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SPECIAL FEATURE I N D E P E N D E N T S C H O O L S As a 'continuum' school that serves learners from preschool to graduation, Mulgrave has the unique opportunity to scaffold students' learning very intentionally, developing their skills in an incremental and age-appropriate manner. "Some of our youngest learners in preschool recently demonstrated an interest in volcanos during their Unit of Inquiry, so teachers took the opportunity to engage in a hands-on project to create a volcano," Craig Davis, head of school. "They explored working with paper mache while enjoying a messy experience!" Grade 3 students enjoy outdoor learning weekly, engaging in activities such as learning about place values and measurements using found materials in nature. "Students demonstrate great focus outdoors, away from technology and in an environment where they can learn freely and express themselves in different ways," Davis says. "This approach to learning continues through the grades with projects such as designing garden beds using math functions, through to tackling trigonometry problems related to shadows cast by trees." Entrepreneurship courses and involve- ment in the YELL programme offer incredible hands-on learning about the stock market, creating business plans and thinking about making a positive impact in the realm of social entrepreneurship. "From our Junior School Climate Crew to our Upper School council structure, students can also practice voice and choice in a variety of disciplines that resonate with them, including the arts, DEI and wellbeing," Davis says. HANDS-ON IN THE WORKPLACE There is plenty of evidence that hands-on learning in school leads to great success in the workplace, as well. A study by Forbes says, "Hands-on learning offers time and space to think through each action, as well as support from teachers who can provide real-time feedback. Traditional learning practices will always have their place in education. However, in the real world, some things can't be learned by watching another individual do a task or having it explained; it takes actually performing the task in a safe, protected environment to learn how to do it right." EXCELLENCE IN MANUFACTURING CONSORTIUM Students that have been prepared with hands-on learning are better equipped to enter the workforce, and programs like WILWorks (work integrated learning) through Excellence in Manufacturing Consortium (EMC) are the next step for helping students find meaningful careers. EMC supports manufacturers with hiring student talent through internships, co-op placements, practicums or applied research projects. Through the WILWorks program, EMC creates partnerships with colleges, universities and polytechnics to help develop a pipeline of future employment-ready graduates. Amy Edwards, training manager at EMC says hands-on learning is valuable because it ensures the participants are able to apply the tools and skills they have learned from the program. "This is demonstrated by par- ticipants through many different ways," she says. "The most effective way we have found with our programs is by having participants complete a Workplace Performance Project where the participants select a problem in the workplace, finds a solution and imple- ments a solution (when possible)." EMC applies this educational theory by teaching a seven-step problem solving strategy, which participants then apply to identify and solve a process improvement problem within the workplace and helps to find a solution. Carolyn Rasiuk, training and content development specialist for EMC, says a learn-then-do approach is a proven strategy for moving from knowledge gain to genuine competency. "While EMC has developed many asynchronous training modules recently to address employers' needs for rapid, adaptable and flexible skill development, hands-on training will always have an important role in learning," she says. "EMC runs programs that include applied learning through solving authentic workplace problems to demonstrate problem solving, critical thinking and collaboration among other learned skills. WIL is also a common approach especially for younger or newer workers." LEARN MORE: Stratford Hall: stratfordhall.ca Collingwood School: collingwood.org St. Michael's University School: smus.ca Aspengrove School: aspengroveschool.ca Pear Tree School: peartree.school Southridge School: southridge.ca Urban Academy: urbanacademy.ca Mulgrave School: mulgrave.com EMC/WILWorks: emccanada.org EMC/WILWORKS MULGRAVE SCHOOL

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