On Thursday, June 19, 2025, the School Within a College (SWAC) class of 2025 was celebrated at a special graduation ceremony held at Loyalist College.
There were 21 graduates–a one hundred per cent success rate for the program. Together, the students earned a total of 106.5 credits, consisting of 70.5 secondary school credits and 36 dual credits, studying various subjects from Wellness to Culinary Techniques.
"To the families, supporters and school staff who are here—thank you for your commitment to this awesome program. To the students—congratulations! Your hard work, perseverance and resiliency have led to your success, with one hundred per cent of you graduating," said Katherine MacIver, Director of Education.
Even though the students have graduated, Loyalist College President assured them, "This is your community. Even when you're done, you're never alone. All these people support you. "Thank you to the HPEDSB and Loyalist staff who supported the program this past year.
Since September 2023, students have benefitted from an exciting innovation to the “college-delivered” dual credit model, where secondary school students attend both high school and college courses at Loyalist College. In this School Within A College (SWAC) model, students remain HPEDSB students and graduate from their home school.
Prospective candidates are 17-20 years old who are within range of earning an Ontario Secondary School Diploma (OSSD) with the potential to succeed, with teacher support, in a college environment. Academic programming at SWAC consists of a combination of college credits, compulsory course completion, credit recovery, experiential learning and personalized workshops delivered by the college in areas like mental health and wellness, student success mentoring, career-life planning and breaking down financial barriers for post-secondary education.
Congratulations to the Class of 2025 SWAC graduates!