Whltby Fr00 Proes- Wednssday, March 8, 1994, page Cl lION 'SCIDOLS A supplement to the Whltby Free Press produced primarily by, students as a Co.,operative Education projeot. Vital. ex perience in the rea' world By Brin O'Connor Co-op student Whitby Free Pres. More and more students froni Whitby schools are recognîzing and takin g advantage of the benefits offered by co-operative education. Instead of classroom learning, co-op places students in the workplace where they are expec- ted te funcation as part of the staff. Students receive either two or four credits by accumulating an established amount of hours at their placement, in &z3dition to n-ochool reflection days and variousjournala and projects. The school with the largest co-op enro ment in Whitby is, Heniry Street High School, with 190 situdents now in the 10- year-od prograni. «(Enrolment) is increasing every year," ays Debbie John- ston, co-op coordinator at Henry. «When 1 camne te Henry four years ago, there were only 60 students in the program. Now it's tripled.» Sorie of the unusual, place- mients, she notes includes stu- -dents working at Whi-tby Psychi- atric Hospital and those who coordinated, the fan newsletter for the Barenaked Ladies. Henry also offers students two other unique co-op experiences. The first is a programn for high-performance athletes comn- peting at provincial and higher competitive level s, that "allows the students te mnvestigate their ?nort frorn a career level,7 says SThe second choice offered is a joint drama prograni with Ander- son CVI. .This prograni, although only in its first year, is «very exciting,» says Johnston. Seven stuldents from Henry and three front Anderson were laced at Whitby Courthouse Theatre where they were chaI- lenged te not only write their own plays but te perform them. as well. «We will continue the draina co-op next year,» siays Johnston, adding there are plans te enl'arge the group .te 10 students froni each echool. Students' at- Henry are required te submit a two-page weekly journal as well as various projects te share their co-op experience with their classmates. The next largest programn enrolinent is at Anderson CVI where 180 students take advan- tage of the co-opprogram. In additiontothe joint co-on prôgram with Henry, Anderson students can be found in such workplaces as the Corbett Creek sewage treatment labs, at Taco Bell learning te manage a busy restaurant, or at t he Royal Ontario Museum in Toronto. The program has been in ope- ration or1years and is «popu- lar » says Aniderson co-op coor- dinater MDinne Townson. »«Ourenroélment, in co-op next year is 250 students. For-a school' that ie downsdzing (the new Sin- clair school opens in the fali), our co-op prograxn is still growing." Townson, who praises the stu- dents for their positive attitude toward co-op, ays "student feed- back is always positive... we are 100 per cent successful.» Anderson students are also expected te hand in weekly««jour- nais and share a numLr of projects relating te their place- ments when in school. Although Father Leo J. Austin Catholic Secondary School ie students at Kinder Corner Day Care Poto bySharoni Stevenson, o-op student, Anderson CVI o-o i n as nMae. By Melanie Bourdages E. S. C. St.-Charles-Garnier Placement at Oshawa General Hospital The objective of cooperative education placements is to offer the student a better understanding in a certain profession. This cannot be achieved without a good mentor- student relationship. A student enters a placement striving for knowledge and depe nds on bis/ber supervisor to offer as much information and experience as possible. When a mentor expresses enthusiasm and interest in the student, the resuit can be an enjoyable experience which, in turn, can influence his/her future decisions. If the contrary occurs a student can easilýy lose interest in the protession. The student s firet impressions during the placement are probably the most critical. Explaining, demonstrating and being patient makes the student feel at ease, and increases his/her interest in the profession. A successful mentor-student relationship resuits in an enjoyable experience for bot mentor and student'and creates an opportunity for the latter to develop good working skills. WHITBY FREE PRESS CO-OPERATIVE EDUCATION FEATURE Co-ordination & advertising sales e Rryan Parks, Anderson CVI Supervision & concept Doug Anderson, publisher, Whi tby Free Pres This feature is itself a co-operative education projeet. The articles are ail by Co-op students and many of the pictures were also taken by students. We thank ail those who submitted M ateyial and regret that we could not publish a larger selection. Research meas SANDOZ CANADA INC. would like to recognize the valuable contributions of al the past, present, and future Cooperative Students fromn the following High Schools in Durham Region: Anderson C.V.I., Whitby R.S. McLaughlin C.VI., Oshawa We look forwerd ta continu ing aur successful relationships with the High Schoals and other Cooperative Programs in the Durham Region. 111 Consumer. Drime Whit4 .Ontiro LI N MZ SANDOZ Pais relativelv new, its co-op enrol- ment has reached 85 students.ý The four-year-old program is now, succesiful, but according to to Austin co-op director Mike Sheehan, there was just one stu- dent the first year. Austin students are now spread throughout the com- munity with placements includ- ing the Rose of Durhaxn shelter fora n nothers, hair salons, CenralLae Ontario Conserva- tion Au hority, optonietrist offices and 1 s or blood samples and tests., «Generally, people are positive about co-op» says Sheehan, adding that tu-e prograni is grow- Austin also has supported co- op, in which physically or men- tafîy challenged students are in- tegrated into the community. Ml students are required to hand in jou2nrals such a scrap- book that represents students' personal memories from co-op in the past year. Ecole Secondaire Catholique Saint-Charles-Garnier, with a population of 232 students, has 15 students in co-op, including one at the Portuguese consulate in Toronto. The, school's co-op programi is four years old. Denis Bedard, coop teacher, says «Quite a few ask for it... a lot of students apply.n To be accepte< in the prograni, students mut\irst prepare a detailed questionaire, have an interview with a committee and have their attendance and past performance reviewed. The program le on1 heid in the second semester of the year where, students are in school on Monday and at their placements Tuesday through Friday. jhe students are also required t6 hand in journals, projects and participate in the co-op fair where they talk about employ- ment possibilities related to their placement. "Our students have been pla- ced in challenging positions and have en oyed their experiences,» AIl four teachers, though, were quick to point out the benefits of cooperative education for stu- dents. "It is a confirmation of whether or not this is what the student wants to do for life,» says Bedard. «It is greatly involved in career choices, says Johnston. ,ZExptcT erenâce is required now fo ;ot jo)bs, and co-op gives the suents hat experience,» says Townson. @Pl Town of Whitby Parks and Recreation Department Recreation at its bestl îw MW duandr 1