From January 16th to the 18th, the OSCA/ACOSO board of Directors met for the first time in 2020. We took some time to reflect on OSCA/ACOSO in the last decade. We focused on what is important to continue, what to leave in the past decade, and how to plan even more exciting opportunities in the future for the guidance and education industry and our members.

We began focusing on our 2020 conference and I am happy to announce that we have secured our dates and location. The OSCA/ACOSO 2020 conference will be held at the University of Toronto Mississauga campus again and our dates will be October 15th and 16th, 2020. We will be releasing our conference theme and our confirmed keynote speakers in the weeks to come.

Another area to still focus on was what our membership highlighted as key areas in which they need professional development. We promise to offer more opportunities to engage with your colleagues, access pertinent professional development, and to provide an overall positive experience with more activities throughout our 2020 conference.

So, save the date and stay tuned for everything that OSCA/ACOSO 2020 has to offer! We guarantee that you won’t want to miss out on this years’ conference! The OSCA/ACOSO board of directors is eager and excited, and is working hard to put together an amazing event for our guidance and career education community.

Sunday, March 1, 2020

Expo hours: 1pm to 5pm;

Seminars: 12 noon to 5pm

Venue: Metro Toronto Convention Centre (North Building)

Canada’s largest international university and student travel expo offers your students an exciting opportunity to meet with universities from around the world, many ranking in the Top 100.

A ‘must visit’ event for students considering their post-secondary options, or experiential travel/gap year programs. Representatives from over 100 universities/colleges from around the world will be at this prestigious student expo, to meet with students, parents and guidance counsellors. Learn about program options, scholarships and admission requirements. Free admission.www.studyandgoabroad.com. 

Our Business workshops are back for Winter 2020.

Sheridan’s Pilon School of Business Diploma and Degree programs involve creativity, collaboration, experimentation and hands-on learning to solve business problems. Bring your Grade 10, 11 or 12 Business students on campus to explore the Sheridan experience through one of our six workshops. 

 The agenda will run from 10:00 am to 1:30 pm at the Hazel McCallion Campus in Mississauga and will include the workshop, a campus tour, a college presentation and a short break. 

We can accommodate a maximum of 25 students per session (if you have more students please let me know and we can try to accommodate).

Workshops are free; however, transportation and lunch are not provided. Keep in mind that our campus is conveniently located within walking distance of the Square One bus terminal and has dining options on campus.

Supply Chain Management - Available on Feb 18, Feb 26, Mar 11 & Mar 25

Advertising and Marketing Communications - Available on Feb 19, Mar 4, Mar 10 & Apr 8

Business - Available on Feb 20, Feb 27, Mar 12 & Apr 9

Finance - Available on Feb 13, Mar 5, & Mar 26

Human Resources Management - Available on Feb 11, Mar 3 & Apr 7

Marketing - Available on Feb 12, Feb 25 & Mar 24

Workshops are expected to book quickly. For more information or to book a workshop, please contact Jessica Murchie, Student Recruitment Coordinator, Office of the Registrar at jessica.murchie@sheridancollege.ca.

This is NAV CANADA’s third edition of the Explore Aviation Summer Camp, taking place in Cornwall, Ontario, this summer from August 9-14 for young women, and from August 16-21 for young men. NAV CANADA* has opened enrollment and is seeking applications from teens entering Grade 10 (or secondary 4 in Quebec) in September 2020. As a leader and mentor to the next generation, I invite you to encourage teens you know to apply for this exciting opportunity.

Explore Aviation Summer Camp will offer 24 young women and 24 young men insider access to learn how aviation works in Canada, and who helps keep aircraft flying safely. This one week, all-expenses-paid camp uses hands-on learning to explore exciting career choices in aviation to allow participants to experience the power and potential of a science education, and to be empowered to reach for success.

Operated by NAV CANADA and just over one hour’s drive from our nation’s capital, Explore Aviation Summer Camp points the spotlight on careers in aviation where STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) education is the key to success for the next generation of tomorrow’s workforce.

Participants of Explore Aviation Summer Camp are mentored by industry experts who will empower and motivate this next generation of aviation leaders by introducing them to inspirational and successful professionals, by highlighting unique career opportunities and working environments, and by demonstrating how STEM education leads to success.

Forty-eight participants will be selected from across Canada by a NAV CANADA committee composed of aviation professionals. Applicants must submit an essay of 350 to 500 words explaining why they want to attend Explore Aviation Summer Camp. A letter of recommendation from a teacher or community leader must be included with the application.

If you know a teen who might be interested in this program, encourage them to visit NAV CANADA’s website for more information. The application deadline is March 8, 2020.

The vision of OHSC is that every child and young person in Ontario will have the opportunity to be educated in a "healthy school." A healthy school promotes the physical, mental, social and spiritual health of the whole school community and constantly strengthens its capacity as a healthy setting for living, learning and working.

Registration is now open for the OHSC annual conference, which will take place in London from March 31 to April 1, 2020. Join us for an amazing line-up of speakers, including a keynote by the always-inspiring Dr. Jean Clinton. The conference is also a great opportunity to connect with healthy school supporters from across the province. 

Research, Resources, and Learning Opportunities

The BC Lung Association has developed a Vaping Toolkit to help healthcare workers, educators, parents, and students better understand vaping and its potential health effects.

Another great resource on vaping is available from Ophea: Clearing the Air About Cannabis: What is Vaping? 

A recent issue of Health Promotion International highlights  influential research papers relating to public policy for health promotion. A must-read for anyone interested in the importance of health promotion and the role it plays in public policy.

Register now for Health Impact Assessment (HIA): A Tool for Developing Healthy Public Policies. The webinar takes place on February 13 in English and February 20 in French.

The Ever Active Schools conference, Shaping the Future 2020, takes place from January 30 to February 1 in Alberta.

The 2020 PHE National Conference takes place from April 29 to May 2 in PEI.

Got an article idea?

We welcome content submissions from our membership. Do you have a great resource, a successful program, relevant research, or a professional development opportunity that you would like us to feature? Send your content submissions to onthsc@gmail.com.

We are thrilled to announce a new funding opportunity, in partnership with Mental Health Research Canada. Together, we are offering three grants valued at up to $100,000 each, to explore the use of technology to enhance or support child and youth mental health in Ontario — and, ideally, beyond! 

We are convinced that, in today’s digital world, there are undiscovered or underexploited technological solutions for many of the barriers and challenges that Ontario’s children, youth and families face as they seek mental health help. That’s why we’re calling on researchers and innovators in our sector who would like to test out their big ideas! 

We’re looking to fund three projects that advance innovative, evidence-based digital solutions and have the potential for broad impact. As such, priority will be given to proposals that have the potential for scaling within and beyond the province of Ontario.  

You have until April 5 to apply! 

To learn more about this opportunity, including the terms of the grant and eligibility, or to apply, please visit mhrc.ca 

In the wake of a global mental health movement, career development practitioners now have a new resource to help them understand how career development interventions support positive mental health. Strengthening Mental Health Through Effective Career Development: A Practitioner’s Guide – written by Dave Redekopp and Michael Huston of Life-Role Development Group Ltd. and published by CERIC – launches today at the Cannexus20 National Career Development Conference and is available for free download now.
 

The guide enables practitioners to connect career development services with clients’ mental health concerns while working ethically and inside the boundaries of their role and competence. The authors emphasize their focus is mental health, not mental illness, and address this distinction in the book.  

Practitioners will be equipped to:

• Improve the mental health impact of their services
• Evaluate the mental health impact of their services
• Communicate the mental health impact of their services to relevant stakeholders, including policy-makers

Written primarily for career development practitioners, namely those who help clients or students, this resource is also of use to the supervisors and managers of career practitioners. Researchers and academics will find a robust and testable model of career development and mental health relationships

Category
Contribution to Guidance and Career Education

When to Apply
Nominations for this certificate may be accepted all year long.

History
The Award of Merit was first presented in the spring of 1972. In 1977 the OSCA Board of Directors passed a resolution to rename this award The Olive Diefenbaker Award of Merit to honour the late Mrs. Diefenbaker''s contribution to Guidance and Counselling in the Province of Ontario. The first awards were presented by her daughter during the 1977 Annual Conference at Niagara Falls in November. The citation on The Olive Diefenbaker Award of Merit reads: "In recognition of long and dedicated service to guidance and counselling in the Province of Ontario"

This award is to recognize retiring individuals who have made a contribution to the Counselling and Guidance Profession in Ontario

Criteria
This award may be presented to teacher-counsellors, teachers, administrators, trustees and/or members of the community

An OSCA member must nominate the retiree

The nominee should:

• Be retiring
• Have been involved in Guidance and Career Education in Ontario for a minimum of five years.
• Have demonstrated leadership in guidance through active participation in professional development, counsellor education, administrative support, promotion of guidance, professional writing, research, or in contributing to professional guidance and counselling organizations.

The awards will be mailed to the nominator for presentation by the nominator or by another OSCA member appointed by the nominator. These awards are often presented at retirement functions rather than the Awards Banquet. However, the names of the recipients of The Olive Diefenbaker Awards may be noted in the official program of the OSCA Conference.

Procedure

• Nominations for this award must be submitted by an OSCA member
• Nominations should be received six weeks in advance of the presentation date in order for sufficient timing for certificate arrival .

Nominate a retiring colleague.