Welcome to CEGEP: Tools for students arriving from a different educational model (students from immigrant backgrounds, international students, students from marginalized or underrepresented groups) that explain what is expected of students in post-secondary education and how things are done.

This project addresses the reality faced by students from a different educational background when entering CEGEP. These students may lose their bearings more than the average student and will often drop out of school because they cannot find the support they need. A hidden curriculum (unstated norms, expectations, etc.) makes the situation more difficult to navigate for these individuals, who are unfamiliar with the basics of the Quebec education system, such as what students are expected to know or what the student and teacher’s roles are. They often experience a big culture shock that keeps them from effectively continuing their classes and programs of study. Tools designed specifically for these students explain these unstated elements and teach them how to be students in Quebec’s educational system.

The tools for students arriving from another educational model will be useful for the students but also for their teachers, who must undertake a cultural decentering to fully understand and support these students.

Project leaders: Isabelle Joanis and Jean-François Chapman, CÉGEP de l’Outaouais.