Canada

Ontario (OPC) Segment Summary

Hosted by the Ontario Principals Council (OPC), this segment explores Indigenous land-based learning, flexible student pathways, and Black excellence through industry partnerships.

Indigenous Sovereignty 30 Credits My Way Black Excellence

Indigenous Land-Based Learning (Durham DSB)

Don White & Badabin Peltier discuss work grounded in UNDRIP (land, culture, language). They emphasize that territorial acknowledgements must be tied to action.

Key Programs

  • Akinomaag- programs: Learning on the land with Indigenous knowledge holders to build relationships with place.
  • Dual-Credit Pathways: Blending secondary school with college/university credits while learning from the land.

“Two-Eyed Seeing”

Don connects the work to Elder Albert Marshall’s concept: bringing together Indigenous and Western knowledge systems so students can access education that honors their rights.

Indigenous Education Sovereignty: Creating safe spaces for Indigenous paradigms inside public systems and preparing “future ancestors.”

“30 Credits My Way” & SHSM (Durham DSB)

Monique Mueller explains that the traditional straight line to success is wrong; real pathways include detours and re-routes.

30 Credits My Way

A one-stop, interactive roadmap where families can see all options (co-op, night school, online) to customize their high-school journey. It is being integrated with an AI assistant for tailored course combinations.

Specialist High Skills Major (SHSM)

A province-wide program where students “major” in a sector (e.g., Energy, Arts, Construction) with certifications and a red seal on their diploma.

Example: Maxwell Heights SS

Construction SHSM students partnered with the Oshawa Zoo to design and build animal structures—combining community service with sector skills.

Centre for Black Excellence & Industry Partnerships (Peel DSB)

Centre for Black Excellence

Anchored in the Maasai greeting “Kasserian Ingera?” (“How are the children?”). Principles include:

  • Black student success requires intentional design.
  • Equity work must focus on outcomes, not just processes.
  • Engaging students with mentors who look like them.

“Swirl” Partnerships

A platform created to redirect corporate marketing budgets into work-integrated learning projects in schools to close the funding gap.

Student Projects in Action

Rick Hansen SS & Pelle Pelle Spices
Students visited the factory, created their own spice blends, and competed in a cooking challenge/docuseries.
Cawthra Park SS & Providence Farm
Arts students acted as “creative directors” to design a sustainability campaign for a regenerative farm.

Closing Reflections

Lawrence de Mayor (OPC) highlighted recurring themes:

  • Student success is defined as confidence, resilience, and readiness for life, not just grades.
  • Education is a living, evolving system shaped by community needs.
  • Leadership must be responsive, relationship-centered, and equity-driven.

Main Entities and References

Below are the main organizations and initiatives referenced in the Ontario segment.

Ontario Principals Council (OPC) Professional association for principals; segment host. Durham District School Board (DDSB) Host of “30 Credits My Way” & Indigenous programs.
ddsb.ca Peel District School Board (PDSB) Host of Centre for Black Excellence.
peelschools.org Specialist High Skills Major (SHSM) Ontario ministry program for sector majors.
principals.ca
🇨🇦-Ontario