What’s the big idea?

Those who attended high school in rural Alberta know post-secondary open houses and career fairs—or even online resources!—are more accessible to those who live close to or in larger communities. Obviously, when you live and learn farther away from a major urban centre, you face additional logistical and technological challenges and have to find creative ways to gain access to those educational opportunities.

That creativity was front and centre as rural high schools pitched their big ideas for the CPA Education Foundation’s Rural High School Grant.

Grade 12 students Carson Smith (seated) and Robert Beranek from FP Walshe High School in Fort Macleod are super excited to try the new virtual reality career exploration tool.

Teachers and administrators across the province are finding unique ways to engage their students, such as equipping their schools with new technology to better develop practical knowledge and skills in science and technology and using virtual reality to enhance learning and explore career opportunities for students entering the 21st-century workplace. In the process, they’re also shaping the future of learning.

Since it was established in 2021, the Rural High School Grant—which is funded in part by the Hesje CPA Knowledge Centre—has been awarded to five schools and school divisions across Alberta for projects aimed at increasing access to educational opportunities and setting students up for success. Most recently, funds were awarded to Drumheller Valley Secondary School in Drumheller, Harry Collinge High School in Hinton, and the Livingstone Range School Division in Fort Macleod.

The Foundation believes these projects will greatly benefit students and honour the legacy of the Knowledge Centre’s namesake, the late Brian Hesje FCPA, FCA. Brian had a passion for supporting students in small towns and farming communities who seldom had the same opportunities as students in big cities.

The CPA Education Foundation’s Hesje CPA Knowledge Centre was established thanks to a generous gift from Brian Hesje FCPA, FCA (1946-2021), who is remembered as an accomplished Alberta business leader and community builder. The Knowledge Centre, which was founded in March 2019, is a virtual hub of resources and materials featuring Alberta CPAs sharing their unique perspectives and vast expertise on a wide range of topics and issues.