OSCA/ACOSO 2023 Fall Conference
LESS THAN ONE WEEK AWAY!
Monday, October 16, 2023

We look forward to meeting together next week at our first in-person conference since 2019, "Come Back to Get Ahead."

HOTEL INFORMATION

Hilton - Mississauga Meadowvale
6750 Mississauga Road, Mississauga, ON L5N 2L3 (905)821-1981

Parking is complimentary for conference attendees. YOU WILL NEED TO PROVIDE YOUR LICENCE PLATE NUMBER at the registration desk.

SCHEDULE

SCHED

SCHED conference password is in your registration confirmation email.

• Download the App: https://oscaacoso2023conference.sched.com
• Make an account
• Make your profile PUBLIC to be visible to other attendees and to enable the chat feature
• Select your workshops

Use SCHED to:

• View the conference schedule,
• View your custom schedule
• Evaluate workshops and other daily events
• Chat with fellow attendees (your profile must be public for this to occur)
• Access venue maps for workshop locations
• Communicate with presenters, sponsors and exhibitors.

 

OUR KEYNOTES

Dr. James Makokis and Anthony Johnson

"The Amazing Couple”

Dr. Makokis and his partner, Anthony Johnson, were crowned winners of the Amazing Race Canada Season 7, where they received international recognition for their advocacy of marginalized individuals by making the world aware of the impact of discrimination and the mistreatment of anyone labelled as being "different."

A Message from Sharon Kim, Vice President – Communications:

Dear OSCA/ACOSO Community,

It is my joy and honour to serve a second year as VP of the Communications Committee!

This past year, our committee continued to oversee the organization's media content including the website, OSCA News, and OSCA Today – our magazine. OSCA Today is released to our members three times a year (Fall, Winter, and Spring/Summer). The publications cover a range of topics in the guidance education and student success world.

Our latest issue consisted of a holistic take on student empowerment and included a poster infographic on the importance of sleep as well as various resources on student mental health, trades, technology, and pathways planning.

The Communications Committee is always seeking to provide well-researched and relevant resources to support our OSCA/ACOSO community, so we are always on the lookout for new leads for great articles. We highly value the wealth of wisdom and knowledge of our membership, so please feel free to reach out to me if you are interested in contributing.
We look forward to seeing you all in-person at "Come Back to Get Ahead," our upcoming fall conference. Be sure to register as soon as possible!
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Un message de Sharon Kim, Vice-présidente – Communications

Chère communauté OSCA/ACOSO,

Je suis contente et honorée de servir ma deuxième année en tant que vice-présidente du comité de communications ! 

Au cours de cette dernière année, notre comité a continué de superviser le contenu médiatique de l’association incluant le site Web, OSCA News et OSCA Today, notre magazine. OSCA Today est diffusé à ses membres trois fois par an (automne, hiver et printemps/été). Les publications couvrent toute une gamme de sujets dans les domaines de l’orientation et de la réussite des élèves.

Notre dernier numéro consistait en une approche holistique sur l’autonomisation des élèves et a inclus une affiche infographique sur l’importance du sommeil ainsi que diverses ressources sur la santé mentale, les métiers spécialisés, la technologie et la planification de parcours. 

Le comité de communications cherche toujours à fournir des ressources pertinentes et bien documentées pour appuyer la communauté OSCA/ACOSO, alors nous sommes toujours à la recherche de nouvelles pistes pour d’excellents articles. Nous reconnaissons grandement la sagesse et les connaissances de nos membres, donc n’hésitez pas à me contacter si vous souhaitez contribuer. 

Nous avons hâte de vous voir en personne à notre prochaine conférence d’automne, « Revenir pour avancer ». Assurez-vous de vous inscrire dès que possible !

Save the Date: New OSCA/ACOSO Webinar
The Post-Secondary Application Process: Myths and Realities
Tuesday, October 24 @ 1:00 PM

It's application time for our graduating students! Applying for post-secondary education can be a daunting process for students and families, and educators are an important resource. Guidance Counsellors especially, are looked upon to advise and assist in the application process. In this session, join representatives from an Ontario college and university as they walk you through the steps of application and admissions processes, followed by an overview of financial aid opportunities from Student Awards Network manager Kelly Winger. REGISTER HERE!

Good afternoon OSCA Community Members,

On behalf of Western University, I am writing to share that Western and Brescia University College have begun a process that will see Brescia fully integrate into Western’s campus community as of May 2024.

Together, Western and Brescia have identified an opportunity to extend Brescia’s legacy while responding to an increasingly diverse undergraduate student body. 

Effective immediately, Brescia University College will no longer be accepting students for Fall 2024. We know many of your students will have interest in programs in Family Studies and Foods and Nutrition that have long been established at Brescia. Those programs will continue to be offered to students at Western. As we look ahead, we are excited to establish broader pathway programs to help your students access and prepare for university education. We look forward to sharing more on these new initiatives as they are developed.  

Western and affiliates look forward to supporting your students, and we welcome questions from the guidance community. You can join our email list, or contact our team at welcome@uwo.ca to learn more.

Sincerely,

Kim Randall

Director of Recruitment and Communications (Interim)

Western University

Ontario Universities’ Fair (OUF)
The OUF is coming up. Make sure your students attend!

The OUF gathers Ontario’s universities in one place. It's a once-a-year, free event, where attendees can talk directly with university representatives.

The OUF takes place October 21-22, 2023, from 10 am to 5 pm, daily, at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre in the South Building. Admission is free.
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Foire des universités de l’Ontario (FUO)
La Foire des universités de l’Ontario (FUO) arrive à grands pas. Assurez-vous que vos élèves y seront!

La FUO réunit les universités de l’Ontario en 1 seul endroit. Il s’agit d’un événement annuel gratuit qui permet aux participantes et participants de s’entretenir directement avec des représentantes et représentants des universités.

La FUO aura lieu les 21 et 22 octobre 2023, à l’Édifice Sud du Palais des congrès du Toronto métropolitain, de 10 h à 17 h. L’entrée est libre.

Landscape Ontario Congress is Canada's largest and longest running trade show and conference for landscape professionals. With over 400 exhibitors covering more than eight acres, Congress is a one-stop-shop for the latest equipment, tools, materials and supplies; everything you need to do what you do best.

A new CERIC-funded report from Creative Futures Studio Inc. sheds light on 10 megatrends that will shape the future of work in Canada. The report, Career Development in 2040, digs into the trends that workers, employers – as well as those who advise them – need to understand to thrive in a labour market facing massive disruption. Based on an extensive literature review of as well as interviews with career development professionals (CDPs) and career services users, the report highlights 10 major trends: 
- Work Anywhere 
- AI & Automation 
- Living with Climate Change 
- Geopolitical Conflicts 
- Reconciling the Impacts of Colonialism 
- Economic Precarity 
- Globalization Under Pressure 
- Education, Disrupted 
- Declining Mental Health & Well-being 
- Generational Shifts 
The report also identifies microtrends within each area (32 in total), including the impact of the "green skills revolution" on new jobs creation, greater recognition of the skills of neurodivergent individuals, the increasing popularity of the "learn and earn" model of post-secondary education and how Gen Z’s values-driven approach to work will inform their leadership. 

Mindfulness is a practice of keeping our attention to the experience on a moment-to-moment basis in an open and non-judgmental way. Jon Kabat-Zinn introduced the idea of mindfulness to the Western world in the late 70s through a stress-reduction clinic in Massachusetts. While often associated with personal well-being, it has become more and more mainstream in daily living and corporate settings.

Mindfulness also has significant implications for finding career clarity. By leveraging a mindful approach to career planning, individuals can gain a deeper understanding of themselves, their goals and their values. Career development professionals can draw on mindfulness practices as part of an overall strategy when working with clients who struggle with where to go next with their career.