Our Kids Member Report

Glen Herbert
Editor/Writer, Our Kids Media
March, 2021

We’ve been working with schools a long time—next year will mark a quarter century—and something we’ve taken from them is that it's always about a relationship. It’s about the connections between a student and a mentor, a coach and a developing athlete, a family and a principal. At the end of the day, while new families might say they’re looking for a school—that’s the way they’d express it—what they really want are people to work with who share their visions, recognize the value of their aspirations, and who understand their challenges. They’re looking for a place to grow, and thrive, and to feel a sense of belonging. Indeed, those are the things graduates take with them—they don’t talk about the school, they invariably talk about the people they met there and the quality of the relationships they formed.

While the journey toward finding the right school often begins online, it doesn't end there. Eventually, either across a desk or through a Zoom link, it’s face to face. And it's telling that the choice families ultimately make, more often than not, is based on those interactions. Because education isn’t like widgets, it’s personal.

As we work toward further cementing Our Kids’ identity as Canada's virtual school-placement consultant, that’s something we’ve taken to heart. Over the past few years you’ll have seen more voices in our print and online resources, and more photos of people, too. This past year has demonstrated that trend, exponentially so. Since December last year we’ve added 150+ videos to our school platform. They include parents, and students, and administrators. There’s Ann-Marie Kee talking about how important it is to listen to students, and Hugh Burke talking about why he loves his job. You’ll find many more familiar and new faces from our Review Hub.

And on it goes. Because education is a human endeavour, we’ve worked to find innovative ways to make sure our platform communicates that humanness. Thank you, as ever, for trusting us along the way. We’ve been delighted to meet you and to get to know you, and are equally delighted to help others meet you, too.

Finally, I’d like to share with you our vision of 2021 and beyond in our annual report.