Calgary Board of Education

The CBE and Bow Valley College signed a formal partnership agreement in June, 2001. Several initiatives have been undertaken including an initiative aimed at the integration of various employability skills with the creation of a business plan. Bow Valley College was also instrumental in the creation of the Parent Information Nights held in 2002 and 2003. Other initiatives in the areas of enriched curricular offerings for CBE students, joint use of facilities, shared professional development and shared curriculum development are underway. This partnership provides opportunities for Calgary Board of Education students and staff, particularly in the areas of information communication technology, community health and career planning. Also, the CBE and Bow Valley College will be working together with a special focus on stronger articulation between high schools and post-secondary institutions.

In April 1990, DeVry and Belfast Elementary School entered into a partnership, one of many partnerships between Calgary businesses and schools under the auspices of the CBE. This partnership blossomed thanks to the vision and strong support it received from DeVry-Calgary's then President, John Ballheim, and Belfast Principals Dale Erickson and Judy Sykes. The Mayor of Calgary has recognized the DeVry-Belfast partnership with CEPF Mayor's Excellence Awards in 1997 and 2000, and we have also made the honor roll for these awards on several occasions.

The partnership comprises many ongoing programs and short-term projects. For example, DeVry regularly contributes funds to Belfast through proceeds from empty bottles and cans collected on campus via "blue bins" in every classroom and at other campus locations. In addition, several years ago DeVry began assigning a student Faculty Assistant (FA) to serve in a tech support capacity at Belfast, maintaining the school's computer system and working with Belfast's teachers and students to meet their technology training needs. This initiative has proved to be highly successful. It provides DeVry students with valuable, hands-on experience, and has provided a valuable resource to the Belfast community. Other DeVry students have donated their time and expertise over the years on various projects, such as desktop publication of Belfast's yearbook and the production of a CD-ROM to showcase Belfast and its accomplishments. More recently, three DeVry faculty members volunteered to become one-on-one mentors with Belfast students through Big Brothers and Big Sisters of Calgary and Area. More faculty and staff will participate in the near future in this program. A future project will see DeVry students conducting robotics workshops at Belfast.

For its part, Belfast students present an annual choral performance at DeVry every December. The school has donated student artworks to the DeVry library, participated in our 20th anniversary celebrations, and Belfast students and faculty have attended the Senior Project Fairs put on annually by DeVry students.

DeVry was presented with a Lighthouse Award by the CBE in recognition of their long-standing partnership with Belfast. In 2005, a group of DeVry ACE (Association of Canadian Entrepreneurs) will be working on a special project at Belfast, writing and illustrating a storybook in collaboration with Belfast students.

DeVry and Lester B. Pearson officially entered into a partnership on 17`h November 2004. As part of this growing relationship DeVry has donated books to the Pearson library, faculty and staff raised $110 for the Pearson ACCESS program Christmas gift hampers and DeVry commissioned Pearson to make a large display banner for the school.

In 2005 DeVry will be inviting Pearson students and teachers to attend the Senior Project display evening and will conduct robotics workshops at Pearson. DeVry will also offer scholarships to Pearson students and work experience for Pearson students at DeVry as summer interns for eight weeks through the CBE Career Pathways program.

DeVry instructors, have made presentations to Calgary high school students about the Internet, led computer training seminars for CBE teachers on campus at DeVry, and developed a summer scholars program for high school students at in robotics, computer programming and multi-media technology.

Also DeVry is currently in the process creating a third partnership, in association with CODA and the National Sports School.

On December 14, 2000 Mount Royal College signed a partnership agreement with the Calgary Board of Education. The purpose of the agreement was to formalize various links that already existed between departments at the college and various schools in the Calgary Board of Education while at the same time providing a framework that encourages further contacts and collaborations.

The Mount Royal Conservatory has a formal agreement with Central Memorial High School, signed in 1999. This partnership provides opportunities for Mount Royal faculty to work with high school staff and students and create performance opportunities for Mount Royal students. Faculty from both Mount Royal and Central Memorial can pursue joint funding initiatives through activities such as the community lottery.

Lord Beaverbrook High School signed an agreement with the Conservatory in May 2003. This partnership is working to provide expertise in teaching, facilities and equipment that is beneficial to both Mount Royal and Lord Beaverbrook. Since signing the partnership agreement a Lord Beaverbrook student has received more than $1,000 in scholarships from The Conservatory to further her music skills. In 2004 the partnership worked to pool Mount Royal, Lord Beaverbrook and University of Calgary resources to arrange a master class with world-class musician, Evelyn Glennie.

Ernest Manning High School is working with Mount Royal to develop a music partnership. Currently, Mount Royal provides some instruction to Ernest Manning students. Although Mount Royal and Ernest Manning are working as partners, no formal agreement has yet been signed.

Mount Royal Conservatory faculty is in favour of future partnerships with schools that have strong music or theatre focus. All partnerships would be organized in a long-term, manageable framework that is sustainable. Discussions are taking place among faculty about how growing requests for collaboration will be handled.

Some of the ideas that have been discussed and are being put into place with existing partners are:

audition workshops to help students prepare for entrance auditions at Mount Royal or elsewhere;
offering private instruction at some high schools;
collaborating on performances and/or guest artists;
offering either preparatory music theory classes or actual college classes at some schools;
doing some Professional Development activities for faculty;
opportunities for high school students to shadow or interview faculty and students (relating to careers in the performing arts).

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Practicum Programs with CBE

Nursing - nursing students have been placed at Lord Beaverbrook High School for several years
Social Work-three students filled practicum placements this year, the best practicum placements are in junior high schools as counsellor aids
Early Childhood Care and Education - six to eight students are placed in CBE kindergarten classrooms each year
Child and Youth Care

For the fifth year now, seven instructors from the department of Mathematics, Physics and Engineering and the department of Computer Science and Information Systems have hosted afternoons or evenings for students, parents and teachers to participate in mathematical activities, puzzles or problems in an interactive manner. Mathematical activities are presented to students in an interactive manner to promote mathematics as an exploratory discipline. The activity is aimed at junior high school students, usually including students from Grades 5 to 9.

Each semester there are six sessions hosted at Mount Royal College - this semester the sessions are scheduled for February 8, 15, 22 and March 1, 8 and 15, 2005 from 5:00 to 6:00 p.m. Teachers and parents are invited to attend and participate along with students. Ten to 15 People are expected to attend each of the 12 sessions. Galileo Educational Network helps to promote the program and recruit participants.

Math Fairs create opportunities for young learners to appreciate the language of math and realize its benefits. The faculty at Mount Royal reaches this goal by teaching in a way that is engaging and relevant to students - to make math fun. Mount Royal partners with the Galileo Educational Network to deliver Math Fairs in Calgary schools. CBE teachers learn about Math Fair at professional development in-services and are then able to collaborate with Mount Royal to host a Math Fair at their school. Several schools participated in this program in 2004 and have again signed up to participate this year.

Mount Royal Physics Instructor, Stephanie Wilder, goes out to elementary and junior high schools to talk to students about astronomy. Her presentations cover an introduction to astronomy, showing the planets, stellar birth and death, constellations and galaxies. Most talks are presented to students in Grades 3 to 6, with some presentations to Grade 9 students. Generally, presentations are given at the same school and cover all classes for that grade.

For the past four years high school students have come to Mount Royal to learn about their DNA. Biology Instructor Dr. Todd Nickle takes students through the process of determining their genetic composition for a specific gene. Students spend almost a full day in the microbiology lab performing a polymerase chair reaction technique on a DNA sample (student's provide a sample of their hair). Students find it an interesting day to use equipment and employ a technique that has commercial, forensic and research uses - they see genetics is a relevant study and can lead to a host of career pathways. The day includes a complimentary lunch and a tour of the College.

Nickle hosts two to five DNA labs per semester with a maximum of 24 students attending each session. Almost 100 students attend the program each year.

Mount Royal's Athletics and Recreation Services have an informal relationship with CBE schools developed through sporting events. Mount Royal has hosted several CBE sporting events such as all-star basketball games, high school tournaments, and provincial basketball championships in the College's facilities at no cost. Although CBE staff have organized and run these events, the facilities have been donated and organized by Mount Royal College.

Glen Ruhl, Chair of Technical Communications, has been collaborating with Lord Beaverbrook High School teacher Dale Wallace to develop and implement a technical writing course for Lord Beaverbrook students. The new course was available to students in September 2004.

Mount Royal is set to participate in the fifth year of Explore IT - an annual conference to encourage Grade 9 girls to keep their options open to the field of Information and Communications Technology. The conference is hosted by the Alberta College of Art and Design, Southern Alberta Institute of Technology, the University of Calgary and Mount Royal College. Seven different workshops/activities are being presented by Mount Royal this year. Activities ranged from tracking down individuals on campus with GPS equipment, experience on the aviation program's flight simulator, gene hunting using bioinformatics software, Web page design, and more.

The 2005 conference was held on Wednesday, February 23 and more than 100 students registered to attend this event at Mount Royal.

Mount Royal's Student Ambassador Program has partnered with the Community Kitchen program of Calgary to provide CBE elementary students with hot lunches through The Lunch Club (T.L.C.). T.L.C. is a hot lunch program offered to children at Rosscarrock elementary school. Food is prepared in Community Kitchen's mobile kitchen unit and ferried into the school for distribution to the kids. In addition to volunteering to help prepare and serve hot lunches to the children, Student Ambassadors are raising money to fund more hot lunches at additional elementary schools. So far Student Ambassadors have prepared and served one lunch at Rosscarrock and organized a raffle that hopes to raise enough money to provide two to three hot lunches.

Every year the CBE holds an appreciation breakfast event to showcase the corporations, businesses and organizations that are directly involved as partners of the CBE. The breakfast provides the CBE with the venue to display partnership projects and initiatives and provides an opportunity for organizations and visitors to discuss these kinds of activities.

This year Mount Royal hosted Innovation Showcase 2005 on January 26. CBE partners set up displays in the recreation concourse and David Gregory, President and CEO of First Calgary, delivered the keynote address. More than 200 participants attended the event.

Mount Royal supports the CBE's Career Pathways framework that is designed to help students move into meaningful, productive futures. Recently, Mount Royal's Centre for Communications Studies provided a tour of their new Centre and hosted a meeting for CBE teachers to develop opportunities for CBE students interested in the Arts and Communication pathway. As the Career Pathways program evolves, Mount Royal plans to expand collaborative opportunities between the College and CBE schools.

SAIT-CBE Partnership In Calgary there has been a long-standing and healthy relationship between SAIT and the CBE. This has occurred through the CTS program, site tours, work experience, the apprenticeship program and a formal partnership with the CBE. The partnership has been working on a number of levels. Some initiatives focus on students, others on teachers. The partnership has given hundreds of students and teachers the opportunity to examine a broad range of technological fields.

Also SAIT and the CBE are evaluating curriculum in a number of areas such as Construction, Transportation, Health Studies and ICT to identify similarities in order to more closely align course offerings. It is anticipated that this alignment will provide students with increased advancement opportunities to post-secondary education. The CBE also makes use of SAIT facilities and services for the Innovation Showcase Breakfast.

All working-to-change-the-world and no fun makes for a dull campus. That''s why the University of Calgary is planning Campus Fair 2005, its third annual campus-wide open house. This year will be even bigger, featuring new and exciting interactive exhibits, entertainment, games and prizes sure to please people of all ages. Last year over 7,000 Calgarians, from young families to seniors, spent the day at Campus Fair.

Campus Fair is the U of C's single largest community event and we are proud to have developed a close relationship with the Calgary Board of Education. In addition to the main event, which is open to the whole community, Campus Fair and the Calgary Board of Education will combine for the second year to bring Campus Fair to over 200 Grade 4 schoolchildren a day early!

Last year students were treated to a preview of several exhibits including the Faculty of Nursing's Germinator, storytelling by the Faculty of Education and fitness activities in the Faculty of Kinesiology, and they got to enjoy lunch and entertainment on campus. This partnership provides a unique opportunity that we will continue to build on, ensuring that students from all walks of life get a chance to experience the exciting possibilities of, one day, being a student at the University of Calgary.

In 2005, Sneak-A-Peek will be held on Friday, June 17, and Campus Fair 2005 will be held on Saturday, June 18 from 10 am to 5 pm. Parking and admission are free. Please visit www.ucalgary.ca for more information.

The University of Calgary and CBE have worked closely together for many years. We run school visits out to schools, and invite schools onto campus for tours to investigate what we do. Our Campus Fair (See top) is a huge day-long, open-house event, which over 7,000 people attended last year. This year’s fair will be on 18th June.

Throughout the University there are many outreach projects, to inspire, support and educate. The Composers in Schools program, developed with the University, gives elementary school children the opportunity to learn how to compose music. The new Community Music program, also opens up music tuition to junior and senior High school students. (http://music.ffa.ucalgary.ca/cmp/cmp.html) Minds in Motion is run by students (http://www.minds-in-motion.ca/) in May and June, after exams. Workshops are organized into theme-based activity sets based upon the Alberta Science Curriculum for Grades 2-8. Other programs where the University has worked with the CBE to support students, teachers and the curriculum include :

The SCIberMENTOR program is an email mentoring program aimed at girls aged 11 to 18. The program matches these girls with female U of C students who are studying science and engineering, or practicing female scientists and engineers. The primary goal of the SCIberMENTOR program is to expand girls' knowledge of careers, opportunities and benefits that exist for women in science and engineering fields. The program is also designed to provide a motivation for girls to continue in the maths and sciences through interaction with women role models, and offer girls the opportunity to communicate with mentors from diverse fields, thereby expanding the options for potential career paths. (www.scibermentor.ca)

The University is working with the CBE and other post-secondary institutions to run Explore IT, a one-day, hands-on interactive conference for Grade 9 girls to increase girls' awareness of opportunities in information and communications technologies and the sciences. (www.explore-it.ca). Grade 10-11 students get a behind the scenes tour of the University on Women in Engineering day. This is an opportunity for students to collect information on careers, and admission requirements. In addition, these are opportunities to invest in Alberta's youth and to nurture a pioneering workforce that will give our province a competitive advantage in world markets.

The Biotechnical Training Centre, offers Who Dunnit? Forensics and DNA courses to tie in with the Alberta curriculum. Visit http://www.ucalgary.ca/md/BTC/btcoutreach.html. In 2004, the Centre won the Excellence in Science and Technology Public Awareness Prize by the Alberta Science and Technology (ASTech) Leadership Foundation.

The Fishcreek Archaeology Interpretative Centre, runs courses for elementary school children, as part of the Grade 4 and 5 social sciences curricula, and science Grade 6 curriculum. Through an introduction to archaeology; a simulated dig; and a field studies component, students learn the “who, what, where, when, why, and how” of archaeological research and excavation. The Grade 4 program concentrates on Alberta prehistory; Grade 5 students study Alberta's early settlers; and Grade 6 students focus on the science of evidence and investigation of archaeological sites. The University also runs traveling program, to introduce archaeology or simulate a dig in the classroom.

The University has worked for the past two years with KidSport and the CBE to offer kids in Grades 8-10 the opportunity to try the sports facilities available, including climbing, racquetball, swimming, gymnastics, soccer, basketball and baseball.

These examples show the importance the University puts on working within schools, and with the CBE. Across the University there are many programs available in schools, see the main University Web site. for more information. (www.ucalgary.ca)

The University of Calgary has been working on a number of activities for school children, with the CBE. In November, the University ran a Young Calgarians in Space session at the Aero Space Museum. Aimed at students in Grades 5-6, it gave more than 70 children the opportunity to meet a graduate of the U of C, who works as a flight controller for NASA. Laura Lucier explained her current job, and the studying and work she did to get to where she is today. There were exhibits of rockets, space communications and Canadarm2, which Laura works on.

Two CBE students were recently awarded $100 in prize money and the opportunity to have dinner with the leading researchers in Quantum Information Sciences. The awards were part of a competition, developed with the CBE, to launch the new Quantum Information Centre at the University of Calgary. Currently, the University is developing a CSI Calgary day, with the Police Interpretative Centre for February 17, to show the science and true stories behind the popular televisions show. For more information on these, and other U in the City events, see the Web site. (http://www.community.ucalgary.ca/)