Alternate Community Programs (ACP)
School District # 57 offers alternatives to mainstream education programs. Alternate Community Programs (ACP) is a Type 3 Ministry designated facility. We are required to provide evidence that the students in our program are in need of Tier 3 interventions and every student must have a personalized Student Learning Plan that is reviewed annually. We also need to ensure that services above and beyond are available to all students, identifying the need for Type 3 support, that aren't being met in the mainstream school. The following programs are under the umbrella of ACP- John McInnis Centre onsite learning, YAP school program, Intersect School program.
Referrals to ACP are made through the home school. If the student is not registered in a school, they will need to register at their catchment school first, unless they have been out of school for more than 1 year and have an outside agency in support of their referral. Prior to acceptance, information is gathered from the last school/education facility, caregivers, community agencies and supports and is discussed at a District Learner Support screening committee to determine the best placement.
Referrals to Intersect School Program are made through the Intersect Clinician who will refer to the program. The Principal/Vice Principal in collaboration with the school team will review the referrals and will accept when there is space. Waitlists are kept when there isn't space. Reach out to your Intersect Clinician if you want to discuss a referral.
After students are accepted they participate in an intake meeting with our Resource/Support team. Our staff gather strength based information about the student to develop their Student Learning Plan and the student will be scheduled into some onboarding blocks. During onboarding staff will support the student to attune to the building, create relationships with key staff, and some testing will be done to help with classroom placement. At Alternate Community Programs (ACP) our students are all on a graduation pathway. While sometimes academics aren't the focus, finding ways to incorporate learning into all that we do is integral.
We offer a five-day schedule- Monday to Friday, each day consists of core academics, electives and core competency work. Some students will start on a gradual schedule and some students on safety plans will have a reduced schedule. The goal is always to increase time at school. Attendance is important and will be monitored so that we can develop plans to support success if there are barriers preventing students from getting to school.
We have a variety of classrooms, access to technology, full gym, Foods and Nutrition room, music and art spaces, and a full woodworking shop. We also have two counsellors on staff and 2 district clinicians that support us part time.
Additional Features offered to all ACP programs
Student Learning Plan
- strength based profile
- goals- core competency, curricular, transition
- progress reviews 3x per year
- communication log
- graduation plan
- behaviour support plan
Explicit focus on Core Competency based learning
- communication
- personal/social identity
- thinking
Flexible Schedule
Connections to Career Education Programs
- Bean Bar Cafe
- Outside workforce programs (KOPAR, YouthWorks, etc.)
Increased Youth Care worker support
Indigenous focused learning
- Dakelh Holistic Model for Learning
- self identity, community, responsibility, truth, honesty
- Elder visits
- land based opportunities
- one to one and group cultural support
- classroom cultural teachings
YAP - Youth Around Prince George School Program
Location: Youth Around Prince Building
1160 – 7th Ave.
Ph. 250-250-960-8867
Enrollment: 15
Age Range: 14 to 19
Program Staff: One Teacher, one Youth Care Worker
Students in the YAP School Program are youth aged 14 to 19 who are considered highly 'at risk' and who frequently have involvement with various community interagency services. The program runs in the afternoon, Monday to Friday. The vast majority of these students have been referred by the Student Conduct Review Committee and/or they are involved with Youth Probations. The goal of the YAP School program is to transition to other alternative community programs offered at the John McInnis Learning Centre. Where possible, students are included in the above services and programs with ACP.
Intersect School Program
Intersect
A Collaborative School Program That Provides Educational Services For 13-18 year olds
Purpose:
The interagency partnership between Intersect and School District No.57 was initially formed in 1994 to meet the identified needs of youth with significant mental health issues. These youth are in need of intensive interventions to facilitate their healthy participation and reintegration within the community. The goal of the partnership is to foster and enhance resiliency so that each client develops his/her capacity to interact with and contribute to the community. An integral component of the service is a transition back into a more "traditional" educational environment. The focus of the integrated service is the mental, social, emotional, behavioral, academic and cultural needs of the youth. The identified youth receive service through integrated services provided by both agencies and the community. The School District and Intersect share resources and expertise in providing intensive services for the youth. Referral is through Intersect therapists and screening is done in collaboration with the Intersect school program team.
Philosophy and Goals:
The philosophy and goal of Intersect School Program is to work collaboratively so that "at risk" youth receiving services from Intersect Youth and Family Services Society can grow and achieve independence in their academic and emotional well-being, in order to transition to a more traditional educational setting or to the workplace.
Referral and Intake Process:
Students registered in a secondary school must be receiving services at Intersect Youth and Family Services Society and be referred by their primary Clinician/Therapist. The youth must be experiencing challenges that do not allow for success in other district school programs and the youth must be committed to attending the Intersect School Program. The Intersect Clinician/Therapist is responsible for completing the referral and submitting it to the Intersect School Committee. The School Committee will determine if the referral is appropriate and if there is space. A waitlist will be kept when the program is full.
Where possible, students are included in the above services and programs with ACP.
Location:
Intersect Youth and Family Services Society
1294 — 3rd Avenue
Prince George, B.C. V2L 3E7
Phone: 250-562-6639 Fax: 250-562-4692