LONG-TERM OUTREACH
One of the goals of the STRATEGIES program is to provide continuous transitions
support to incoming first year students throughout their first year of university experience.
We have created a number of systems that allows SSWD to provide relevant information
and appropriate support services to first year students. In addition, the Transition
Coordinator has been networking with local District School Boards and visiting local
secondary schools to promote the STRATEGIES program and to help facilitate a
dialogue between secondary school service providers and our team in terms of transition
planning. The Transitions Coordinator has also created a STRATEGIES mail out that
has been sent electronically to all school boards in the province of Ontario. The following
table provides a summary of these services:
Email Announcements to First Year
Students
Prospective Student and Transition
Website
Individual Sessions
Peer Mentoring
Email announcements/follow-up will
continue to be sent on a monthly basis to
students to follow up and check in with
them to see how things are going and to
advise them of upcoming important dates
and events, etc. Additional emails will be
sent to students if new/important
information becomes available.
The goal is to continue to develop the
STRATEGIES website making it more user
friendly and easier to navigate. The
website is currently undergoing major
changes as Brock University is just
completing a branding project.
The Transition Coordinator continues to be
available for one-on-one appointments to
assist students with questions or concerns
that may have arisen. Appointments are
based on the individual needs of the
student. The aim of this service is to
provide students with an approachable
person within SSWD who is able to provide
a supportive environment for all transition
students to ask questions, share concerns,
and successes.
A student panel discussion group provided
an excellent peer mentoring experience for
the STRATEGIES students. This panel
consisted of three SSWD upper year
students who have a diagnosed learning
disability. These students shared their
personal stories and experiences with
conference participants. This also gave
student participants an option of asking
questions etc. Many of the student
participants keep in touch with the student
panel members and have developed
mentoring relationships.
The Transition Coordinator has been
working closely with Career Services at
Brock University to see if their current peer
mentor program is something that students
with disabilities can benefit from. The
Transition Coordinator is currently
participating in mentor training sessions.
Continue partnership with Ontario School
boards, specifically Hamilton Area and
Ontario Private Secondary Schools
Formal peer mentoring matching did not
occur during this past year. This program is
being re-evaluated and SSWD is looking to
partner with Career Services to offer a peer
mentor program in the future.
The Transition Coordinator visited 10 of the
Niagara area secondary schools but made
individual contact with all 30 schools
(Catholic and Public School Boards). The
purpose of these visits/contacts was to
provide an opportunity for the Transitions
Coordinator to get personally acquainted
with the support staff (Guidance
Counsellors, SERT teachers, etc.) in the
secondary schools of Niagara, to provide
information about the STRATEGIES
transition program options and SSWD
services. In addition, the Transition
Coordinator provided information about
documentation requirements for students.
This contact allowed secondary school
personnel the opportunity to ask questions
and provide the Transition Coordinator with
feedback about the current transition
process for students.
The Transition Coordinator along with the
Manager of SSWD participated in an
education day for Peel Regional
transitioning students with the Peel District
th
School Board on December 15 /2008.
During this presentation, we provided
information on the STRATEGIES transition
programming and provided a general
overview of services. We hope to be invited
back again this year to meet prospective
students from the Peel area.
The Transition Coordinator also put
together an electronic informational
package that provided current information
about the STRATEGIES transition program,
SSWD services and documentation
requirements etc. This package was sent
to all School Boards in Ontario.
Online Discussion Forum/Sakai
The goal is to continue our partnership with
the Niagara Region School
Boards/Secondary Schools and enhance
our partnership with other school boards on
Ontario. Electronic contact will continue
with all school board in Ontario. Our focus
for the next year is to concentrate our
efforts in the Hamilton area and to Ontario
private schools.
The goal is of the SAKAI site is to provide
an online discussion forum through Brock
Universities Sakai program (an online
program that is used in academic courses
that provides a communication network
including online discussions and space to
post important news, events etc.). The
Transition Coordinator will oversee online
discussions and the overall forum of the
SAKAI site.
The use of the SAKAI on line “site” has
been a very effective tool for facilitating
communication with first year students.
This year, SAKAI was up and running for
students starting in September (as opposed
to January last year). Initial feedback and
evaluation of student usage shows that first
year students are actively using this site to
find answers to questions and to locate
resources. To date our Sakai site statistics
show that there has been 736 visits since
th
the 2009 launch on September 8 /2009 to
the SSWD page (which only transition
students registered with SSWD have
access to).
We plan to continue to develop the SAKAI
site and add additional features such as
links to informational websites and
resources for students pertaining to
disability related and learning issues.
Marketing Brochure
Progress has all ready begun on updating
our current STRATEGIES brochure. We
have used the same brochure for the past
four years. It is time to give our brochure a
new look and highlight on the new program
additions.
In addition, we plan to include student
feedback about their STRATEGIES
experience to enhance our brochure.