Counties Enter into Funding Agreement for Living Classroom at Maple View Lodge

Athens – The United Counties of Leeds and Grenville, in partnership with St. Lawrence College, have entered into a funding agreement for the implementation of a Living Classroom at Maple View Lodge in Athens, Ontario. In March of 2024, a joint funding application was submitted and was successfully selected to receive an amount of $99,966.00.

Funding for the project comes after the Ministry of Long-Term Care announced an $11M investment over three years, with collaboration from the Schlegel-UW Research Institute for Aging (RIA) and the Ontario Association of Adult and Continuing Education School Board Administrators (CESBA).

The Living Classroom model combines hands-on training in long-term care settings, providing students with practical skills, and exposure to the day-to-day workings of healthcare environments. This form of learning boosts the quality of students’ education and enhances the connections to rural communities, which increases the likelihood of them choosing to work in local long-term care facilities after graduating.

This approach to PSW education will provide a unique opportunity for students, upon successful completion of the program and meeting outlined performance criteria, to have guaranteed employment, at the new, state-of-the-art George Tackaberry and Family Home, when the redevelopment project is complete in the summer of 2025.