Co-operative Education Department
Cooperative Education is a unique educational process designed to promote skill development, knowledge acquisition, individual career development, and self awareness, by integrating classroom learning with planned and supervised practical experiences in a business, industry or community service organization.
Basic Principle of Cooperative Education
The basic principle of Cooperative Education is that personal growth and career development are best achieved by an educational method which combines classroom learning with practical experiences. Learning does not confine itself to academic mastery. A student's attitudes, interests, values, needs and motives depend equally upon practical experience and traditional academic learning. Cooperative Education provides the reality and relevancy to education and develops the whole person because it bridges the gap between classroom study and what a student needs to know to become a productive member of society.
During a Cooperative Education Program students spend 3 hours a day at the work site and specific periods of time back in school, sharing with peers doing assignments, and writing journals based on their experiences.
In addition to a co-requisite course (1 credit), students are able to earn up to 2 credits towards their OSSD.
If you are interested in taking a co-op, applications can be found in the co-op office. Guidance counsellors are available to discuss which co-op you are interested in, and how taking that co-op will affect the rest of your course selections.