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OSCA/ACOSO recently held its first official Board of Directors meeting for 2025. We are thrilled to welcome new Directors to the board: Ron Perron, David Boshra, Kelly Stromme, Senthuran Paramasamy, and Sandra Idone.

The discussion agenda included presentations from prominent stakeholders: Theresa Wilson from School Mental Health Ontario, Chris Coupland, Chair of the Ontario Universities Council, Patty Marino from the Ministry of Education, and Derek Serafini from the Council of Registrars, Admissions, and Liaison of Ontario.
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L’OSCA/ACOSO a récemment tenu sa première réunion officielle du conseil
d’administration pour 2025. Nous sommes ravis d’accueillir de nouveaux directeurs au
conseil?: Ron Perron, David Boshra, Kelly Stromme, Senthuran Paramasamy et Sandra
Idone.
L’ordre du jour de la discussion a compris des présentations d’intervenants importants :
Theresa Wilson de Santé mentale en milieu scolaire Ontario, Chris Coupland, président
de l'Ontario Universities' Council on Admissions, Patty Marino du Ministère de
l’Éducation et Derek Serafini du Comité des registraires et agents d’admission et de
liaison.

Spring Session: April 7th to June 6th, 2025 

OSCA-ACOSO is pleased to announce that they will continue to offer Part 1, Part 2 and the Specialist in Guidance and Career Education Additional Qualifications courses this summer.
Additional sessions will take place in the fall and  winter.  Advantages of taking the course with OSCA are the instructor is a current guidance teacher-counsellor, a one year OSCA
subscription is included ($55 value if currently not active) and a downloaded copy of Ethical Guidelines ($25) is included. As part of the OSCA subscription, participants have the opportunity to attend the fall conference at a member rate, gain access to webinars throughout the year on topics related to guidance and career education, receive the weekly OSCA News to keep up to date with guidance/career topics, and receive the tri-annual OSCA Today, the professional magazine of the association.

Cost: $675 plus HST.
To register: www.osca.ca --> Next AQ course
Registration closes Friday, March 21st at 11:55 pm. This is a FIRM deadline.  
Teaching experience forms (Part 2 and Specialist) are all due no later than Wednesday, April 2nd. 
Please register early to reserve your seat!.

NEW WEBINAR! TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 25TH @ 1:00 PM
Future-Proofing Students: 
Essential Skills for Success in the Evolving Workplace

Equip your students for the future with skills that matter! In this 60-minute webinar, The King’s Trust Canada will share insights from its Skills Academy, highlighting the importance of meta, transferable, and self-navigation skills. Learn how these competencies prepare students to thrive in an ever-evolving job market, and gain practical strategies for fostering these skills in high school settings to empower students for lasting success.

The King's Trust Canada is a national charity that creates pathways to employment for young people facing barriers. Founded in 2011, by His Majesty King Charles III, The King’s Trust Canada (formerly the Prince’s Trust Canada), works with leading Canadian employers, community partners, and educational institutions to advance our mission of helping 100,000 young people increase their employability. Register Here!

All those who register will receive the webinar recording and any shared resources. Don’t miss out! 

Forms are to be submitted no later than Friday, September 12, 2025 by 4:00 p.m.

The Ontario School Counsellors’ Association has a long standing tradition (over 40 years) of recognizing and awarding those who stand out in the field of Guidance and Career Education. OSCA recognizes individuals and/or organizations that have made a significant contribution to Guidance and Career Education in Ontario. We can say with confidence that our past award winners have helped thousands find their pathways to successful futures!

OSCA-ACOSO Anthony Di Lena Student Pathway Awards' mandate is to assist at-risk students in their journey towards success. An award is given to at-risk students who have demonstrated the exemplary ability to succeed in the face of adversity. $500.00 awards are presented to students who, in their postsecondary pursuits, are taking a pathway to apprenticeship, college, community living, university or work.

Nominated students must be graduating/or have graduated from an accredited public secondary, Catholic secondary, or inspected private secondary school, including First Nations, in the province of Ontario in the previous school year. '

The deadline is Thursday, May 1st, 2025 by 4 PM.

 

 

 

 

Students are key to shaping mental health and well-being learning and programming in schools. Help the students in your life share their voice and perspectives with #HearNowON!

Learn More!

https://smho-smso.ca/

Get involved!

 

 

Your students still have the opportunity to apply to study at the University of Niagara Falls
Canada. They can apply today and start taking classes at our downtown Niagara Falls campus
this fall!

Prospective students apply directly on our website, unfc.ca. The application fee is waived for
2025.

We offer personalized support to prospective students, from the moment they express interest
to the time they begin their academic journey.

Once a student connects with us, a student advisor will be in touch!

YOUNG COURAGE AWARD
Young Courage Award is a non-political recognition with the aim to highlight actions of moral courage. Originally introduced in 2015 by the Raoul Wallenberg Academy, the Young Courage Award is given to ‘young people between the ages of 13 and 20, who with small resources have made a great human difference and shown evidence of moral courage and commitment’. The award is designed to commemorate the altruistic deeds carried out by Raoul Wallenberg in the final years of WWII.

Grade 10 students thinking about university are invited (along with their supporters) to an information session on admission requirements, financing their education, and advice on how to get started preparing for university. Join us online or on campus.

Thursday, February 20, 2025
6:30 to 8:00 p.m.
University of Waterloo Humanities Theatre & Virtual Livestream
Information fair (in-person only): 5:30 to 6:30 & 8:00 to 8:30 p.m.

Location: Roy Thomson Hall, Toronto
Date: Saturday, April 12, 2025
Time: 10:00 AM – 2:00 PM

The US College Expo is a one-day event where students and families connect directly with representatives from top U.S. colleges and universities.

As a neurodivergent learner, your success at university or college starts with
knowing the tips and tricks to help you succeed.

This guide includes key information on how to prepare for higher education as a neurodivergent learner. These tips and tricks are meant to help set you up for success and make your transition easier.

The 6Rs of Connection – A Guidance Educator Resource describes a relational approach for responding to students when they express emotions, problems or mental health concerns. The resource provides some considerations, talking tips, resources and reflection questions to help support the practice of guidance educators; however, all educators may find it useful.

 

The Animal Trades Series, beginning with Lion the Electrician, aims to inspire young readers to view the skilled trades as exciting and rewarding professions. Through relatable stories and vibrant illustrations, it showcases the creativity and impact of tradespeople in their communities. This series encourages kids to explore careers they might not have considered, sparking curiosity and passion. Our mission is to empower the next generation to see the skilled trades as a future worth exploring!  Visit us at www.animaltrades.ca to learn more.
 
 
 

Sunshine Therapy Dogs, a charity providing therapeutic visits from volunteers and
their friendly dogs to those in need. We share the belief that dogs can provide comfort
to those experiencing physical, emotional and mental distress. To that end, we provide
visits on a no fee basis to individuals, public schools and community-based
organizations in the following regions: Toronto, Durham, York, Peel, Halton, Hamilton-
Niagara. We would love to provide support to your students, individually or in groups, at
your request.

If you have any questions about our programs, please reach out at your convenience.

Emotional intelligence (EI) refers to the human emotional aptitude that represents an inherent ability for learning or understanding in human interaction and interpersonal relationships. Research suggests that social and emotional competency, as represented by EI, are significant predictors of individuals' success in their lives and careers. To this end, this article addresses the role of EI in the context of vocational and career psychology. Guided and informed by major career theories, it will propose counselling interventions that may help individuals with low EI enhance their capacity to cope with their vocational life more effectively

The transition from postsecondary (PSE) to work is an exciting and important milestone that can also be challenging. In Ontario, the existing data infrastructure around PSE outcomes relies on provincial government key performance indicators and graduate surveys that measure students’ employment and graduate outcomes (Government of Ontario, 2024). Government and institutions, as well as students and their families, are interested in these high-level outcomes, but they do not tell the whole story when it comes to understanding the labour market outcomes of PSE grads. The gap between expectations and reality of post-graduation outcomes is significant for historically marginalized and equity deserving graduates.