The public will get a chance to learn all about the Delta School District’s academies at an open house this Saturday in Ladner.
The annual event, set to run from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the district office (4585 Harvest Dr.), will feature performances, interactive activities and an opportunity to speak with teachers and coaches who run the academies as well as students enrolled in them.
“It’s an invitation to the entire community – North (Delta) and South Delta – to come out and learn more about all the programs we offer,” said district vice principal Paige Hansen. “Each program coordinator will have a booth set up and in lots of cases instructors will be on hand as well, so you can walk around and talk to each teacher and learn about what the program has to offer.”
Delta offers several sports academies, including baseball, golf, soccer, lacrosse, softball and will soon offer basketball.
Its fine arts academies include dance, film acting, film production, performance academy with the Vancouver Opera and film visual effects, which is new this year.
“This has seen a really incredible experience for these students,” said Hansen. “When we started with the film acting academy 10 years ago we realized that kids also wanted to make films, so then we started the film production academy, which has been very strong. Kids are empowered to be creative with the help and support of many people who actually work in the film industry.
“From there we realized that the visual effects community is really the second or third largest hub right here in Vancouver, so the access that we have to that community is huge.”
Jim Hebb, founder of The Embassy VFX, is the head instructor for the program.
The Embassy has been responsible for world-class visual effects, including work on Iron Man, District 9, Battle L.A., Battleship, and Cowboys and Aliens.
“The kind of training that students are getting in all the film academies are unparalleled to anything that is going on in the Lower Mainland,” said Hansen. “Our kids are going onto Cap University, Vancouver Film School and then going onto careers in film. But more than that, during their years in school, they are finding a connection to their education in a very powerful way. They are feeling very engaged and creating a real community at school, so that’s another special thing about academies. You are divided not by gender, not by age, but by passion.”
To learn more about the open house or the acdemy programs, visit www.deltaacademies.ca.
