Brooklyn Echlin, soon to begin secondary school studies, said the Discovery Day program helped to introduce her to the UWindsor campus.
Organizers are crediting a program Thursday to introduce West Windsor residents to educational and cultural resources available at the University of Windsor as a great success.
A collaborative project of the University, the United Way, and the group Our West End Neighbourhood Renewal, Discovery Day brought youth participants in On Track to Success to campus for tours, a pizza lunch and presentations that included a stage performance, nursing simulation, and science demonstration.
Education professor Karen Roland said the event helped guests, mostly students in grades eight and nine, feel more confident about post-secondary education.
“We want them to feel this is a place where they belong,” she said. “By the afternoon, you could see they were growing more comfortable.”
The feedback from participants was excellent, said Alicea Fleming, a representative of the On Track to Success program, which provides tutoring and other supports to youths chosen from vulnerable populations.
“All participants had many positive comments about the day and they all indicated an interest to learn more in the future about a variety of programs and supports available at the University of Windsor,” she said. “In fact, on the ride home two of our students let us know that the information they learned today has helped them decide which career path to pursue. We couldn’t have asked for more!”
One of those participants was Brooklyn Echlin, a recent graduate of St. John Catholic Elementary School who will begin studies at Assumption High School this fall.
“I learned a lot today,” she said as the program wrapped up. “It’s a good experience to see the University and meet these people who can help us get here.”
