Pioneers of Trades

Posted on 06/27/2023

This year, nearly 1,200 students at 15 OCDSB schools had the opportunity to try out the trades through the Pioneers of Trades program led by the Innovation and Adolescent Learning department. Each school selected two trades and hosted workshops where students learned hands-on skills and explored potential career paths. Here are a few highlights from the program:

Culinary Creations

Students explored the Culinary field by participating in a workshop where they prepared no-bake energy balls using healthy ingredients. Students not only learned about nutrition, but also applied their math skills, using fractions to learn how to double and triple a recipe. Chef Daley Solomon also visited several schools, speaking about his studies at the Cordon Bleu Culinary Arts Institute in Ottawa and his pathway to becoming a professional Chef at Parliament Hill.

Check out some of the tasty treats that students made at Pinecrest Public School and York Street Public School:

PioneersofTrades-Culinary

Exploring Electricity

In the Electrician workshop, students collaborated to build their own wind turbines and model houses, complete with electrical circuits. These interactive projects brought their science learning to life, allowing them to explore concepts like force and motion, electricity, and renewable energy.

Dunning Foubert Elementary School invited a local electrician to speak about the trade and his career journey. Here are some of the projects that grade 4-6 students built:

PioneersofTrades-Electrical

“The students enjoyed having an entire day focused on this activity, giving them time to explore the curriculum while having fun and collaborating with their peers.” – Richard Latour, Principal, Dunning Foubert Elementary School
_

Captivating Carpentry

In the Carpentry workshop, students built birdhouses and used their math skills to measure perimeter, area, and angles. In the process, they practiced listening, following directions, focusing, and problem-solving. Check out these beautiful examples from York Street Public School and Sawmill Creek Elementary School:

PioneersofTrades-Carpentry

“The students had to work together and use important life skills like communication and collaboration to complete their activities. They demonstrated leadership, patience and perseverance as they worked through each task.” – Shania Lavallee, Teacher, York Street Public School
_

Adventures in Automotive

During the automotive day at Alta Vista Public School, students visited four different centres. They built prop cars, constructed and tested ramps, co-constructed a paper city with houses and roads, and tinkered with the new rig-a-ma-jig set where they explored a variety of simple machines.

PioneersofTrades-Automotive

Ottawa Carleton District School Board