Home Plus Learning Network exploring different career options

Posted on March 6, 2025 by Ryan Dahlman

By Samantha Johnson
Prairie Rose Public Schools Content Writer

Home education and online learning offer unique challenges and Corey Steeves, Principal of the Home Plus Learning Network, part of Prairie Rose Public Schools (PRPS), is always looking for ways to enhance the learning experience of students. Starting this term, Steeves has introduced a new virtual program called Passions to Pathways where individuals in the community are invited to speak for 30 minutes about their career and the path that led them there.

“Regular schools have lots of really cool programs and theme days and we are trying to figure out how can we make these experiences for students who are engaged in home ed learning or online schooling,” stated Steeves. “I was reading about a school in New Hampshire that is an online school who are doing something similar. We are trying to expose students to different career paths. That’s why I came up with the name Passions to Pathways, which links into what PRPS is doing division wide with Forging Futures.”

Steeves has a list of every possible job he could think of and is attempting to find interested parties from each to give a presentation. So far, MP Glen Motz, psychologist Vanessa Steeves and Sgt. Adam Gregory of the Medicine Hat Police Service have given talks about their careers.

All speakers have been virtual, but there are plans to have hybrid-sessions, where the speaker comes into the South Alberta Collegiate building and students have the option of watching the presentation virtually or coming to the building for an in-person experience. Additionally, there are also plans to record the presentations for those unable to watch it live. As the Home Plus Learning Network ranges from Oyen right down to Foremost, it’s essential to provide multiple options for all students so that none miss out on available learning opportunities.

Another idea Steeves has is to reach out to principals within PRPS to let them know of upcoming speakers to make the option available for classrooms to login during the presentation. This is a project Steeves is passionate about and his plan is to continue growing the audience numbers.

“At the end of the day we want students to get exposure to different careers,” said Steeves. “We want to highlight the path itself. We want to show students that when you look at the job or career a person has, what is unknown is the work and all the trial and error it took to get there. I know before I got into teaching, I worked at a bank for two years and then I realized I didn’t want to do that.”