Educators at Ranch Ehrlo’s Transition Centre believe in celebrating a very important milestone in a students’ life and they use the relationship they have built with the participant through CARE to do it.

As students are either discharged out of Ranch Ehrlo or transition from the centre to a mainstream school, educators Chad Fisher and Gary Bresch take a moment to celebrate with students and set them up for success in the future.

The Transition Centre is an educational facility in Regina run by the Ranch.  It prepares youth to transition from their intake and stabilization Ranch class toward a mainstream placement. It also provides a more structured environment for youth challenged with a more independent learning environment.

“Our class is unique in that we offer academics in the morning and vocational programming in the afternoons,” explained Chad, a teacher at the centre who has been with the Ranch for seven years in a variety of roles.

The academics are facilitated and adapted to each individual’s academic needs and abilities; this can range from youth working on completed high school credited classes to a youth learning to read. 

Chad added, “The vocational side of our program teaches employable skills that the youth can use beyond their academic careers and life at Ranch Ehrlo while making a bit of money.” 

Why is it important to celebrate these milestones? Both Chad and Gary agree that it is essential that the student to be reflective of where they started and where they are now.

“We hope it helps them to stay motivated to keep improving while at their new program,” Chad explained. “Many of these youth come from some very unfortunate circumstances and to have the resilience, dedication, and hard work to work through their respective hardships and exceptionalities is no easy task, to say the least.”

They added that it is also important for the other youth in the class to see the success of the student and realize that they can do it too. 

Celebrations vary from youth to youth, but it usually involves acknowledging their success in the class and celebrating with favourite foods and activities.

Chad concluded that these celebrations are just important to staff as they are to the youth.

“The little victories lead to great results, and we try to build as many little victories day by day with the youth until they reach their goal of moving to a high school program.”