The Wild Rose School Division

January 30, 2025

The Wild Rose School Division

Building Bridges in Education

 

Exploring a vision of education excellence through innovative partnerships and community-driven initiatives.

As it continues to strive for excellence in student learning and wellbeing , the Wild Rose School Division in Alberta has been gracefully navigating the challenges and opportunities of serving its diverse, rural student population.

To continue its growth, the division implements strategies that address students’ systemic and local needs.

For example, Wild Rose consistently advocates for government support to secure funding for critical infrastructure projects. At the same time, it ensures that its existing facilities are designed or renovated with collaborative teaching in mind to enhance learning experiences and serve as a model for rural education innovation.

Additionally, the division sustains a robust Indigenous Education program. By further integrating truth and reconciliation initiatives into the curriculum and supporting Indigenous students, the division acts as a leader in fostering inclusivity and cultural understanding.

Of course, tending to student needs also means tending to the needs of the neighborhoods they reside in.

So, the Wild Rose School Division also maintains strong partnerships with local municipalities, parents and the community, who actively provide support, participate in school councils and other volunteer-driven initiatives. These initiatives have been essential for fundraising and creating enriching opportunities like swimming lessons and advanced athletic programs.

Wild Rose also effectively leverages technology and student centered classroom setups. The division’s outreach course offerings effectively bridge gaps for students in remote areas, granting them access to core and optional curriculum .

The Wild Rose’s success as a school division has resulted in an environment where every student has equitable access to high-quality education, teachers feel supported in their mission, and the community remains actively engaged in shaping the future.

 

A Division Driven by Community Spirit

The Wild Rose School Division was created in 1995 during Alberta’s regionalization initiative. It united smaller school boards from the Rocky Mountain House and Drayton Valley areas under one umbrella.

The shift represented a concerted effort to preserve the localized essence of education while addressing the economic and demographic challenges facing rural communities.

The Wild Rose School Division’s history establishes it as not just an institutional service but a cornerstone of community development. Its schools are not just places for learning—they are hubs of activity, innovation, and community pride.

By maintaining strong ties with municipalities, businesses, residents, and other stakeholders, Wild Rose has managed to offer students not only academic excellence but also a nurturing environment enriched by extracurricular opportunities and vocational pathways.

The division participates in Alberta’s Dual Credit Initiative, allowing high school students to earn college credits in subjects ranging from healthcare to trades.

Superintendent Brad Volkman further emphasizes Wild Rose’s commitment to vocational education, saying, “We have Registered Apprenticeship Programs (RAP), Agricultural Green Certificate Programs and Work Experience Programs. So, our students are able to get credits for getting a job and learning a new skill. Our teachers go out and check the work site, and it counts as a credit towards their high school completion.”

Initiatives like these have given students hands-on experience in trades like welding, mechanics, and carpentry while earning high school credits. Or they’ve partnered them with local employers to provide real-world learning opportunities.

Wild Rose’s career counseling services play a crucial role in guiding students through these options. They work closely with students to identify their strengths and align them with potential career paths, further enhancing the experience.

The majority of financial resources for the programs offered by this school division stem from government allocations.“We really aren’t raising or getting donations for these programs. It’s all within the money we get from the government,” Volkman says, explaining that this funding isn’t always sufficient.

To bridge the gap for smaller projects, local schools turn to community-driven fundraising efforts. Parents and school councils take a leading role in gathering resources for essentials like playgrounds, sports field development or field trip busing costs.

Powerful Partnerships and Technological Leaps in Education

The Wild Rose School District’s presence underscores its position as a community pillar through its influence on infrastructure development, which relies on the power of collaboration.

Smaller towns within the Wild Rose footprint, like Caroline and Breton, exemplify this well. In Caroline, local fundraising efforts revamped a decades-old playground into a modern recreational space and added a high-quality sports field. Similarly, the village of Breton saw the creation of the “Field of Dreams,” a project driven by local passion and perseverance.

In the town of Drayton Valley and Brazeau County, local fundraising efforts have contributed new playground equipment for schools and the division is currently working with the local municipalities in the development of a new sports field.

Further south in Rocky Mountain House, the division has worked with the town to enhance facilities like the local football field and a splash park constructed on school grounds.

Clearwater County and residents have been very supportive and engaged with the division to enhance two new school building projects and provide the addition of new recreational fields.

Local businesses also contribute significantly to these efforts, providing resources and expertise. Their support extends beyond financial contributions, often involving in-kind donations and volunteering that reflect a shared commitment to the community’s well-being.

Fortunately, this has resulted in a very symbiotic relationship. The division recognizes that strong community ties are essential for sustaining these partnerships. Regular communication and collaborative planning have helped businesses see the tangible impact of their involvement, reinforcing their willingness to contribute to future initiatives.

The Wild Rose School Division also prides itself on being at the forefront of integrating technology into classrooms.

“We’ve developed a way to allow all kids to connect and communicate with each other. We have two outreach schools that offer flexible delivery methods. So, if you have a student who can’t get a certain course because their high school doesn’t offer the courses, they could get that through one of our outreach programs where we have teachers give them a flexible experience to meet their needs,” Volkman says.

This has been especially helpful for students in remote areas, where access to specialized courses can be a challenge. Fortunately, these outreach schools offer online courses on a range of topics, from forensic science to core subjects like Math and English

To further enhance the school environment, all schools are equipped with advanced tools, including large screen  televisions with Chromecast, which enable seamless interaction between students and teachers.

Chromebooks are also a staple in classrooms, chosen not only for their functionality but also for their enhanced cybersecurity features.

By moving to Google’s ChromeOS along with Google’s Workspace for Education platform, the division has significantly reduced vulnerabilities to cyber threats. This change has drawn interest from other school divisions eager to adopt similar strategies.

 

An Innovative Model for the Future

Looking ahead, the Wild Rose School District has ambitious plans to continue improving its infrastructure and educational offerings.

A new K-4 elementary school in Rocky Mountain House is at the top of its priority list. The proposed facility would consolidate two aging schools into a single modern campus equipped with advanced learning tools and flexible spaces.

The division is also focused on creating powerful learning environments that prioritize student well-being and mental health alongside academic success.

“One key piece that we’re starting to develop more is called Collaborative Response… It’s a way for teachers to work together in schools to ensure every student gets the learning they need and the well-being and mental health services they need,” Volkman states.

Developed by Jigsaw Learning, this approach encourages overlapping collaboration among teachers, ensuring no child is left behind.

Additionally, with 11-12% of students identifying as Indigenous, the division has prioritized building a robust Indigenous education program.

Led by a director and a team of four Indigenous Leads, this initiative aims to enhance understanding and respect for Indigenous cultures while addressing the goals of truth and reconciliation.

Classroom presentations and collaborations with teachers ensure that Indigenous and non-Indigenous students alike gain a deeper appreciation of Indigenous contributions to Alberta. The division also actively participates in National Truth and Reconciliation Day, reflecting its commitment to fostering a culture of inclusivity and awareness.

The Wild Rose School division’s commitment to innovation has drawn the attention of other schools and divisions.

From the design of its new facilities to its technological advancements, the division serves as a model for rural education. Multiple visitors have toured the schools to learn from their successes and adopt best practices for their institutions.

“We want to continue to do the best we can to have our capital projects selected and do everything we can to get the local government to back us. It was just recently announced that the Government of Alberta is going to start investing more in the construction of school buildings in Alberta because of the growth that’s happening here. By combining cutting-edge technology, robust community involvement, and a focus on inclusivity, the division is setting a standard for rural education in Alberta. One that is garnering increasing attention as a model of academic progress within such a uniquely diverse and rural landscape.

As the Wild Rose School Division continues to evolve, one thing is certain: It will remain steadfast in its mission to create powerful learning environments that inspire individual growth in learning and support the wellbeing of all students and staff.

AT A GLANCE

The Wild Rose School Division

What: A rural diverse school district that focuses on providing equitable access to quality education through modern infrastructure, advanced technology, and strong vocational programs.

Where: Located across Alberta, the division spans Rocky Mountain House, Drayton Valley, and smaller hamlets and towns like Condor, Leslieville, Breton and Caroline.

Website: www.wrsd.ca

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