The Victoria Girls Alternative Society was established in 1971. At that time, while there were adequate alternative educational resources for boys in the city, similar alternatives for girls did not exist. Concern over this lack of resources for girls who had left the school system and/or were experiencing difficulty with the traditional school system, prompted interested members of the community to form the society.
The society originally operated one program - the Girls Alternative Program (GAP). GAP opened as a drop-in centre where students could receive assistance with correspondence courses. In the fall of 1973 School District 61 (Greater Victoria) and the Ministry of Human Resources assumed joint responsibility for funding GAP. The school board provided funding for a school - the rent/maintenance on the house from which the program operated. The funding provided by the Ministry of Human Resources covered the salaries of two life-skills counsellors, household supplies and program supplies.
In 1981 the society initiated and assumed responsibility for the operation of a second program Options for Pregnant/Parenting Teens. Once again, the impetus for this program came from a perceived lack of resources in the community. Options offered academics and life-skills training to pregnant or parenting adolescent girls. The salaries for a full-time teacher and a co-ordinating teacher responsible for both programs was provided by the School Board while the Ministry of Social Services provided an additional life-skills counsellor. The society changed its name at that time to the Victoria Society for Educational Alternatives in order to encompass Options.
In 1989 Options Day-care was added to our resources. This program, for children from birth to 3 years old, provided twelve spaces for the children of Options students and parenting support to their moms. The staff, who are knowledgeable and responsive to the developmental challenges of the teenage years, teach parenting skills through modelling.
In June, 2005, the long-standing partnership at GAP/Options ended. VSEA opened Artemis Place , in partnership with School District 91 ( Nechako Lakes ), enrolling 14 high risk girls. Over the 2005/06 school year, Artemis Place has offered programming Monday to Thursday from a space near to downtown Victoria .E-Bus, the electronic home-schooling program of SD 91, delivers the academics to Artemis Place students and VSEA staff provide counselling, life-skills and academic support. VSEA staff continue to provide day-care services for students enrolled in School District 61's Options program.
Our History