SHSM Workshops, ICE Training, & Events

Ontario's Top Provider of SHSM Certification Workshops

SHSM Certification Workshops

Easy for the teacher. Fun for the students.
Flexible to fit your schedule.

SHSM Certification Workshops

Looking for a Specialist High Skills Major workshop? You're in the right place.

The last thing students want is a(nother) mandatory, boring lecture.

The Beanstalk Project facilitators are "edu-tainers" - we're all experts in youth engagement. We're all teachers ourselves (though some are more officially certified than others), and we've been presenting for years. We know what works:

Engaging - Performance flair to get students' attention
Interactive - Stand-up-and-move-around type activities
Authentic - Being genuine and down-to-earth builds trust
Relevant - Captivating stories and real-world examples

"Thank you for the presentations. Students were engaged with thoughtful insights.
We would LOVE to have you return for more workshops!""
- Amanda, Teacher, York Region

Workshop Logistics

COVID Disclaimer:
Obviously everything has changed... but here's the way we used to do live programs.
Hopefully some day soon we can do them again!
For now, contact us to learn about our virtual programs.

Scheduling

Certifications are generally a half-day in length, and can be adaptable to fit with your class schedule. We can often be flexible with dates, but if you're picky, contact us early.

Setup

It's easy!
We need a room and a projector.
We bring everything else.
No pre-registration required.
All students receive a certificate of completion.

Cost

COVID has made live workshops (and everything) more complicated. But we've got awesome virtual certifications in a variety of formats - on-demand or live!
Contact us for a full quote.

We've worked with over 35 school boards. We can make it work with you too!
Contact us to discuss dates, fees, ideas, or just to say hello!

Book your workshop

Workshops for Every SHSM Sector!

Don’t see the certification you are looking for? Talk to us!
We may be able to point you in the right direction!

SHSM Certification Workshop Descriptions

Communication Skills - Students use interactive activities to explore their own communication skills, and those of others. Options to focus on public speaking or interpersonal communication.
Conflict Resolution - Using activities, reflections, videos, and optical illusions, students are exposed to the mindset of "I might, maybe, possibly, be wrong" - the foundation for conflict resolution.
Customer Service - Using partnered activities and role playing, students are introduced to the foundations of greeting and helping customers in a friendly, positive way that will help their business. Plus, we learn the three things you must be to provide great service!
Effective Networking - A fun and experiential introduction to the practice of networking. We share some key do’s and don’ts and get lots of practice in making great connections with others.
Ethical Considerations - Through engaging scenarios of challenging dilemmas, students discuss and explore the foundations of ethics and ethical behaviour.
Event Coordination - Anyone can learn to be a great event planner, and this fun workshop will help students connect their natural planning abilities with good professional practice, complete with tips and tricks of the trade.
Group Dynamics - Interactive activities will experientially reinforce group development theories give students tools to help a team achieve its maximum potential.
Leadership Skills - Students broaden their perspectives as they develop their own definition for leadership while exploring personal role models and past leaders. Plus, we do lots of interactive activities to put their words into action!
Negotiation Training - While there are many ways of approaching negotiations, this training will share key messages that research has shown to be effective. Students will be given a scenario in which to practice their own style alongside these techniques.

Personality Inventory - Ever wonder why some people just can't get along? Students take a personality profile and learn to recognize the differences in working styles and communication preferences between themselves and their peers.
Portfolio Development - Whether they are looking to work with cars, art, or gardens, students will learn how to set goals, mine their past activities, and collect artifacts that will help them communicate their skills as they work towards a career path.
Project Management - Using a whole whack of sticky notes, students use a literal hands-on approach to learn organization, modular thinking, and critical path tasks. We also share some tools to boost productivity and avoid procrastination.
Proposal / Grant Writing - Many organizations live or die based on their ability to find and apply to grant opportunities or propose new ventures, but grants and proposals don’t have to be as scary as they sound! Students will learn the basics and even create a simple proposal.
Public Speaking - Although the #1 fear in the world is public speaking, everyone can become better with practice. Not only that, but with the right skills and mindset, it can even be fun! Students will leave laughing and more confident!
Risk Management - Better safe than sorry"? How about "Fortune favours the bold"? Rather than learning such a vital skill through cultural clichés, we guide students through fun activities to better understand what it means to assess and take risks intelligently. Sometimes choosing not to take risks can be the biggest risk of all.
Stress Management Techniques - Every job has its challenges, so stress management is essential for our wellbeing. Students will examine their own coping techniques and learn some healthy habits that the best stress managers really use.

SHSM Conferences

Special events for SHSM students.
Get more value from an exciting, on-site, action packed day!

Book an event

Pack More Value Into A Day With SHSM Conferences

Whatever your vision, we'll help you make it spectacular!

SHSM Conferences can create special events on any scale:

A special day for a single school's program
Sector-specific events
Certification days for hundreds of students

Depending on your timing, we can include a combination of certifications, reach-aheads, keynote speakers, experiential learning activities, and even I.C.E. Training.

Here are three popular options for conference schedules, but contact us, and we'll discuss how we can customize a program for you.

"Engaging, organized, and hit all the right notes with students!"
- Will, Teacher, Brampton

Multi-School SHSM Certification Conference

2 Certifications, Career Panel Reach-Ahead, Motivational Keynote

Benefits:

Choice of certifications for more student buy-in
No limit on numbers; multiple schools and/or sectors welcome
Inspiring keynote to open or close the event
Large impact for a single planning effort
Scalable - we can run up to 6 certifications in parallel

Drawbacks:

Coordination with multiple schools
Logistics of finding the right venue & arranging transportation

If you're looking to collaborate with other schools and offer something for everyone, this is a great model. You get the memorable impact of a large event and lots of certifications in a single day. Students will know they are part of something special!

"Awesome! Let's do it again next year!"
- Tracy, SHSM Lead, Belleville

On-Site SHSM Conference

2 Certifications, Partner Site Tour, Lunch, Career Panel Reach-Ahead, & Experiential Learning Opportunity

Benefits:

Connection with an inspiring sector partner
Exciting new venue is extra-engaging for students
More SHSM boxes checked in a day

Drawbacks:

Arranging permission forms & transportation
More costly than in-school certifications

A great approach for combining a few schools with smaller programs in a joint event or getting more value out of a field trip. Students love the change of scenery! We find and connect with inspiring partners, or we're happy to work with your recommendations!

"Students were SO engaged! This was a great format!"
- Lynn, SHSM Lead, Hamilton

In-School Workshop Day

2 Certifications, Plus an Optional Lunchtime Social or Career Panel.

Benefits:

Simple - no permission forms, your class schedule
Least costly in money and organizational time
Lunchtime flexibility - official SHSM meetings, panel discussions, social events, or open for "school things"

Drawbacks:

“Same old school” feel

The In-School Workshop Day is a great way to get up to 50 students two certifications with ease. The convenience of having a Beanstalk facilitator come to your school and work around your schedule makes this model the most common type of SHSM programming. This can also be shortened to a half-day morning or afternoon session if you only require one workshop.

"Great facilitators, and so easy to organize!"
- Jennifer, Teacher, Windsor

Book an event

SHSM Conference Logistics

Scheduling

SHSM Conferences usually require multiple facilitators, a venue, and more than one school, so book as early as you can!

Setup

There's lots to think about: Venue, transportation, programming, and more. Many organizers are new to their roles, but don't worry - we've done this a lot, and we'll share everything we've learned.

Cost

It depends. But we've arranged events of all sorts and sizes, and we'll figure out how to make it affordable.
Contact us for a full quote.

We've worked with over 35 school boards. We can make it work with you too!
Contact us to discuss dates, fees, ideas, or just to say hello!

Book your event

SHSM Promotional Events

Grow your SHSM program!
Inspiring assemblies and workshops to showcase the best of SHSM.

Book an event

Grow Your SHSM Program!

If students have never heard of SHSM, they'll never join.

If they've heard of it but it seemed boring, they'll tell everyone not to join.

If they experience the benefits, they're in.

Combining our years of youth speaking experience and our passion for the SHSM program, we help you create an event that resonates with students, highlights the best of SHSM, and will grow your program.

Typically, an event involves two parts - an assembly and a workshop:

The assembly:

Ideal for Grade 9, 10 or 11 students (your potential SHSM people)
Inspiring and universal message of finding a meaningful career
Encourages people to get involved in all that the school offers

The workshop:

Follow up the assembly in smaller groups
Interactive activities pulled from highlights of SHSM certifications
SHSM-specific "commercial" - benefits & how to sign up

Contact us to discuss your ideas. We're flexible, and we want to work with innovators who are finding unique ways to promote and grow your programs!

"You just covered my whole careers class in an hour! Thank you!"
- John, Teacher, Strathroy

Innovation, Creativity & Entrepreneurship (I.C.E.) Training

Inspiring sector partners. Real problems.
Easy to organize for you. Expertly facilitated by us.

Book your training

Innovation, Creativity, & Entrepreneurship (I.C.E.) Training

Innovation, Creativity & Entrepreneurship Training can be an amazing chance for students to apply their creativity, connect with industry partners, and solve real world problems, but too often, it’s a missed opportunity that seems like just another day of school.

Without help, it’s a ton of work for teachers to organize, and if it’s not facilitated well, students will disengage.

The Beanstalk Project facilitators are experts in youth engagement. In fact, we’ve been helping teach creativity and problem solving to youth for over 10 years. We even wrote a book about it! So you can understand why we’re so excited to be offering ICE Training to schools across Ontario.

Here’s how it works: We find a community partner and collaborate with you to tailor a customized, engaging day for students. Students get to tour a new place, meet inspiring professionals, and learn about real industry challenges. Not only that, but they learn an entrepreneurial problem-solving approach and try their hand at proposing real solutions!

Students love doing things for real, and with I.C.E. Training, that’s exactly what they’re getting.

Contact us to talk about your ideas and set up an event.

"I felt like I was part of the business - Very fun!"
- ICE Training Participant, Grade 12

Sample I.C.E. Training Schedule

9:00 Arrival, Welcome, & Introduction to Creativity (Learning the simple secret to great ideas)
10:00 Empathy & Need Finding (Meeting the sector partner, & understanding the challenge)
10:30 Ideation (Throwing around ideas - putting the guidelines into practice)
11:30 Lunch (with bonus #InnovationAppreciation Challenge)
12:30 Selection & Refinement (Getting clear, seeking feedback, and narrowing in the focus)
1:30 Prototype & Pitch (Learning elevator pitches, idea carousel, and feedback from the sector partner.)
2:30 Wrap-up (Evaluation, closing thoughts, and highlights of the day)
3:00 Departure

"ICE Training helped with my lack of self-confidence. Thank you for making me realize that my ideas aren't meaningless!"
- ICE Training Participant, Grade 11

I.C.E. Training Logistics

Scheduling

I.C.E Training requires a full day. We coordinate with you and a sector partner to find a date and venue that works for everyone.
But book as early as you can!

Setup

Sector Partner - we find them.
Supplies - we bring them.
Amazing facilitation - we do it!
Want lunch and a venue too? We can help!
Basically, you get the students on-site, and we'll take care of everything else.

Cost

COVID has made this (and everything) a bit more complicated. But we've got awesome live and on-demand options for groups of all sizes.
Contact us for a full quote.

We've worked with over 35 school boards. We can make it work with you too!
Contact us to discuss dates, fees, ideas, or just to say hello!

Book your training

Math and Coding Workshops

Industry-relevant, real world problems. Fun and engaging for students. Easy to organize for you.
Expertly facilitated by us

Book your training

Math and Coding

Math Literacy

The number one question that students ask in math class is: “When am I ever going to use this?” But teachers know that math is used in virtually every career.

Sadly, the vast majority of students are terrified of math; they shut down at the first mention of the “m-word”.

Don’t tell the students, but we love math, and we love helping students love math too. We’re proud to say that we deliver a math workshop where students leave hungry for more.

Here’s our approach: We sneak numeracy into fun games and career-related scenarios. Students will build their skills of arithmetic, estimation, and budgeting, all without even realizing they’re doing math.

Students will also get to combine it all and practice their resource-management skills through an interactive building challenge. They’ll create bid estimates, buy materials, and respond to wacky complications, all while working with a team and honing their creativity.

We custom-tailor each workshop with examples from the skilled-trades, entrepreneurship, sales, and more. Students of all pathways and interests will find value in the examples and leave with a smile.

Introduction to Coding

We all know that coding is everywhere, and learning the basics of coding is perhaps one of the most useful skills for students in today’s world.

But let’s be honest: Coding can be intimidating to students and teachers alike. Without great facilitation, a coding workshop can quickly turn into a boring day spent behind a computer screen messing with backslashes, puzzling over command prompts, and searching for missed commas.

A coding workshop is an opportunity to meld creative problem-solving skills with 21st century technology.

Here’s our approach: We introduce algorithms and problem-solving using relatable, everyday examples. We get students coding without them even knowing it. Using the MIT-developed language “Scratch”, they’ll be playing games and solving puzzles all while learning the building blocks of computer programming: logic, conditionals, loops, and more.

But, don’t expect students to spend all day behind the screens; plenty of interactive activities, industry-relevant examples, and fun demonstrations get students out of their seats, working in groups, and laughing their way through the day.

Plus, we make it sector-relevant. Students will see how coding is used in the context of their potential career paths, and some may even discover new possibilities! The truth is that learning the basics of coding doesn’t just make you more prepared for your career, it makes you a better problem solver.

Math and Coding Logistics

Scheduling

Math and coding workshops require a full day. We are happy to work within your school's bell schedule to accommodate arrival times and lunch breaks. Book ahead to reserve your workshop.

Setup

Amazing experts - we found them.
Chromebooks - we provide them.
Engaging facilitation - it's what we do

Basically, you get the students on-site, provide the wifi connection and we'll take care of everything else.

Cost

COVID has made these programs impossible for now. But we've got other awesome virtual SPE programs.
Contact us for a full quote.

We've worked with over 30 school boards. We can make it work with you too!
Contact us to discuss dates, fees, ideas, or just to say hello!

Book your training

Beanstalk Project Partners

Inspiring organizations who help us make an impact on students.

Curious? Have a suggestion? Want to work with us?

Get in touch

Beanstalk Project Partners

To help us deliver inspiring, relevant content, The Beanstalk Project builds partnerships with exciting organizations. Here are some of the dynamic companies and non-profits that we are honoured to call collaborators: