Presentations:

Overcoming Distance: Supporting Regional Students on Their Journey to Cégep 

Brittney Chabot, ECO-02

Ashley Roy, ECO-02

For the past two years, ECO-02 has been running PREP for Cégep at Riverside Regional High School, a program designed to support high school students from the Saguenay, a remote region with no English Cégep, as they transition into post-secondary education. Recognizing the unique challenges faced by students moving away from home for the first time, the program consists of six interactive workshops focused on essential life skills, including cooking, stress management and mental health, interpersonal relationships, tenant rights, financial stability and budgeting, and navigating a new city. These workshops equip students with the knowledge and confidence needed to thrive in an unfamiliar environment.

A key component of PREP for Cégep is a guided trip to visit English CEGEPs in Quebec City and Montreal, allowing students to explore their future academic environments while applying the skills they’ve learned. The presentation will highlight the program’s structure, its impact on participants, and include testimonials from former students who have benefited from the experience. By providing practical tools and firsthand exposure, PREP for Cégep ensures that regional students wishing to attend English-language Cégeps are prepared for success in post-secondary education and beyond.

The Transition of Anglophone Students from High School to CÉGEP in Québec City

Carol-Anne Gauthier, Champlain Regional College, St. Lawrence Campus

The transition from high school to college is a challenging period for many youths, especially those from minority groups. Student success data show that Anglophones at Champlain St. Lawrence College, situated in Québec City, experience lower rates of success in first-year classes and lower rates of perseverance to the third semester than their Francophone counterparts.

This project, funded by the Entente Canada-Québec, aimed to examine the level of adaptation to college of Anglophone minority students in Québec City in comparison to their Francophone counterparts at St. Lawrence. A mixed-methods approach was used. First, qualitative interviews with institutional actors were conducted to explore their perceptions and preoccupations, and to help guide the development of a questionnaire. Then, students completed a questionnaire which included sociodemographic information, questions about college-related expectations and perceptions, and a standardized measure of student adaptation to college (Baker & Siryk, 1989).

The results of this study contribute to the development of knowledge on the factors that influence the adaptation to college and academic success of Anglophone minority students in Québec outside of Montréal. They also give rise to recommendations for various actors involved in supporting the transition to college and academic success.