FAQ

Family Frequently Asked Questions

What is Pathways to Education?
The Pathways to Education Program was created to reduce poverty and its effects by lowering the high school dropout rate and increasing access to post-secondary education among youth in Canada.

The program has now started  at North Hamilton Community Health Centre (NHCHC) serving the Centre's catchments area - namely, the Bennetto and Keith neighbourhoods. Hamilton Pathways launched in September 2009 and will includes students entering grade nine only.

How does Pathways to Education work?
The Pathways to Education Program provides the following four supports to ensure that young people will successfully finish high school and continue on to post-secondary programs:

1. Academic - A tutoring program for students to work with volunteer adults tutors twice each week.

2. Social - Group mentoring with adult volunteers based on fun and interesting experiences and activities..

3. Financial - Financial support such as free bus tickets and a bursary for post-secondary education (up to $4,000 per student in the program)

4. Advocacy - Staff members help connect teens, parents, teachers and community.

How Can I Join Pathways?
Pathways is open to any current Grade 9 students living in the Noeth End communities of Keith or Bennetto.  To register, simply use our online Sign Up Form to send us your contact information, or call NHCHC and we arrange to have you registered in the program.

Where does Hamilton Pathways to Education Take Place?Tutoring/Mentoring sessions for students takes place three nights per week at local community spaces that are easy for students to get to. In the Keith community, Pathways is in the Eva Rothwell Resource Centre (former Robert Land School - 460 Wentworth Street North). In the Bennetto community, Pathways is in Macauley Hall (St. Luke's Parish Hall - 76 Macauley Street East).

Who is involved in Hamilton Pathways to Education?
North Hamilton Community Health Centre is responsible for Pathways. However - for Pathways to be a success - parents, students, schools, volunteers, and the community all need to be involved. Please consider your role an important one!

Who provides the Tutoring/Mentoring for student participants?
Tutors/Mentors for Hamilton Pathways are a diverse group of volunteers from all across the Hamilton. Volunteers complete a screening process by the NHCHC and training to prepare them for success in the program. Volunteers are supervised and supported by staff at the NHCHC.

What is the cost for joining Pathways?
There is no cost for students and families participating in Hamilton Pathways to Education.

What is the future of Hamilton Pathways?
This first group of students will have a Pathways program for each year that they are in high school - Grade 9, 10, 11 & 12. Future years would usher in each new Grade 9 groups and follow them through to graduation.

When young people graduate, we all benefit. The Pathways to Education Program has proven to be less expensive and more cost-effective than most other programs available to youth. Ultimately, this translates into enormous savings in health care, correctional and social service expenditures.