For a community to thrive, educational opportunities must be easily accessible. In Dufferin County, educational opportunities are available at all levels, and in some very unique ways that you may not find anywhere else in Ontario.
Pre-school, elementary and high school in Dufferin
If you are thinking of starting or moving a family in Dufferin, you will be supported by thriving elementary schools. Public, Separate and French School boards serve Dufferin County, and offer a variety of options based on your needs.
The largest school board supporting Dufferin is the Upper Grand District School Board (UGDSB), whose 16 elementary schools offer a range of programming including the gifted program and French Immersion. UGDSB has three high schools in Dufferin; two in Orangeville and one in Shelburne. The Dufferin-Peel Catholic District School Board operates three elementary schools in Dufferin, and Robert F. Hall Catholic Secondary School in nearby Caledon. École élémentaire des quatre-rivières, a French language school, is based in Orangeville.
Parents looking for alternative educational opportunities for their children have a fantastic variety to choose from: early years pre-school programs, religion-based offerings, top level private and preparatory schools.
Private educational opportunities in Dufferin and the surrounding areas:
- Beautiful Minds Montessori School
- Headwater Hills School
- Dufferin Area Christian School
- Hillcrest Private School
- The Maples Academy
- Orangeville Christian School
Strong communities around the elementary schools in Dufferin exist, with opportunities to get involved with your child’s education from the very beginning. We know that living and working in the same community might just open up that time you are looking for to become more involved as your child learns and grows.
Post-Secondary education and Corporate Training in Dufferin
Access to post-secondary education and corporate training in Dufferin is easier than you think. Key Canadian post-secondary institutions Humber College and Georgian College both have campuses right in Orangeville – something you simply do not have access to in most small communities.
Humber and Georgian’s local campus sizes allow for tight-knit campus communities and excellent early and mid-career advancement. Both Humber College and Georgian College are ready to custom design corporate training programs for clients in our communities – a valuable asset for those considering living and working in Dufferin.
Flexible learning environments at both colleges allow for opportunities that would not exist elsewhere. Need a meeting room? Want to post jobs or run a job fair? These valuable community resources are here for you and your business.
Is online education a better option for you? Need retraining? Need web conferencing services for your small business? The Contact North Access Centre in Shelburne has the ability to help you out.
Many top-level Canadian universities are within a 100km radius of Dufferin County. Combined with online learning opportunities, Dufferin has access to the education resources you need.
- Centennial College
- Conestoga College
- George Brown College
- Georgian College
- Humber College
- OCAD University
- Ryerson University
- Seneca College
- Sheridan College
- University of Guelph
- University of Guelph-Humber
- University of Toronto
- University of Waterloo
- Wilfred Laurier University
- York University
Lifelong and immersive learning
Whether you are Gen Y, Gen X, a Boomer or beyond, we all want to keep learning, growing and reinventing ourselves throughout our lifetime. Lifelong learning opportunities exist, and are a way of life, here in Dufferin.
You might consider taking a workshop series at the college level, or entering into a learning program at one of our libraries. Signing up for seminars through the Orangeville Small Business Enterprise Centre (SBEC) is a guaranteed win,
and the Dufferin Board of Trade offers year-round learning, networking and mentorship for Dufferin business leaders.
But let’s go a little further…have you ever considered learning how to grow your own veggies? What about learning how to make a horseshoe? Painting by the side of a river? Learning to identify native plants on the Bruce Trail? Sorry, but these opportunities just don’t exist in the big cities…you’ll have to come to Dufferin. We have immersive, enriching experiences for your creative side that you cannot get anywhere else.