kids.now

Woodbine Junior High School

Location:

Don Mills, ON

School Champion:

Nancy Ross, Guidance Counsellor

First kids.now program:

Fall 2003

Number of kids.now programs since 2003:

11

Number of students who have participated in the program:

Approximately 110

Why it's important to the school:

Woodbine JHS is home to quite a few ESL students, who are often reluctant to fully participate in school activities, as a result of language difficulties. Many are too shy to express themselves within the classroom or engage in extra-curricular activities. The kids.now program has been the push these students needed to come out of their shells, and take a more leadership role within our school community.

The impact the program has made:

There has been marked improvement in student empowerment, peer-to-peer problem solving, and goal-setting.

The best thing about the program is:

From a coordination perspective, the program could not be simpler to implement, and the time and investment on the part of our school is small, compared to the big rewards associated with seeing a more engaged student body.

Every school should have this program because:

The kids.now program offers kids an opportunity to benefit from life skills development tools that would otherwise be unavailable to them.

The final word:

"Thanks to the kids.now program, our students can have the opportunity to develop confidence and a better sense of themselves, qualities that will be vital to them today, and in the future." — Nancy Ross