Empowering Students for Real-World Success
Building confidence, skills and mindset for life.
Knowledge sets the course. Navigation shapes the journey.
VAKA is a future-readiness program designed for students in Grades 9 -12. The experience complements an academic education in which participants develop capabilities that continue to benefit them long after the program ends.
Most extracurricular activities help develop a specific talent or interest. The VAKA experience focuses on developing communication, critical thinking, decision-making and professional readiness skills.
VAKA prepares you to navigate life beyond the classroom.
What to Expect
Inside a VAKA Session
After the VAKA Experience
After the VAKA Experience
Students will:
Sit with a CEO to tackle a real challenge facing their company
Ask questions, challenge assumptions, find solutions
Learn the communication dynamics of the modern world
Networking, professional messages, confident conversations
Make decisions without having all the answers
Weigh evidence, consider risks and trade-offs, evaluate outcomes
Tackle an ambiguous problem
For example: how a food bank could keep its shelves stocked throughout the year when needs, donations and resources constantly change
Explore careers and pathways through real conversations and experiences
Meeting people whose journeys can open their eyes to possibilities
After the VAKA Experience
After the VAKA Experience
After the VAKA Experience
Students will be able to:
Take initiative in unfamiliar situations
Speak up, ask for what they need and act without waiting for someone else to lead.
Understand people and points of view
Listen consciously, see different perspectives, manage their emotions and respond thoughtfully.
Own their decisions
Make thoughtful choices, take responsibility for the outcome and bounce back when things don’t go as planned.
Turn setbacks into forward motion
Stay engaged when things get hard, learn from what didn't work and change course without giving up.
Create their own opportunities
Build relationships with professionals and mentors, seek guidance and take meaningful steps toward a future they choose.
Why VAKA?
The name VAKA is inspired by the traditional Polynesian voyaging vessel and symbolizes journey, preparation, navigation, and resilience.
For generations, vaka carried people across vast oceans. Success depended not only on the vessel itself, but on the knowledge, skills, judgment, teamwork, and courage of those who navigated it.
This symbolism reflects VAKA’s purpose: Life is a journey. Navigation matters.