I might be able to go to college, maybe I could have a different life.” Promoting Excellence, 2006

Impact – Promoting Excellence

ACE - Impact

2003/04 -15 students contacted

All enrolled in PSE

All intend to continue beyond present level

Most are at least one semester “behind” but had the

confidence to return

22

Impact - ACE

“ACE (Advanced Credit Experience) has

taught me some of life’s great lessons: self-

reliance, independence, taking initiative and

overcoming barriers.”

ACE Student, 2003

Impact - YSSSTP 1

“Through the Summer Science and Technology

Program, I found my strengths and weaknesses. The

impact of the program on my life has been

immeasurable and has allowed me to gain

confidence and motivation to pursue my

dream and to overcome any challenges

that I encounter in both my academic and

personal life.” YSSSTP Student, 2004

Impact – YSSSTP 2

“...I got excited. Excited to become who and what I want to become. For the first time in my life I got excited to go back to school and excel ....YSSSTP gave me the inspiration I never possessed, for school, for my career, for my life.” YSSSTP

Student, 2006

The Westview Partnership

Jackie Robinson

Westview Partnership Coordinator

Faculty of Education, York University

4700 Keele St.

Toronto, ON M3J 1P3

(416) 736-2100 x70323

jrobinson@edu.yorku.ca