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Dartmouth students work with police as part of career pilot program

DARTMOUTH – Students got an opportunity Wednesday to interact with RCMP and Halifax Regional Police officers in a program that allows students to learn more about jobs they may be interested in later in life.

Nineteen Grade 9 students from Graham Creighton junior high school have been participating in the Discovering Opportunities pilot program. The school is the only one in the Halifax Regional School Board with the program.

Teacher Cynthia Hellesoe said it works much like job shadowing.

“Taking them to different locations to do experiential learning, rather than being in the classroom, is a huge component of the [program],” she said. “We’re helping them or assisting them in trying to hone in what it is they really want to do as they grow and mature.”

The students played a game with the officers called ‘true or false’, where the audience had to figure out which of three statements was false.

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The officers and students participating seemed to enjoy it.

“I think this is great for the kids,” said student Asante Spivey. “This is the whole point of the program for these kids to understand what [they’re] going to be — because for me, I have a lot of talents, but I don’t really know what I’m supposed to do.”

The event was held at the Black Cultural Centre in Dartmouth where a video about black heritage was screened.

“To have the opportunity to bring youth together with members in a non-confrontational situation, where they’re breaking down some of the barriers they have about each other […] I think it’s a win-win for everybody,” said RCMP Sgt. Craig Smith.

The students and police officers went on a scavenger hunt together in the centre.

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Student Natalie MacDonald was paired with two members of the RCMP, matching pictures with phrases. She said she found the program enlightening.

“We go out on field trips a lot more than other kids, now we get to hang out with police officers. We’re going to a carpentry college, we’ve done cooking classes instead of school work and things like that,” she said.

MacDonald said she’s already made up her mind about her future.

“I want to be a heavy-duty mechanic.”

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