Integrated School Support Program

Integrated School Support Program

Integrated School Support Program

The Calgary Public Library inspires life stories and strives to be the vibrant heart of a great city. Collaborating with the Library is an opportunity to help Calgary's youngest citizens develop their learning skills and share your skills and passions as a leader in the community.

The Integrated School Support Program (ISSP) is a prevention-based initiative first spearheaded by the Calgary Police Service in the fall of 2014. It seeks to aid at-risk children at two elementary schools in the Forest Lawn area by providing them with the necessary supports to thrive both academically and socially. The ISSP offers a positive police presence in the schools, on-site psychologists, physical education specialists, social workers, and health clinicians, as well as breakfast, lunch, and afterschool programs. The Calgary Public Library partners with the YMCA to deliver Kids’ Hub, the daily afterschool program at Patrick Airlie School. With a focus on multiple literacies (reading, writing, numeracy, digital, etc.), the program helps to ensure the continued physical and mental health of the students, both of which are critical factors in terms of classroom learning success.

Who?

All Bachelor of Education Students

What?

Group-based after-school engagement program. You will collaborate with program staff to lead activities related to literacy, numeracy, and developing students' social skills for students in grades  1-5.

When?

One afternoon a week between October and March or April.

Where?

Patrick Airlie School, 1520 - 39 Street SE, Calgary

Logistics


What's Involved

  • Group-based after-school engagement program
  • Age of Children/Youth: Grades 1-5
  • Pre-service teachers will participate in a 30-minute orientation session on Friday, October 2nd, 2020. Orientation for your placement with ISSP will take place online and when you first arrive on-site.
  • Pre-service teachers will attend the program one afternoon a week, beginning the first week of October and ending in mid-March or April. This longer placement will allow you to develop meaningful relationships with the students you support.
  • Each week, you will collaborate with program staff to lead activities related to literacy, numeracy, and developing students' social skills.
  • Participating pre-service teachers will be encouraged to take on additional leadership opportunities as they continue with ISSP. While initial placements will focus on observing and supporting, participants will have the opportunity to lead components and model activities that may be integrated into future cycles of the program.
  • The ISSP program provides participating children with a safe place to learn, build relationships, and feel validated in their collective experience. Pre-service teachers will foster student learning through play, social interaction, and child-directed learning activities.

Requirements

  • Pre-service teachers need a current Police Information Check with Vulnerable Sector Screening (issued after July 1, 2020). Students who do not already have a police check should begin this process at their local police station as soon as possible, as police checks often take 4-6 weeks to process. Students in their non-education years are able to get an ePIC Police Check as a volunteer through the Library if they do not already have a current police check. 
  • All participants are required to complete a 3-hour online Child Protection training course provided by the YMCA (the training is free).


Werklund Dates and Times

FALL 2023 (Application is now closed.)

  • Werklund Fall 2023 Wrap-Up Session: Friday, December 8, 5:00 pm - 6:00 pm (Zoom)
  • Fall 2023 Placements End: mid-December

WINTER 2024

  • Winter 2024 application will open on November 20, 2024.
  • Werklund Winter 2024 Orientation: Monday, December 11, 5:00 pm - 6:00 pm (Zoom) 
  • Winter 2024 Placements Start: early January (program dependent)
  • Werklund Winter 2024 Check-In Session: Monday, January 29 at
    • 9:30 am - 10:30 am (in-person) or
    • 3:30 pm - 4:30 pm (Zoom)
  • Werklund Winter 2024 Wrap-Up Session: Tuesday, March 12, 5:00 pm - 6:00 pm (Zoom)
  • Winter 2024 Placements End: mid-March (program dependent)

Integrated School Support Program Times

  • On-Site Orientation: During your first site visit in October 2020
  • ISSP Sessions: Once per week from October 2020 to mid-March or April 2021 (~24 weeks). Students doing Field 2 in March will end their placements early to accommodate their Field schedule.
  • Sessions run Monday-Thursday from 3:00-5:30pm. While the ISSP runs everyday, each pre-service teacher will support only 1 day per week (e.g., every Monday). Specific dates will be assigned based on participant availability each semester.
  • Since ISSP runs every week, participants will be expected to attend during the following weeks:
    • If applicable, after Field 1 placements in October (speak to the ISSP coordinator about travel times)
    • Fall Reading Week
    • Winter Reading Week
  • ISSP does have a number of breaks following the CBE's modified calendar. Participants will be off, for example, between December 20nd and January 6th, and on other dates as specified by the ISSP team.
  • As the ISSP program runs until June, students who wish to continue their placement after April are welcome to do so based on their availability (e.g., after the end of their Field placements).

In total, pre-service teachers agree to commit to a minimum of 60-80 hours for their service-learning experience


Making Connections

  • Throughout the semester, pre-service teachers will curate their volunteering experiences using a creative medium (e.g., photos, art, storyboarding, videos, etc.) that best reflects their experiences in the program. Your creative reflections will form part of a public showcase of Werklund student experiences later in the year.
  • Pre-service teachers will participate in 2 group meetings: one at the mid-point and another at the end of their placement (1 hour each). These group meetings provide pre-service teachers with opportunities to reflect on the community placement experience and to guide improvements for the program.

Applications are now closed. Please check back for more updates.

Integrated School Support Program

Want to learn more?

Read about ISSP here

Spending almost three hours each week with the same children really allowed me to understand each child's needs and what works for them. I was also able to become more comfortable in an environment with numerous young children.

ISSP Participant

This placement has allowed me to see how children socialize with each other and adults, and has allowed me to think about how I will manage my future classroom and conflicts between students. I have enjoyed getting to know the same students week after week and spending time with them playing games or reading with them.

ISSP Participant