HIGH SCHOOL FORESTRY – Career and Technology Studies Program
Career and Technology Studies (CTS) is a program designed to provide students with a variety of career-related course choices. Alberta Education states that the CTS program offers opportunities for students to develop skills that can be applied in their daily lives – now and in the future, refine career-planning skills, develop technology-related skills, enhance employability skills, apply and reinforce learnings developed in other subject areas and prepare for transition into adult roles in the family, community, workplace and/or further education.
CTS is a provincially authorized curriculum for Alberta secondary schools designed on a pathways model to offer flexible programming using 1-credit courses. The course structure of CTS enables schools to design unique programs that meet the needs of students and draw on community resources.
The Woodland Operations Learning Foundation (WOLF) and the Alberta Distance Learning Center (ADLC) partnered to develop and deliver forestry-related online/face-to-face courses, simulator training and the new forestry camp experience. The program has been delivered in Alberta schools since 2014. In 2017 ADLC stepped away from delivering the programming due to a change in their educational mandate while WOLF has continued to deliver the program on its own.
WOLF has a Forest Resource Improvement Association of Alberta (FRIAA) grant funding to complete ten schools this year. In July 2020 the funding through the FRIAA Open Funds programs ends. FRIAA funding has made it possible to reach multiple schools across Alberta in integrating forestry programs for students. In this programing, it has helped students to further their education, develop skills and encourage career planning in the forest industry. The demand for the program is growing and all schools that who participated in this programming have given strong accolades and have had extremely high student completion.
WOLF is seeking financial support from the forest industry to continue this very successful project. WOLF is looking for partial or full funding from interested partners. The cost of providing Forestry CTS to one school is $15,000 for one week (typical program length). This funding is FRIAA Directed Funds eligible. This includes:
- In-person instructor-facilitated online courses
- In-person facilitated simulator (forestry and construction equipment) experience
- Forestry day-camp including navigation and survival skills, in a local forest with instructor
Partners can provide funding at any sponsorship level they choose.
The CTS Forestry Program is used throughout the province improving young Albertans’ understanding of our industry just as they are about to make critical career choices and become informed citizens; ultimately having a say in the future of the resource and our industry. WOLF is to the best of our knowledge the only forestry foundation that is going into the classroom to help students with forestry knowledge and completion of Alberta Education credits. WOLF is committed to the success of this program and we look forward to working with you in bringing forestry into the classroom.
Contact & Booking Information:
Jacalyn Watson – Lead Teacher
phone – 403-381-2772
email – jacalynwatson53@gmail.com
