This year’s “Design An Ad” theme for the Burnaby School District is, “What do you want to be when you grow up?” See the full Burnaby Now “Design an Ad” feature – link below.

Have a look at the Design an Ad feature in the Burnaby Now.

Design and Ad entries will be on display at the Fraser River Discovery Centre for a special event on
June 15.

What is Design an Ad and why do we do it?
Message from the Board Chair

What do you want to be when you grow up? This question has persisted for generations, and it’s even more complex for our students today. By the time this year’s Kindergarten classes graduate from high school there will be professions that we couldn’t imagine now. For example, who could have predicted that talking on YouTube about video games could earn someone a reported six-figure income?

At Burnaby Schools we create a learning experience that empowers students with the skills they need to succeed – no matter what the future brings – such as creative and critical thinking. In the “age of Google” being able to recite facts no longer holds the value it once did.

One of the important opportunities the Burnaby School District provides is career exploration. This competition for Design an Ad is but one example of that: a chance to try marketing and advertising. Another is Burnaby Schools unique Words Writing Project, which gives our students a chance to become published authors.

When students reach the high school level, there are dozens of additional career exploration opportunities, which are further strengthened by our partnerships in this community with post-secondary institutions and industry. Our Programs of Choice include diverse offerings such as video game design, trades, hairstylist, tourism, cyber security, health sciences, and exploring the world of engineering. These and other choices give students the chance to excel in a specific area of interest, while fulfilling academic requirements and igniting their future.

We won’t rest on our collective success as a District. We are always challenging ourselves to be better. It’s that desire to do more that has led to educational choice that allows our students to explore their interests, support their strengths, or get exposed to a career.

Gary Wong 
Chair
Burnaby Board of Education