🌟Leadership Starts Here: Empowering Leaders, Inspiring Change

Join Us for the 2025 OSCA/ACOSO Conference!

📅 Sunday, November 9–Monday, November 10, 2025 

 📍Location: Hilton Hilton—Mississauga,Meadowvale 

 🔗 Registration Link: OSCA ACOSO Conference Registration

In a world shaped by AI, shifting global dynamics, and evolving student needs, Guidance Teacher-Counsellors must lead with clarity, compassion, and innovation. This year’s conference is your opportunity to recharge, reconnect, and rise to the challenge.

✨ What to Expect:

• Inspiring Keynotes from Drew Dudley and Neil Pasricha—two powerhouse voices on leadership, authenticity, and optimism
• Ministry Plenary (tentatively confirmed) offering timely updates and insights
• Dynamic Workshops on the latest trends, tools, and strategies in Guidance and Experiential Education
• Awards Recognition Ceremony celebrating excellence among colleagues and students
• Exciting Prize Draws including a weekend getaway and free registration for our 2026 conference—just for completing your Exhibitor/Sponsor passport!

Whether you're a seasoned leader or just beginning your journey, this is your space to learn boldly, lead confidently, and connect meaningfully.

 📢 Be the first in line—mark your calendar and register today! OSCA ACOSO Conference Registration
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🌟 Le leadership commence ici : Autonomiser les leaders, inspirer le changement

Participez à la conférence OSCA/ACOSO 2025 !

📅 Le dimanche 9 novembre au lundi 10 novembre 2025

📍Lieu : Hilton - Mississauga, Meadowvale 

🔗 Lien pour s’inscrire : Inscription conférence OSCA ACOSO

Dans un monde façonné par l’IA, les dynamiques mondiales changeantes et l’évolution des besoins des élèves, les enseignants-conseillers en orientation doivent faire preuve de clarté, de compassion et d’innovation. La conférence de cette année vous présente l’occasion de vous ressourcer, vous reconnecter et relever les défis.

✨ À quoi s’attendre :

• Conférenciers principaux inspirants : Drew Dudley et Neil Pasricha – deux figures incontournables en leadership, authenticité et optimisme.
• Séance plénière du ministère (à confirmer) offrant des mises à jour et des perspectives pertinentes.
• Ateliers dynamiques sur les dernières tendances, outils et stratégies en orientation et en apprentissage expérientiel.
• Cérémonie de remise de prix célébrant l’excellence parmi les collègues et les élèves.
• Tirages au sort incluant une escapade d’un week-end et une inscription gratuite à notre conférence de 2026 – il vous suffit de remplir votre passeport exposant/commanditaire pour participer !  

Que vous soyez un leader chevronné ou au tout début de votre parcours, ceci est votre chance d’apprendre avec audace, de diriger avec confiance et d’établir des liens authentiques.

📢 Soyez le premier sur la liste – marquez la date dans votre calendrier et inscrivez-vous dès aujourd’hui ! Inscription à la conférence OSCA ACOSO

 

SAVE THE DATE…NEW OSCA WEBINAR!
Collaborating for Success: A Panel Discussion with 
Admissions Directors on Ontario University Admissions

Tuesday, Oct. 14th at 1:00 PM

Navigating the world of University applications and admissions can be a daunting task for our students and their families. The process often involves a myriad of choices, deadlines, and requirements that can overwhelm even the most organized individuals. This is where Guidance Teacher-Counsellors play a critical role, providing information, answers, and leadership to support students in their pursuit of higher education.

This 60-minute session offers a unique opportunity to engage in dialogue with a panel of experts from a variety of post-secondary institutions, helping you to be better equipped to assist your students in navigating the often complex path to university admission. Together, we can empower students to make informed choices about their educational futures, leading them to successful outcomes and fulfilling careers. We look forward to hosting this timely and important webinar. Register Here!

We value your insights! 🌟 As a Guidance Teacher-Counsellor, your feedback plays a vital role in shaping meaningful support for students. Please take a few minutes to complete our short OSCA survey and share your experiences, ideas, and suggestions. Your voice helps us grow—thank you for being part of the conversation!

We offer exchanges year-round; however, we're aiming for an October 31st deadline for new Youth Exchange applications to help our current applicants in our pool who haven't found their exchange 'twin' yet. We have 30+ 'untwinned' groups, with a large majority of groups who wish to go on ESL/FSL themed-exchanges, Indigenous cultural exchanges, and more general history/geography-themed exchanges.

The group organizers of these exchanges are typically teachers, but coaches, choir conductors, scout/girl guide leaders, community organization volunteers, etc., are all eligible to lead a group of 10-60 youth on an exchange with FREE TRAVEL for all Canadian youth aged 12-17 and their chaperones to explore a new province or territory. This is a government-supported program that funds travel for youth to connect with one another from coast-to-coast-to-coast while discovering Canadian heritage, history, culture, and languages. This is the perfect opportunity for youth to gain experiential learning by visiting museums and art galleries, historical and geographical landmarks, and local restaurants and shops, all while making lifelong friendships.

Learn more here!

We’re thrilled to celebrate an incredible milestone at

Disability Credit Canada's 6 years of championing young Canadians with disabilities through our DCCI Scholarship!

For over a decade, we’ve been helping Canadians with disabilities access financial support through various initiatives, including our Ultimate Disability Tax Credit Guide, which provides valuable resources for families. This scholarship has become one of the most meaningful ways we contribute to the future of young students across the country.

Use our promotional resources to encourage your students to attend one or more of the following events:

• Ontario Universities’ Fair (OUF): Toronto, September 27-28, 2025, 9:30 am to 5 pm, daily.
• Ontario Universities’ Regional Fairs: Fair-style events across the province from September through October.
• Ontario Universities’ Information Sessions (virtual): November 10, from 5 to 7 pm (ET).

Learn more: ouevents.ca.
Questions? Email: ouevents@ouac.on.ca.
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Utilisez nos ressources promotionnelles pour encourager vos élèves à participer à l’un des événements suivants :

• Foire des universités de l’Ontario (FUO) : Toronto, 27-28 septembre 2025, de 9 h 30 à 17 h, tous les jours.
• Foires régionales des universités de l’Ontario: Des événements de type « foire » ayant lieu de septembre à octobre à la grandeur de la province.
• Séances d’information des universités de l’Ontario (virtuelles) : Le 10 novembre, de 17 h à 19 h (HE).

Pour en savoir plus : ouevents.ca/fr.
Des questions? Envoyez-nous un courriel : ouevents@ouac.on.ca

Waterloo Wellington Flight Centre (WWFC) is thrilled to host our 2nd Annual High School Career Night, and we invite your grade 12 students and their families to join us for an evening dedicated to exploring the exciting pathways to becoming a Commercial Pilot for Hire in Canada.

Event Details:
- When: January 29th, 2026, 3:00pm-7:30pm
- Where: Waterloo Wellington Flight Centre, 3-4881 Fountain St. North, Breslau, N0B 1M0 (across from the Waterloo Wellington Airport).
- Who Should Attend: Students in grades 11 and 12, along with their families, who are curious about aviation careers. High school teachers and guidance providers who would like to learn about hands-on education opportunities in the aviation field in the Waterloo Region.

What to Expect:
- Comprehensive information on WWFC’s current pathways to becoming a commercial pilot with a live information session at 5:00 pm.
- Networking opportunities with our current student pilots across all three educational streams. University of Waterloo / ATPL Ontario Career College / Self-Paced Modular.
- Meet-and-greet sessions with our expert instructors.
- An immersive experience in our professional aviation training environment.

This event is perfect for students making important decisions about their educational and career futures, especially those considering a dynamic and rewarding career in aviation.

The Event is Free!

There’s still time to connect with Ontario’s universities!

Ontario Universities’ Regional Fairs
Ontario’s universities are visiting cities in Southwestern and Central Eastern Ontario! The Regional Fairs are great opportunities for your students to speak directly with university representatives and research their Ontario university options.

• Southwestern Ontario: October 6-9
• Central Eastern Ontario: October 14-17

More about the Regional Fairs.

We strongly encourage students to sign up for a Regional Fair with the OUEvents Pass.

Note: For privacy reasons, do not sign up on behalf of your students.

Other Ways to Connect With Ontario Universities

• You can find a list of upcoming events at Ontario universities on Ontario Universities’ Info (OUInfo).
• The final Information Sessions virtual event of the year is Monday, November 10, 2025, from 5 to 7 pm (ET). 

Questions? Email: ouevents@ouac.on.ca 
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Il est encore temps de vous connecter avec les universités de l’Ontario!

Foires régionales des universités de l’Ontario
Les universités de l’Ontario visiteront bientôt des villes au Sud-Ouest et Centre-Est de l’Ontario! Les Foires régionales présentent une occasion unique pour vos élèves de parler en personne à des représentantes et représentants des universités de l’Ontario et de rechercher leurs options universitaires.

• Sud-Ouest de l’Ontario : du 6 au 9 octobre
• Centre-Est de l’Ontario : du 14 au 17 octobre

Plus d’info au sujet des Foires régionales.

Nous encourageons vivement les élèves à gagner du temps en s’inscrivant à l’avance pour recevoir leur Passe Événements-UO.

Nota : Aux fins de protection de la vie privée, prière de ne pas vous inscrire à ces événements au nom de vos élèves.

Autres moyens de contacter les universités de l’Ontario

• Vous trouverez la liste des événements à venir aux universités de l’Ontario dans le site Web Info des universités de l’Ontario (Info-UO).
• Le dernier événement virtuel des Séances d’information de l’année aura lieu le lundi 10 novembre 2025, de 17 h à 19 h (HE).

Des questions? Envoyez-nous un courriel : ouevents@ouac.on.ca.

These bursaries help remove financial barriers that have historically limited diversity in the profession. This bursary is an important first step toward advancing diversity and inclusion in veterinary medicine.

Key details:
- What: OVMA Future Veterinarian Bursaries
Amount: Three bursaries of $1,000 each
- Who: Ontario high school students who identify as Indigenous, persons with disabilities, members of visible minority groups, and/or immigrants to Canada, and who demonstrate financial need and a passion for veterinary medicine.
- When: For the 2025–2026 academic year
- How to apply: https://www.ovma.org/what-we-do/future-veterinarian-bursary
- Deadline: April 30th, 2026
- Selection: OVMA’s EDI and Well-Being Committee

Guidance counsellors are encouraged to print the following page to post in your offices or to add digitally to your websites.

What are the impacts of a purposeful gap year?

How do our students experience growth, self-discovery, and community throughout their gap year? The best people to answer these questions are none other than our students themselves!

 

“I can vividly remember the moment I started saying “yes” again. It was the Discover Year Orientation Week, and all new students were in the Byward Market in Ottawa, nervously yet excitedly getting to know one another. The sun was shining, and that early September day felt much more like summer than fall.”

 

Read More

Guest Speaker: Dan Miron, Process Superintendent at VALE
Date: Wednesday, October 1, 2025
Time: 1:00 – 1:45 p.m. EST

Webinar Description:
Join us for a special Mining Needs You Career Ambassador Webinar featuring Dan Miron in honour of the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation. Dan will share his personal career journey, highlight diverse pathways available in mining, and offer practical advice to help you shape your own future in the industry—all while recognizing and amplifying Indigenous perspectives.

TO REGISTER CLICK HERE

*Please note this webinar is offered in English only.

 

 

It is the responsibility of every Canadian and every organization to work toward reconciliation. This year marks the 10th anniversary of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s Final Report, a reminder of both the progress made and the work that remains. To move toward a more equitable future, it is imperative to understand the past and present injustices committed against Indigenous peoples and what must change.

Reconciliation is not a trend, a box to check, or a single gesture; it is a complex and continuous process. Self-education is one place individuals—including those working in the career development profession—can begin. The following resources represent just a few of the many online tools available to support this journey.

The underemployment of recent post-secondary graduates remains a persistent and serious issue in both Canada and the United States. Underemployment refers to the situation in which individuals with a bachelor’s degree are employed in positions that do not require that level of training, skill, or credential (Hanson et al., 2024). It also includes part-time workers who would prefer full-time employment (Macdonald, 2019), a common circumstance for many recent graduates. Career development educators occupy important roles in addressing college underemployment (Buford & Stebleton, 2025).

In Canada, underemployment has been a recurring theme over the past five decades of higher education research (Holmes, 2021). Statistics Canada’s 2025 National Graduates Survey reported that 41.2% of bachelor’s degree holders were underemployed, meaning they were employed in roles that typically do not require that level of education. Alarmingly, the rate for international graduates was even higher, reaching 63.4%.

Indigenous populations are the fastest growing in Canada, and First Nations, Métis and Inuit youth contribute significantly to the labour market. However, gaps in labour market outcomes with non-Indigenous youth remain, with Indigenous youth facing higher levels of unemployment.

Career professionals and educators can support Indigenous youth on their educational and employment journeys by connecting them to the many resources available across the country, including the organizations and programs detailed below.

Learn more…