Taking Charge! of Opportunities moves from Rediscovering Myself to an on-site personal development program that’s seven weeks long and helps participants explore personal growth and plan for future opportunities. Specifically, Taking Charge! of Opportunities offers participants the opportunity to build their ability to attend full-day academic studies.

Taking Charge! of Opportunities offers participants the opportunity to develop their ability to attend a full-time program and all that entails punctuality and good attendance, responsibility and reliability, scheduling for self and children, and provides the participants opportunities for personal growth in the areas of self, family/parenting, community, and leisure, and more prepared for future academic studies and employment.

“After many years of feeling stuck, and incapable of realizing my dreams, I am finally in a place where dreams are reality. And not only was I helped to realize those dreams, I was provided with the skills to advance and grow them.” – Michael, Taking Charge of Opportunities participant

Paving the Way is a program that focuses on personal development, interpersonal skills, and learning foundations. This program is designed to prepare the participant for the personal, social, family and academic challenges of attending full-time adult education.

What’s the Purpose of Paving the Way?

The program’s purposes are to improve participants’ quality of life and support their skills training and employment aspirations. A six-to-eight-week program is scheduled to connect with our on-site adult learning centre (Taking Charge of Academics – TCA) and work experience programs. Paving the Way is a preparation program for participants aiming to complete high school courses and/or continue on to post-secondary studies. Career exploration and research are a major component of the program.

Past participants are now studying for careers such as nursing, social work, recreation facilitator for older adults, construction and medical administrative assistant.

The program objectives include:

• To provide participants with tools for acquiring and maintaining positive self-esteem, resiliency, and self-efficacy, including goal setting, transition management and financial planning.
• To provide participants with knowledge about acquiring and maintaining positive psychological well-being, including communication, relationship and parenting skills.
• To provide participants with opportunities to explore their unique life span, gender and ethnic positions.
• To provide participants with learning activities that help them establish a healthy and productive lifestyle, including exercise, nutrition and cultural awareness.
• To provide participants with tools for accomplishing their educational and vocational goals by developing foundational reading, writing, representing and numeracy skills.
• To facilitate participants’ personas as learners and earners.