On the eve of Emergency Preparedness Week (May 1-7, 2016), and following the recent earthquakes in Japan where aftershocks continue to rumble, the Province is announcing a new program to help students, their families and their communities better prepare for emergencies.

Student safety – and B.C.’s award winning Seismic Mitigation Program – took a step forward with the announcement of $19.6 million in provincial funding to replace Sir Sandford Fleming Elementary.

Education Minister Mike Bernier has appointed Liz Watson as a special advisor in School District No. 83 to review board activities and make recommendations for moving forward in the wake of the recent resignation of three trustees.

British Columbia students will get a bit of help to give them an opportunity to connect with skills, technical and trades training opportunities, thanks to $170,000 in Skills Training Access Grants that are going to school districts across B.C.

Students and teachers at John Oliver Secondary school in Vancouver will benefit from innovative learning concepts being put into action thanks to 15 new K-12 Innovation Partnership projects.

Parents and grandparents have a new place to apply for the $1,200 B.C. Training and Education Savings Grant that makes post-secondary and skills training more accessible.

Students, teachers, and families will see the benefits of seismic upgrades at Sir Charles Kingsford-Smith Elementary with the provincial government’s commitment to provide up to $11.6 million to the Vancouver School District for the project.

More than 100 middle-school students from all parts of the province will get the chance to connect this weekend with information about the in-demand jobs of tomorrow at the second annual BC Lions Skills for Life Summit.

More than 73,000 students will be added to the MyEducation BC system later this week as schools from the Vancouver, West Vancouver, Surrey, Mission, and Langley school districts move onto the service.