Both of my children (now graduates of the public system) benefitted from educational partnerships between schools and between their neighbourhood school and the community. Their days extended WAY past 9:00 – 3:00 – something they chose so that they could soak up all of the opportunities that were offered. 7:00 a.m. start times – you bet. After school practices, rehearsals and tutorials – bring ‘em on. Distributed Learning courses “on their own time” for courses they could not fit into already crowded 9:00 – 3:00 days – a gift that allowed them to fill their requirements AND do what they loved – music, soccer, leadership/service, full academic course loads. The chance to fit it all in came to them because they had insightful, thoughtful, flexible teachers and administrators who were willing to do what would benefit the kids. I wish this opportunity for all of our students, and I continue to hope that partnerships will expand as we learn to view education as a truly life-long and life-full endeavour.

Kids are learning all the time, in school and out of school, and there have always been opportunities to learn outside of the 9-3 box, with things like choir and basketball, and other things like martial arts, drama groups, etc., sometimes at school with teachers who volunteer their time, and sometimes in the community where students pay to attend. In fact, it’s the choice-driven after school activities run by volunteer teachers that inspire a lot of kids to stay in school.

These kinds of offerings in one sense then, are not new. But this is unique in that West Van is legitimizing these pursuits. In effect, they are saying that they are valuable enough to be given course credit for. Furthermore, they are saying they are valuable enough to pay the teachers to lead them. For this, they should be applauded. This legitimization should lead to increased incentive for kids to take the course, and for teachers and leaders to plan and teach them effectively. The only real danger I see is if they become too curriculum driven, too focused on grades, or too teacher-centered. The greatest power of all after-school programs is that kids choose them and follow their passions, learning without really noticing that they are, because they are having fun! That’s what inspires them the most, not course credit. Because these teachers sound like inspiring individuals who lead from their hearts, and are as equally passionate about their courses as the students are, I don’t imagine this will happen.