In her role as the Learning & Development Specialist, Tanya Colangelo is helping structure training across the organization as part of Pathways Canada’s new Learning team. However, many Program Partners are already familiar with Tanya’s creative approaches to instruction. Tanya first joined the organization in 2021 as the EdTech Specialist to support the Pathways Online Platform (POP) implementation in Quebec.
With the goal of optimizing the platform to help keep students connected to their education, Tanya’s first project was launching the Summer of INNOvation contest. Program locations across Quebec were challenged to come up with their most innovative idea to improve student services. This gamification format was an engaging way to get Program Partners and students familiar with the new platform to support the online aspect of programming.
This entertaining delivery speaks to Tanya’s approach to learning—it’s all about edutainment. “I want to educate but also entertain. If your brain finds the information boring, you won’t remember it. But if you’re having fun and you’re enjoying yourself, it’ll stick better,” Tanya explains. Since joining Pathways Canada, Tanya has helped familiarize Program Partners across the network with new EdTech tools, student databases, and communication platforms to reduce workloads. Her work has always centered around training and development, so when the role to support organizational learning came about, it felt like a natural next step for Tanya.
A career focused on education has always been Tanya’s calling. “Being in schools to help students has always been on my mind. My goal in life is to help others because whatever path I choose, if I’m helping someone else, I might also find my way,” Tanya shares. Before joining Pathways, Tanya worked within the Quebec school system for ten years—having been an employment counsellor, a school perseverance counsellor, and a student support worker, she understands how championing learning makes a difference in young people’s lives. “A student who drops out of school isn’t necessarily having difficulty in their studies. It could be a breakup or losing a friend that broke their motivation. Without a significant adult in their lives to help guide them, they might not get through that and leave school. That’s why the Pathways Program needs to be there.”
Tanya’s experience of seeing the firsthand impact that individualized support has on a student’s growth in high school inspires her work daily. “When I left my job as a support worker, I remember seeing the students cry and thinking, I didn’t know I had that impact on you,” Tanya reflects. “I know how important it is for those students to be heard, and how much it matters to have an adult who will help them get through what they need to. That’s why support workers make a difference, and even if I’m not the one working with students directly now, we at Pathways are helping them make that difference. That’s why I’m at Pathways today.”