What is "O2" ?

O2 is a three-year program that provides students with the unique opportunity to take specialized courses in career development and community-based learning, in addition to their regular high school credits. These courses are designed to help students determine their interests and skills, and explore their options for careers and post-secondary education. In addition, O2 students complete 3 separate co-op placements in grades 11 and 12, where they are matched with employers in the local community to gain real work experience, enabling them to further explore careers of interest.  These experiences all help to support O2 students in making better-informed decisions about their plans for the future.

O2 Program Structure

In addition to the regular provincial high school graduation requirements, O2 students must take the following specialized credits:

Career Development 10 (Grade 10, Semester 1)  - students explore their personal interests, strengths, skills and values, and begin to identify potential career paths.  Developing resumes, job interview skills, financial awareness, and the start of a career portfolio are some areas of focus. 

Community-Based Learning 11 (Grade 10, Semester 2) - is a highly experiential course that prepares students for community engagement as active citizens.  In addition, students continue to develop skills related to career exploration and life planning, financial awareness, and workplace culture and safety.  These outcomes are achieved through in-class lessons, guest speakers, community service projects, volunteering, and the completion of safety certifications such as First Aid, WHMIS, and OHS/CELT.

Co-op 11(Grade 11*) and Co-op 12 (Grade 12*, two separate credits) - students will select community hosts/employers to do 80 hours of work experience in a career field of their choice.  Please note that O2 students require the successful completion of 3 separate co-op placements to earn their O2 Certificate upon graduation.

*Please note: there is some flexibility in scheduling co-op credits

Some examples of the career pathways and programs explored by O2 students: 

• Health and Human Services

• Trades and Technologies

• Business and Education

• Hospitality and Tourism

• Arts, Culture, and Recreation

• Information Technology (IT)

When schools deliver an Options and Opportunities program, they are making a commitment to students who:

• want to learn more about themselves;

• want to explore career options;

• can safely engage in independent activities and community-based learning;

• may want to re-engage with their learning through a focus on skill development and career exploration; and

• benefit from making connections between school and post-secondary and career pathways.

Benefits of O2

• Students will make real-world connections between school and potential careers

• Students will gain leadership skills and a better understanding of who they are

• Multiple pathways to university, college, apprenticeship, or the workforce

• Exposure to unique opportunities in and outside the school that other students do not have

• Class size is capped to a maximum of 20 students; O2 students become a tight-knit group/cohort

• Priority seating to any NSCC program

 GRADUATION REQUIREMENTS:

To graduate, each student in Nova Scotia must obtain 18 credits, of which 13 are compulsory. Students have opportunities to earn 24 credits within the regular school schedule.  O2 students are required to complete the five compulsory O2 credits listed above to qualify for the Options & Opportunities Certificate of Achievement.  This certificate is awarded at the graduation ceremonies in June of the student's grade 12 year.