Garden Valley Collegiate is committed providing opportunities for students to develop the skills to thrive both within and beyond high school. After gathering data locally, (Chamber of Commerce, Alumni) and through academic research, it was determined the Global Competencies provide all students with the necessary skills. These competencies include character, communication, creativity, citizenship, critical thinking, and collaboration help our students prepare for what lies ahead.
From there, staff focused on skill development, creating common language and becoming increasingly more transparent with their goals. They focused on providing students with authentic learning opportunities so that students are challenged to meet the goals not just for the grade and their teacher, but because the community was counting on them. Although all GVC staff excelled in many areas, 3 areas to highlight are in their Textile Arts & Design, Digital Media Design and Venture Development programs.
In the Textile Arts & Design course, GVC students have worked on “Projects with a Purpose” for almost a decade. Students tend to thrive when they engage in meaningful, hands-on work that directly impacts others. The connection to community members elevates the quality of their work because they’re motivated by the thought of their items being used and appreciated by someone else. Every year, semester one students create a ‘Kindergarten Monsters’ project, making stuffed toys from a kindergarten student’s original drawings. This meaningful project instills a lasting sense of pride, boosting students’ confidence and reinforcing the importance of contributing to the well-being of others.
Two GVC Digital Media Design students had the opportunity to work with the RRTVA leaders to help create the promotional videos for their programs. Both Cohen and Freddy reported that they put in extra time and energy to ensure that they were providing extraordinary work for their teacher and for the program. Be sure to check out their work here Automotive Technology - Garden Valley Collegiate, Winkler - Red River Technical Vocational Area.
The third group to highlight is from Rhonda Kezema’s Venture Development course, where students created their own product, business plan and marketing plan. Throughout the course, students had the opportunity to develop the skills they need before selling their products at New Leaf’s Christmas Market.
GVC wants to thank the local businesses for supporting their students by providing many opportunities for them to take risks, practice responsibility and stretch themselves. GVC staff are excited about continuing to develop their skills so they can embed the Global Competencies throughout their lessons and provide authentic learning opportunities for their students.