At Crofton House, we are dedicated to graduating students who are prepared for their futures and have the confidence and capacity to thrive and positively influence the world around them.

One program that bridges academic life and the professional world is the Senior School Work Experience Program (WEP), available through Grades 11-12. Designed to help students transition from secondary education to post-secondary studies and future work environments, the WEP provides hands-on experience that prepares them for real-world challenges. Through dynamic placements, students can:

• Explore career interests and potential
• Practice networking skills
• Interact with diverse populations
• Enhance self-esteem and personal growth
• Develop responsibility
• Cultivate effective communication skills

“If anyone asked me what a highlight was from Senior School, I would say the Work Experience Program. Lots of schools focus on your post-secondary education, which is important, but at Crofton House we look even further than that, honing in on what our career could look like and trying out different jobs that interest us,” Grade 12 student and Work Experience Program ambassador Joy said.

Placements for the program occur around and during winter, spring and summer breaks, and are flexible based on what is feasible for the student and their employer—even the location is flexible and can be in-person, virtual, or hybrid. All that is required is a minimum of 20 working hours for students.

Program Growth

Since 2021, the program has seen 80 new employers join, and over 110 placements have occurred. Of those placements, 16 employers have been CHS alumnae, and 23 have been CHS parents.

“The goal is to continue expanding the employer network, creating more opportunities for students to explore various career interests and offering the option for multiple placements,” Ms Purcell, Manager, Work Integrated Learning, Senior School, explained. 

“This program is such a driving factor in each student's next choice in life—if they have a positive experience, or even if they decide an experience wasn’t for them long-term, that can support them in making those decisions for life beyond CHS.”

The program has also deepened its commitment to ensuring placements meet each student’s unique interests and motivations. “We work directly with students to either place them with a matching employer in our systems or utilize our networks to find them something that aligns with what they are looking for, do reachouts and cold calls with them—support them in figuring out how to make those connections,” Ms Purcell explained.

Previous WEP Placements 

To date, the program has provided placements in a wide variety of fields, from law firms to science labs and everything in between.

In her WEP placement, Joy explored her interest in user experience (UX) and user interface (UI) at The HIVE, a multidisciplinary space for collaboration around emerging technologies at the University of British Columbia. She worked with a UI/UX designer on a game project for mobility, learned how to use Figma (even building her own website) and about design thinking, and discovered the importance of ethics and accessibility in design—and got to test out different technology and gadgets!

She was inspired by the potential for UX/UI to have such diverse applications and how much that line of work values continuous learning. “I never really knew that you could use games and use 3D modelling in real-life applications like health, and benefit different demographics,” Joy said.

“I had the opportunity to explore what I thought was a cool career, and I now know it is a career of interest to me,” Joy said. “I’d like to continue expanding into that space and making connections for when I am looking for that first job in the field.”

Becoming a WEP Employer 

Employers are welcomed into the program on a rolling basis, so there is an ongoing bank of potential opportunities for students based on their interests. 

While the WEP team makes connections with organizations Vancouver-wide (and beyond, in some cases—even as far as Hong Kong!) for student placements, the Crofton House community has provided and continues to provide, a valuable network of potential employers. Generous parents (with students in Junior School and/or Senior School), past parents, alumnae and the wider CHS community have all supported the program as mentors in recent years.

“We have a wonderful network of parents and alumnae here with some incredible jobs and careers—it is great to have their support, knowledge and mentorship for our students,” Ms Purcell said.

WEP employers: 

• Contribute to creating a positive, welcoming and supportive environment for our students
• Help shape students’ career paths and provide invaluable real-world experience
• Engage with motivated and enthusiastic students eager to learn and contribute—potentially identifying future talent for your organization
• Highlight your industry and company with the next generation of working professionals, enhancing your visibility and reputation

Involvement from the CHS community supports students’ growth, and enriches the School’s overall employer network, allowing the program team to offer more placements and opportunities in the future. 

Interested in learning more about how you and your organization can get involved? Fill out the Employer Interest Form, and the WEP team will be in touch.

Melbourne, Australia - First Impressions by Lucy, Grade 10

My global exchange to Melbourne, Australia was such a fun and unique experience. The 15-hour plane ride to Brisbane was so tiring. Our stopover in Brisbane was so hot and boring. Finally, we got on our plane to Melbourne. The car ride to Elodie’s (my exchange partner) house was fun but weird to be driving on the other side of the road. When we got to her house I met her sister who was really nice and a lot like Elodie. I also met her dog, Lincoln, who tried to eat my shoes initially but is adorable and just took a few days to get used to strangers. 

After changing and unpacking, Elodie and I walked down to the beach, a block from her house. Another thing that felt weird was coming from Vancouver where it was winter and snowing, to Melbourne where it was summer and people were swimming and tanning, and I could wear shorts. We walked along the boardwalk right beside the beach and watched some people playing volleyball for a bit then we got ice cream and walked around some of the shopping streets.
 

After exploring a little of Melbourne on my first days before school, I noticed how good the public transportation there is. I found this similar to Vancouver since I take the bus a lot and you can get to so many places by bus in Vancouver. In Melbourne, everyone takes trams here and you can get anywhere by tram. There are also a ton of coffee shops and the best Acai bowls I’ve had. 

The city reminds me of Vancouver a bit because of all the restaurants and shopping, but the streets are nicer because there are vines, flowers, and palm trees surrounding the buildings and overflowing onto the streets. The biggest difference so far is the weather. In Melbourne, the weather changes so quickly, it's so unexpected. It was 36 degrees one day and the next day it was storming. I’ve gotten slightly used to the accents, however, there are occasionally words or sayings that don’t make sense to me since Australians like to shorten every word. Like Macca’s for Mcdonalds, or brekkie for breakfast.

Like Crofton House, St. Catherine’s School has four classes a day but unlike CHS, there are three classes in the morning with a break after the first, and then one class in the afternoon, with lunch at 1:05 pm. My classes are interesting since I’m taking Commerce and Globalization, which I found cool because St. Catherine's offers more specific subjects in Grade 10. For example, we could take business classes like Commerce, and for Social Studies, we could take geography, globalization, or other classes depending on your interests. 

St. Catherine’s also has these blocks called Flexitutes or ILT (independent learning time), where instead of going to the classroom, you go to the library and work independently. A teacher supervises and you do work you have in the class normally held during that block, but if there’s no work it's like a free catch-up block for any other work you have. I found this helpful because it’s a nice way to catch up on homework during school and have time to work independently, especially since I’ve had work from Crofton House that I’ve had to do. 

St. Catherines is more strict with the uniform than Crofton House. We can’t wear jewellery and have to have our hair up in a ponytail. The teachers are also more strict about going to the washroom during class and filling up our water bottles. The uniform isn't that bad, it's a mainly grey dress with some blue, and we have to wear blazers to and from school, as well as a blue ribbon in our hair. The work level is pretty similar to Crofton House, there’s not a lot of homework unless you have a project or assignment to work on. The campus is pretty and they have a swimming pool and a water fountain in the main courtyard. There’s a cafeteria where you can buy lunch, snacks, tea, coffee, and popsicles. 

This experience has allowed me to be independent and I hope to keep growing and having many more life-changing experiences while I’m here. After being here for about two weeks I’m settling in and getting used to being somewhere so different and away from my friends and family.  I’m so grateful for this experience and this opportunity to come to Melbourne for five weeks. So far everything I’ve experienced has been so memorable and all the people and friends I’ve made here are so special.

There’s so much I’m looking forward to. I’m so excited to go to Torquay, which is a small beach town. Elodie and I are going with Skye and Rachael (the other exchange partner and CHS exchange student) because Skye has a beach house there. There are also lots of small surf shops and ice cream shops in Torquay, and the beaches are amazing there. 

I’m also going to Sydney to see family which I’m so excited about, and Elodie, her sister and I are going to Chadstone this weekend to go shopping and see a movie. Chadstone is a really big shopping mall in Melbourne, and I’m looking forward to seeing Australian shops like Glassons, and Cotton-On, as well as spending time with Elodie and her sister! 

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Melbourne, Australia - First Impressions by Rachael, Grade 10

My Global Exchange experience at St.Catherine's School in Melbourne, Australia has already been eye-opening. From the moment I stepped off the plane in Melbourne, greeted by the warmth of the summer humidity, I knew I was going to love it here.

I always thought that Crofton House had some of the most competitive school sports teams but I was immediately proven wrong. Here in Melbourne, most private school kids do their sports in school instead of school clubs. 

St.Catherine’s is situated very close to the Yarra, a river that runs through the heart of Melbourne. This short distance to the river means St.Catherine’s is a perfect school for a rowing team. Here, girls take rowing more seriously than at my school. I've always wanted to try rowing so I took the opportunity to do it at St.Catherine’s - one of the most beautiful places in the world to row. Even though I joined mid-season as a learner, the rowing community, like the St.Catherine’s School community, embraced me right away.
Doing a sport while on my exchange was a great way to fully embrace the Australian school experience and get closer to the girls quicker in another environment besides the classroom.

Value-wise, Crofton House and St.Catherine’s are very similar. Both schools are dedicated to bringing out the best version of their students through opportunities such as exchange opportunities and sports.  

St Catherine’s is quite a smaller school with fewer people, many of whom live in a boarding house just off campus. The schedule is organized quite differently, however, the classes are the same amount of time with the day beginning and ending around the same time. One thing I found very different from Crofton House is the "Independent Learning Time" blocks. Each subject has these blocks every few classes. The students go to the library where they find the work they must do on the St.Catherine’s portal, and they may choose to do the work then or complete other work during this block. Either way, the work is due a week from then. This block is given to the students to help them learn better time management and study skills when there is no teacher around to guide them. I definitely noticed that the students here have obtained lots of initiative and independence from these ILTs. 

So far, I've gone shopping a ton along Chapel Street and in Chadstone Mall, both areas filled with many signature Australian brands such as Glasson and Supre, which I have heard about all the way from Canada. I've been to Torquay a few times, a beach town where my host family has a house. I also recently went to the Melbourne Zoo where I saw all sorts of interesting animals I’ve never seen before, like Tasmanian Devils, elephants, tigers and lions. I am looking forward to going to the Head of School Girls Regatta for rowing, a weekend full of races that all the rowing teams have worked hard preparing for. Lastly, I am excited to keep going on trips to the beach and eating many more acai bowls in the days to come.

I am so grateful for all the family and teachers that have made this trip possible with their kindness and support, this is truly an opportunity of a lifetime.  

 

London, United Kingdom - First Impressions by Alexis, Grade 9

Getting off the plane in the UK and seeing the faces of the students we hosted at CHS back in October was a surreal experience, including meeting the families of our exchange students.

After being picked up by my host family, my first impression of London was - busy - always bustling with people catching the Tube (the London underground transit), walking to school, or meeting up with friends. Everyone always needed to go somewhere, which was quite clear on the initial drive back to Ava’s house. The traffic through central London was a nightmare and I had no idea there was a congestion fee! One of the main differences from Vancouver was how expensive everything was. I mean the food, clothing, souvenirs, you name it, pounds to CAD didn’t look too pretty. 

The architecture was outstanding. On the second day I was there, we took a huge walk around Borough Market, passing the River Thames, seeing the London Eye and Big Ben. Although my feet hurt so bad at the end, I was never bored. Compared to images online, seeing every little detail on these landmarks was amazing, especially around 6:30 pm when we witnessed the sunset. It’s hard to compare London’s architecture to Vancouver, you just can’t. 

Seeing the culture, eating the food and visiting places were my highlights. However, I won’t forget the experience I had at City of London School for Girls. Waking up early, walking to the tube, riding the tube, walking to the school in the morning was my new daily routine. The first day was rough after the jetlag, however I got to look around the school and experience classes in a completely different environment. The way City of London was laid out in terms of classrooms and schedule definitely confused me at first, with their whole A and B schedule, but I eventually got used to it.  

Everyone at the school was so welcoming, and I got to experience the different facilities they offered. Though I didn’t get a chance to swim in their pool, I got two FULL sessions of boxing with a real boxing instructor. This was a first for me and I had such a fun time learning these skills. Students around the campus were curious about my presence on campus. I enjoyed answering questions about London and Vancouver and got to know so many different people going to the school. 

Although two weeks was little time to see London, my exchange partner and family took me on so many great experiences and places around the city which expanded my view. Some areas were packed full of tourists, but other areas were quiet and calm, it all depended on where you were and what time it was (rush hour). 

Getting squished onto the Tube was not one of my highlights, however spending time with Ava and her family, along with the other exchange students, was a blast. My whole experience went by in the blink of an eye, these memories and photos I have made will certainly be with me forever. 

I had such a great time participating in the London 2023-2024 exchange and I can’t wait to visit London again!

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Cooks Beach, New Zealand - Unique Experience by Reese, Grade 10

My fourth day in Aotearoa, New Zealand was spent with Ella (my exchange sister) and her family at Cook’s Beach. At 9:00 am, I woke up to the melodies of birds and cicadas outside my window and ate breakfast with the family before preparing the kayaks for a day trip. 

Around 11:00 am, we arrived by car at a beautiful beach with golden sand and launched the family’s three kayaks into the water. The sun was beaming down on the crystalline blue waves as Ella and I paddled along in our kayak, pausing every so often to admire the nearby cliffs covered in lush blankets of green. We watched in amazement as pied shags (a native New Zealand bird) dove underwater beside our Kayak to catch their lunches. 

By noon, we had reached a small beach known as Lonely Bay and paused to have a swim and wander along the shoreline. Ella, Renee (Ella’s younger sister) and I explored a small cliff nearby, crawling through tunnels and strolling along the glistening rocks. Once our traverse was complete, we relaunched the kayaks and paddled until we came upon a small cave where we stalled to admire the open ceiling, topped with a verdant canopy and view of the aquamarine sky above. 

Following this pause, we set off again to yet another beach, Ella and I laughing as I attempted to teach her the song “down by the bay” to pass the time. 
A little while later, we landed on a third beach with shallow, clear waters and beautifully white sand. After splashing around in the waves with Ella and Renee for some time, Ella and I discovered a path through the small forest surrounding the beach and followed it up a small hill until we reached the top where a man-made, red platform stood with a mesmerising, panoramic view of the ocean below. 

Later, when we arrived back at the beach house, I enjoyed a late lunch with Ella’s family. Then, around 5:00 pm, after we had cooled off and relaxed inside for a little while, Ella and I headed back to Cook’s Beach for a pre-dinner swim. Following dinner, Ella, myself, Renee, Auntie Fluff (a family friend) and Heather (Ella’s mother) walked back to Cook’s beach one last time to watch the sunset. As we strolled beside the serene waves, admiring the changing colours of the sky, we noticed a strange, dark shape in the waters barely fifteen feet from shore: a sting ray. After watching the ray dance in the waters, we all headed back home and watched some European football together before finally going to bed after a wonderful day.