Hobbema Youth Savour Exposure to Post-Secondary Options

Most students on campus these days are in search of the kind of fun found at SAIT summer camps – but a group of 25 youth from Hobbema, Alberta are seeking more.

The students, between the ages of 13 and 17, are part of the Youth Education and Career Pathway program that provides exposure to the options and experience provided through post-secondary education. During their two week stay at SAIT, they live in residence and participate in a wide range of classes – from culinary and heavy automotive mechanics to web design and video production.

The program is funded by grants from sponsors and is used as a reward to Montana First Nation students within Hobbema with an 80 percent or higher attendance rate during the previous school year. Promotion of education is a high priority within the central Alberta community of 12,000 that is mostly comprised of four reserves of Cree bands, tribes and nations.

“We want these kids to have the chance to make informed decisions about their academic options as they get older,” says Sandi Hiemer, guidance counselor at Montana School. “With the way the program is set up, it clearly links their performance throughout the year with the opportunity to attend camp.”

Hiemer knows the students are keen to learn as they give up part of their summer for time in the classroom. Fourteen-year-old Paul Coutre is one of those eager kids. His enthusiasm for SAIT and the projects he is taking part in here leave him with a positive impression.

“When I first heard we were going to make go-karts, I wasn’t sure how we would do it,” says Coutre. “But we did and it was really cool, because we built the karts from scratch.”

Coutre says he’s pretty sure he wants to get into heavy mechanics and is eager to come to SAIT for his education.

Jim Szautner, Academic Chair for the School of Transportation, believes the camp has a strong influence. “We have students here from last year that are mentoring new students,” he says. “They’re engaged and can now make the connection between what they’re learning in school and what their career options could be.”