Back in the early 1990s, three Manitoba School districts launched the "Lost Prizes" project to reclaim talented, at-risk high-school dropouts. Despite their unique gifts, these relationship-resistant youth were disenchanted, disillusioned, and disconnected. Many had major substance abuse problems and were engaged in serious criminal…

The Canadian government is meeting the rising demand for highly skilled workers with a $296.4 million national dropout prevention initiative over five years. This document, written in both English and French, describes the initiative. More than half of the funds will be allocated to programs and services, more than a quarter to mobilizing…

The Leaving School Early (LSE) Program, established in 1975, is designed for 14- and 15-year-olds who find none of the public school programs suitable. Applicants are assessed by a social worker and an individualized work or education contract written. LSE participants are monitored by teacher advisors. (SJL)

Although workplace requirements are mandating that employees possess higher-order skills, an alarming proportion of young Canadians are dropping out of secondary school before acquiring the skills they need to survive in a super-symbolic economy. Dropout prevention programs can curtail these trends and the effectiveness of one such program, the…

Contains nine articles focusing on prevention programs and school counseling. Topics addressed include educational alternatives for potential dropouts, childhood depression, suicide, and school vandalism. Describes programs facilitating adolescent development and for the prevention of delinquent behavior. Discusses the counselor's role in failure…

A program in British Columbia places at-risk high school students with one teacher for the remainder of their high school years. The integrated curriculum, constructed to be relevant to their lives, combined with the emphasis on respect, compassion, trustworthiness, and tolerance have enabled almost 100 students to graduate from the program. (TD)

This monograph (in both English and French) examines the impact of poverty on children, with particular reference to the situation of poor children in Canadian elementary and secondary schools. Section 1 briefly introduces the topics of education and poverty. The link between poverty and children's physical and mental health and educational…

This report presents the findings of a survey ("Programs and Activities Using Technology To Serve Students at Risk of School Failure") of a sampling of large school districts in the United States and Canada, conducted to obtain information on the use of technology to serve students at risk of school failure for the participants in a…