Secondary students at schools within the Bluewater District School Board will have more pathways to choose from thanks to expanded specialist high skills major programs.
Saugeen District Secondary School in Port Elgin will add arts and culture, and a new construction program.
There will be options in drama and dance, including performance, tech and experiential opportunities.
Visual art course options include drawing, painting, sculpture, and digital design.
The music program will offer performance, theory, analysis and music appreciation.
The construction program will expand to provide in-depth learning on safety. The program has already lead to the creation of a new band shell at Fairy Lake, a train station on the Saugeen Rail Trail, an outdoor class at Saugeen Central, and a Habitat for Humanity home.
Owen Sound District Secondary will add a transportation program with a new automotive diagnostics course. A new agriculture program will also be offered.
A satellite campus at Chesley District Community School will be available for students interested in the theoretical and practical sides of farming.
The high skills major programs offer focused learning in specific sectors that could transition to apprenticeship training, college, university or the workplace.