Our mission is to provide a safe, nurturing and customized learning space while empowering the transition to wellness as our students' journey towards graduation and beyond.
Read our "Welcome to CLC" Brochure
Program Overview:
CLC is an alternate education option serving 70 students in Grades 9-12 with diagnosed mental health challenges (e.g., significant depression, anxiety and/or other mental health concerns) who have disengaged from school. In partnership with community agencies, CLC is intended for students who have significant difficulties engaging in mainstream school settings. CLC students learn in small groups and with differentiated 1:1 instruction. Intensive support is provided for social-emotional needs. Ongoing collaboration between students, families/caregivers, community agencies/therapists and CLC staff/school counsellor is a key feature of the program. CLC is located in a quiet wing of the district's Continuing Education adult learning center.
CLC provides programming aimed toward graduation from the program or a
return to a mainstream pathway to graduation. Transition planning is
achieved through regular collaboration with student, family, school team
and support agencies. The program values care, adaptiveness/flexibility and
individualized support. CLC works to grow students’ mental wellness and
resilience in order that they increase engagement with learning and
build self-efficacy. Staff teaches in flexible classroom settings and
takes a self-paced, student-centered and strengths-based focus.
- Setting for up to 70 students ages 14-18
- Mental health support and agency collaboration
- Small group instruction
- Individual Education Plans (IEP's) are developed to meet each student's individual academic and life goals.
- Attendance monitoring and supportive follow-up
- Opportunities for volunteering, field trips and curriculum enhancement
- Youth Worker support
- Assistance with transportation to agency appointments
CLC offers four daily blocks of self-paced and small group instruction. Each morning includes a Connections block for students to build peer relationships and support their self-efficacy skills.
CLC partners with a variety of community agencies and organizations and to offer volunteering opportunities for students. CLC courses are supported with resources by several community-based organizations. The CLC counsellor collaborates regularly with Tri-Cities (Port Moody) Office - Child and Youth Mental Health Services about individual students.
Referrals to CLC: Customized Learning Center are initiated by a student's home school administrator contacting the CLC Principal. Students coming from out of district must contact Ms. Susan Ross, District Principal by phone at 604-937-8105 (Ext 105) or by email at suross@sd43.bc.ca. Priority is given to students currently registered in School District #43, Coquitlam and all referrals are considered through school-based team processes and CLC intake procedures.
The Customized Learning Centre (CLC) is located at Montgomery Centre at 380 Montgomery Street, Coquitlam, BC
How do students get in to CLC?
Students can only be referred by their home school in SD43.
Criteria for referrals include:
• Will be in Grades 9 through 12 this September
- Have a mental health diagnosis (requires physician's documentation).
• Are actively engaged in community mental health support and/or have a current community mental health team (e.g. MCFD, CYMH, I-CYMH)
• Have a current/up-to-date Category H IEP (Severe Mental Health)
• Do not have a pattern of externalizing their anxiety/depression in a way that is disruptive or harmful to others
