A cooperative education experiential learning program outside the classroom
ABOUT US
The Be Our Guest Program immerses secondary school students in a learning experience where they are active participants in hospitality communities outside the school. It provides students thinking about their future career path with an opportunity to apply their learning and be exposed to various jobs in the accommodations and food service sectors within the industry.
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BE OUR GUEST was founded in 2017 by a group of innovative hospitality leaders that took the first step to design and launch the experiential student program in Toronto District School Board (TDSB) secondary schools. BE OUR GUEST operates through the collaboration of Ontario school boards, hospitality organizations and OHI – We Are Hospitality. Hundreds of students are graduates of the BE OUR GUEST program and many have become employed in the numerous career opportunities within the hospitality industry and developed transferrable skills to take them into varied occupations.
Learn, Grow, and Experience Hospitality!
HOW THE PROGRAM WORKS
A hotel or foodservice company agrees to provide a placement experience and designates an employee to supervise the learning. A scheduled interview determines the student’s acceptance by the organization. Work schedules are based on the student’s timetable and the time of year of their eligibility for the placement.
The placement students are typically in the senior grades and have a post-secondary pathway such as; college, apprenticeship, university, or work. Placement learning opportunities are linked with a student’s academic studies, education plan, personal goals and abilities through a Student Cooperative Education Learning Plan co-developed by the student, teacher, and with input from the placement supervisor.