Embracing change has been a catalyst for growth at Pathways Longueuil—for students and staff. The Pathways Program in Longueuil initially launched online during the first year of the pandemic, providing virtual tutoring and social activities. When schools reopened the following year, the Longueuil team quickly adopted a decentralized approach to connect with students in person across five local high schools.
Recalling the shift, Program Director Christopher Brown-Hernandez and Team Lead Annie Bélanger can remember how stressful the transition back to in-person schooling was for so many students. “There was a big struggle catching up academically after the pandemic, and anxiety still is one of the main challenges students are facing today. Many students are putting in a lot of effort but may have learning difficulties or other concerns that make school even harder for them, and they don’t always have the tools available to help them through that,” Annie shares.
To help young people overcome these obstacles, the Pathways Longueuil team has been steadily establishing a strong foundation for youth engagement, learning, and well-being over the past five years. Pathways Longueuil hosts tutoring sessions directly at the schools and their office, and facilitates mentoring activities within the community through partnerships with local outreach centers and youth-serving organizations. Accompanied by program staff, this approach helps youth build rapport with additional counselors and social workers, creating an extended network to support their mental health and well-being. For students with difficulty building social connections, the team hosts small group programming at Pathways’ Program Partner in Longueuil, La Maison de Jonathan, offering creative workshops that help students form bonds in a comfortable setting. These workshops, which include activities like sewing and glass painting, help students develop confidence with individualized support from program staff and volunteers.
Through hands-on experiences for youth to apply their learning beyond the classroom, Pathways Longueuil provides an outlet to ease students’ anxiety during the difficult moments. From trips to the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts, camping and rowing excursions that foster teamwork skills, to hikes that teach students about Quebec’s ecosystem, students live different experiences that integrate academic concepts and social competency development. With summer right around the corner, the team is excited for more dedicated time for mentoring and bonding through experiential activities—like the return of their five-day expedition with trained guides in Quebec, where youth are engaged in the practical application of language, math, and nutrition education while exploring the outdoors.
Reflecting on how much the program in Longueuil has evolved in just five years, Christopher is proud of the progress that his team and the students have made since that year online. In June, the students from that very first cohort at Pathways Longueuil will be graduating. For Christopher, being able to accompany youth throughout their entire high school experience has been the most meaningful part of the journey. “To witness all the changes—from where the students started, how they’ve continued to apply themselves, how they were able to be engaged by the team here, to where they are now—it’s amazing to see the students come full circle.”