As Regina alternative school enters its 51st year, it hopes to expand services to Grade 12

The Cornwall Alternative School is hoping to expand after providing counselling and outreach programs for at-risk youth since the early 1970s.

The school takes in at-risk students from Regina's Catholic and public school boards, as well as other communities around the province. Currently it offers specialized teaching from Grades 7 to 11.

Now, according to Bryan Rice, the school's principal, Cornwall is applying to teach Grade 12 as well. If successful, students would no longer have to leave to graduate at another high school.

Asia Mills is one of those students hoping to stay. Before arriving at Cornwall, Mills had been missing school and dealing with the fallout of her mother's death.

Now in Grade 11, Mills's confidence and social skills have improved dramatically. She credits the school and its dedicated, intensive counselling for her success. Mills says that she would go and see her councillor, Jay, every day at school.

"It was very small," she said. "When I first came it was a new experience and it was something I wasn't really used to."

But within a week, she said, the school felt like home.

"When I first came to Cornwall everyone was so social and open, and I was so shy," she said. "And now that I've been here for about two years, I'm very open and I'm very social." 

"So now I'm in Grade 11 and I have a voice that I like to speak and I like to hear, and I couldn't be proud of myself more." 

The youngest of five siblings, Mills believes she's the first to have graduated high school.

With only seven other students in her class, Mills was able to receive the close attention she needed from teachers.

"If you are having a bad day, you can have that teacher's full attention. It doesn't matter if they have a full class," she said.

"They're not parents, but they're like your second parent and you can come to them anytime you want, and they'll sit there and listen." 

It's a teaching philosophy that Rice says is central to achieving the school's mission.

"Our goal as an organization is to meet that student's need into whatever path they're going to have the most success," he said.  

"When I started four years ago at Cornwall Alternative, I immediately was blown away by the passion that all the staff have," he said. "We have social workers, teachers, we have a cook, we have lots of inter-agencies that come through the doors and the passion to get students' lives on track for whatever reason was there."

LISTEN | A visit to Regina's Cornwall Alternative School: 

Saskatchewan Weekend21:20A visit to Regina's Cornwall Alternative School

When host Shauna Powers dropped by Regina's Cornwall Alternative School for a visit, she found a colourful and welcoming space that's designed to help youth in our community who don't thrive in more conventional learning environments. They've been doing that for over 50 years. In this special segment you'll meet principal Bryan Rice and grade 11 student Asia Mills.

Staff meet once a week to discuss the progress of every student, and councillors eat lunch — which is provided for free — every day with their students.

"Our student base has a wide variety of things going on," said Rice. "We have students that have high anxiety, we have some addictions, they have some regular shyness where they don't feel comfortable in a mainstream classroom." 

"But all of it is met individually here so that we can get the students' performance back on track and accelerate that learning."

Cornwall is a non-profit, relying on donations and community partnerships to fund its services. According to Cornwall's 2023-2024 report, its largest donors were Sask Learning and United Way.

But funding is still a challenge, says Rice.

"Ensuring that we're staying alive and we're able to meet our needs and able to continue on. That's the part that I take home and I'm stressed about, he said. 

"Because otherwise those good stories end."