On Thursday, January 23, 2025 six students graduated from four HPE high schools through the School Within a College (SWAC) program. Five were present for the ceremony that was held at Loyalist College. Several of these new SWAC graduates have already received offers from college programs and look forward to taking the next step in their educational career.
The remaining SWAC students will complete their Ontario Secondary School Diplomas by returning to SWAC for a second semester, at their home schools, or moving to other programs within and outside the Hastings Prince Edward District School Board.
Since September 2023, students have benefitted from a new and 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 Fall 2024 SWAC graduates!