PEL
Academic STEMM Co-op in Health Research


Partners in Education


Partners in Education programs exist to enhance the educational process and facilitate growth. PEL is a Partners in Education initiative that was implemented in the 2004-2005 school year to extend the continuum of training for graduate students offered by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research Strategic Training Program in Cancer Research & Technology Transfer (CIHR-STP CaRTT) to include secondary school co-op students. Since its inception, PEL has enriched the collaborative education partnerships between 40 secondary schools within the Thames Valley District School Board (TVDSB), the London District Catholic School Board (LDCSB), Nancy Campbell Collegiate Institute, the Wheable Centre for Adult Education, and the community of research professionals. All senior secondary co-op students, who are highly motivated to pursue a workplace assignment in the STEMM disciplines and are recommended by their co-op teacher will be considered.
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Registration, Application, Pre-placement and Placement Process

During the registration process which begins in the secondary schools in February, PEL will present an information seminar which is designed to promote experiential learning in the STEMM disciplines in health research. Interested students and/or those who are planning to apply for a PEL co-op placement should attend the PEL Information Seminar which occurs in late February. When the secondary school registration process has been completed, co-op teachers initiate the first step of a competitive application process. Selected co-op students are invited complete the online registration, create a signature file and complete a PEL Application for the Academic STEMM Co-op Programme which includes a written response to the question “Why choose a PEL Co-op Placement in a health research environment?” In addition, the teacher and student must assess our health research community and determine student interest in a health research placement.


When all PEL applicants have completed and edited the required documentation with the teacher, the PEL director will conduct a group interview and initiate the pre-placement process with each applicant. Successful applicants are invited to the Oncology Research and Education Day in June and the matching process begins. Each student is carefully matched with experiential learning opportunities in the CIHR-STP mentor sites associated with oncology, vascular disease, primary health care, and musculoskeletal health as well as health research sites in the Lawson, Robarts and the University of Western Ontario. The PEL director works with the co-op teachers and selected students to ensure that they are matched and placed appropriately. Each PEL co-op student must attend one of the PEL Orientation Seminars that occurs in either September or December of each school year prior to entering the placement, and the Secondary School Gairdner Event in October. Prior to confirming a placement, the PEL director will consult with the student to ensure that the student is placed properly. This step may require an interview with the PEL mentor. Once the PEL co-op student is placed, the co-op teacher delivers the program as directed by the Ministry of Education Cooperative Education and Other Forms of Experiential Learning Policies and Procedures for Ontario Secondary Schools, 2000.

 

Steps in Registration, Application and Pre-placement
Teachers
 
 
Students
Steps in Placement
Teachers
 
 
Students
 
 
 

 

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Responsibilities

 

The school will require the student, parent/guardian, training organization/supervisor and teacher to complete a School Board Co-operative Education Program Participants' Agreement that details the conditions of the work-education relationship. The following is a partial listing of the responsibilities:

 

 Group
  • The workplace provides a safe and healthy environment where the student will be supervised, trained, provided work/learning opportunities and evaluated.
  • The teacher will assess the work/learning environment, establish curriculum connections for each independent learning plan, monitor and evaluate student performance in the workplace and deliver the in-school component.
  • The student will abide by all workplace and school policies relating to the program
  • Parents agree to the participation of their son/daughter in the program and accept responsibility for his/her conduct.

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Lab photo

Time in the Workplace

The student, parent/guardian, training organization/supervisor and teacher sign a Ministry of Education Work Education Agreement that details the specific times at the placement;

  • Students usually spend from 2.5 to 3 hours for each time period in the workplace; however, this may be adjusted to suit the workplace and the student.
  • Student placement may occur in the morning or afternoon depending on the student's schedule.

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More information, contact:

Rodger Dusky, Director PEL
rdusky@uwo.ca

Joanne Gribbon, Coordinator CIHR STP CaRTT
joanne.gribbon@lhsc.on.ca
(519) 685-8600 x55769

 

 

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