More than 700 Abbotsford School District students get a special look behind the scenes of some of Abbotsford's largest community partners during unique field trips this month.
Taking place over two sets of dates – May 1 and 2 for Grades 2 and 3 and May 29 and 30 for Grades 7 and 8 – the experience includes interactive visits to the Abbotsford School District board office, Abbotsford Police Department, Abbotsford City Hall, Abbotsford Fire Rescue Services, Fraser Valley Regional Library, and The Reach Gallery Museum.
The objective of the experience is to highlight the important roles these groups play locally and help connect students to learn more about some of the real-world careers available in Abbotsford.
The school board office visit sees students participate in a collaborative art project, which is based on a design by local artist Raphael Silver of Sema:th First Nation. Every student and adult will contribute to this community piece, reflecting themes of connection and civic pride.
The initiative was sparked by Andrea Orlosky of The Reach, who also developed promotional materials and coordinated bookings.
“It felt like a great opportunity to bring civic partners together, especially with all of them located so close to one another,” she stated. “The focus is on careers in the community and the helpers and workers who make Abbotsford function well."
To extend the learning, pre- and post-visit materials were created for classroom use. Thanks to sponsorship from CUPE 774, all program fees were waived for this experience.
"This is such an amazing opportunity for students to see their curriculum come to life," stated Lynette Power, district principal of languages and settlement services. "From social studies to career education, these field trips are thoughtfully designed to make meaningful connections to what students are learning in the classroom, and to the people who support their community every day."
