Ontario school's program is a lifeline for troubled youth
When Dana turned 16, her mother abandoned her, leaving the teen suddenly responsible for her own rent, food, and clothing. Too old to be supported by child protection, and too young to be treated as an adult, Dana nearly fell through the cracks of Ontario’s social safety net.
Despite these overwhelming challenges, Dana (not her real name) attends Wallaceburg District Secondary School (WDSS) in Wallaceburg, Ont., every day, ready to learn. A participant in a local workplace co-operative program, she wants to be successful, but needs help to manage the obstacles in her life.
For Dana, and many others like her, the school’s own Partnership, Achievement, Cultural Awareness, and Engagement (PACE) program for at-risk students – developed a decade ago, and now supported with a sizeable financial commitment by Enbridge – is truly a lifeline.
“We’re the front line,” says Ken O’Neil, PACE program founder and co-ordinator. “We help the students with whatever they need to be successful.”
The PACE program dates back to 2005, when WDSS administrators approached O’Neil and asked him to develop a program to support at-risk students. O’Neil and another PACE worker connect the students with community partners — doctors, psychologists, counsellors, and mental health and addiction professionals.
Since the launch of PACE, the school has recorded higher graduation rates, a drop in crisis situations, and improved attendance for at-risk students. The number of suspensions has dropped from 474 in 2005-06 to 103 in 2013-14. Currently, a tenth of the student population is enrolled in PACE; about 45 per cent of those students are First Nations, largely from nearby Walpole Island First Nation.
Still, despite measured improvements, PACE struggled to find regular funding. “Before Enbridge got involved, there were many times we thought the program was going to have to fold,” O’Neil says.
In the fall of 2014, Enbridge committed $60,000 over three years for PACE — $10,000 per year from each of the company’s Aboriginal Affairs and Green Energy, Power Transmission and Emerging Technology divisions.
“This program is a good opportunity for us to protect and nurture our youth, one of our core pillars,” says Ken Hall, an Ontario-based senior public affairs advisor with Enbridge. “Education is one of the most important gifts we can give to our children. Enbridge is proud to help Wallaceburg students finish high school . . . and get ahead.”
Enbridge had already been partnering with WDSS since 2011 through another program called PAIRS (Partners Active in Resource Sharing) which matches petrochemical companies with high schools in the Sarnia-Lambton region, to provide financial support for students.
“Enbridge has become our community partner, just like the doctors and social workers we work with,” says O’Neil. “They are providing the means; they are supporting students.”
