About Co-op

The Co-operative Education (Co-op) Program at The Bishop Strachan School is an experiential learning opportunity for students in Grades 11 and 12 designed to bridge classroom learning with real-world experience. 

Students develop key transferable skills, such as communication, collaboration, resilience, critical thinking, time-management and workplace readiness, and connect these to their chosen career interests. 

Our Co-op Program combines classroom learning with work placements. Throughout the course, students learn to set goals, reflect on their personal and professional growth, and conduct an inquiry research project that explores a real-world question arising from their placement experience.

The in-class curriculum provides a structured foundation for success in the workplace. Before placements begin, students engage in a comprehensive preparatory unit focused on identifying transferable skills, writing resumes and elevator pitches, interview and workplace communication skills, and human rights and health and safety training. During their placements, integration sessions provide time for students to reflect, set goals, share experiences and connect theory to practice through guided discussions. Students synthesize their experience into an inquiry research project and presentation. This reflective cycle ensures that the classroom and the workplace continually inform each other, transforming observation into meaningful insight.

Students participate in co-op placements in a variety of fields, including science, technology, healthcare, business and the arts. Through this program, they report significant growth in confidence and self-direction, and gain clarity about post-secondary pathways and future career goals.