Page 18 - JFS 2021 annual report

Annual Report 2021
Pathways to Education Canada Independence
A t Pathways to Education Canada, one of the organizational values is that “Adaptability is our Advantage.” That came in handy as the nonprofit, which serves high school students living in low-income communities across Canada, navigated though the challenges of COVID-19.
The need to isolate and physically distance left youth feeling anxious, and we saw first-hand the unique impact the pandemic had on Pathways students. The sudden wave of job losses put a huge burden on families from low-income communities, and many students had to prioritize part-time work ahead of their education to support their families. Students who used to rely on the library, school or their Pathways Program location to use a computer and access the internet had less opportunity to do so with social distancing measures in place. Many youth from low-income communities lost access to quiet, distraction-free places to study. These challenges widen the socio-economic gap and threaten to jeopardize the success of Pathways students.
To minimize the impact, our staff stayed connected with students — provided encouragement, checked in on their mental health, and ensured they had access to the resources they needed. The pandemic also exposed existing inequities related to access to technology for youth in low-income communities. We adapted the Pathways Program to address these challenges:
We deployed a low-bandwidth video platform to help students with limited or unreliable access to the internet to connect with Pathways staff and tutors.
We worked with local partners to get devices into the hands of all students, so they could engage in online learning.
We made available a variety of digital educational supports, like e-tutoring and other virtual support initiatives, to help students take advantage of online learning opportunities.
As the pandemic continued to restrict and deter large social gatherings, we adapted the delivery of the Pathways Program to a blended approach of virtual and in-person supports, adjusting as required by public health guidelines and in consultation with local school boards.
Over the past year, the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic challenged us to explore alternative ways to continue our support of youth. This was an opportunity for us to examine existing orthodoxies about how the Pathways Program is delivered and accelerate our Growth Through Innovation strategy.
Our work over the past year has focused on employing a continuous cycle of feedback from key stakeholders, including students and alumni of the program. This process is critical to our innovation work to ensure solutions continue to be relevant to students in the Pathways Program — both now and in the future.
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