Who Should Apply

You are a Black youth, Ontario resident, and you will:

• be enrolled in any of Grades 9, 10, 11, or 12 in September 2022, or
• be enrolled in post-secondary studies in September 2022.

You also are interested in learning Microsoft Excel and managing data because you appreciate the advantage this provides in your studies and in employment opportunities.

What

SummerUp’s Microsoft Excel – An Introduction course introduces the effective use of Excel which is a part of a package of business applications known as Microsoft 365 (formerly known as Microsoft Office). Among other applications, Microsoft 365 includes Excel, Word, and PowerPoint. It is important that every high school student acquires knowledge and skills in all these applications…as well as others. This course focuses on Microsoft Excel and for good reason.

Excel is a powerful spreadsheet program that provides the student with a systematic way to efficiently and effectively use data. We know that data is at the core of much of what we do in the worlds of high school, post-secondary learning, business, research, and in just about every aspect of human activity. Preparing the student for personal and professional success requires that the student be armed with essential tools for working with data. Excel is one such tool. SummerUp’s Microsoft Excel course will start the student on a path of setting up, entering, sorting, shaping data, undertaking calculations, and visually presenting data.

This course is designed for high school and post-secondary students who understand the value of the Excel spreadsheet forall-important learning and business activities, and who wish to start immediately learning how to use it. It’s for the student who understands that, without data-management skills, it is near impossible to be proficient in most careers such as health sciences, social sciences, finance, business, policy development, the justice system, and other STEM-based fields. Learning Excel will appeal to the student who understands the value of adding expertise in Excel to their resume. This Excel course will appeal to the student who:

• has no prior skills in Excel, or
• has some prior knowledge and now wishes to enhance knowledge and skills.

After completing this Excel course, students may opt to continue building their skills via an online platform provided by Fair Chance Learning. After successfully completing the free Fair Chance Learning FC Skills Accelerator program, students will be able to write the Microsoft Office Specialist exam for Excel 2019.

The FC Skills Accelerator consists of 3 phases:
Phase 1: – Introduction to Certifications and Getting Started with Learn Key and GMetrix online course
Phase 2: – Completion of Learn Key Excel 2019 online course followed by access to GMetrix practice exams
Phase 3: – Once the student is able to pass a GMetrix practice exam in Testing mode with a mark of 80% or higher, the student will be booked for their online MOS Excel Exam.
Successful completion of the exam with a mark of 70% or higher will result in a Microsoft Office Specialist Certificate from Microsoft.

Why this Matters

The purpose of SummerUp is to provide Black youth with opportunities for personal, educational, and career advancement. SummerUp challenges students to overcome their self-limitations. Taking courses such as Excel is a wonderful opportunity to excel (pun intended) and to be ready for the current and future career/employment landscape. This is a landscape that demands skills in data management. In this course, students will learn to perform calculations faster, accurately use data, utilize data in various fields (e.g. budgeting and tracking operations), and visualize data. Finally, students who complete this foundational Microsoft Excel course will be well-positioned to thereafter continue building expertise and be better positioned to improve academic performance in high school. In fact, we recommend students subsequently work towards Microsoft Office Specialist (MOS) certification – Earn a Microsoft Office Specialist (MOS) certification

In a study into the importance of Microsoft Excel which was published May 2017, researchers from Appalachian State University in the USA got the following responses from employers: “Being able to create spreadsheets, charts and graphs and analyze data with Excel® are very important skills that students need when they graduate.” Overall 96% strongly agreed or agreed; 77% strongly agreed; 19% agreed, and none disagreed.(Page 57 of the report.)

Upon completing SummerUp’s Microsoft Excel course, students should be able to undertake the following:

Apply Basic Excel Knowledge

• Use the Ribbon and Quick Access Toolbar
• Utilize the basic terminology of Excel spreadsheet
• Enter Date/Time
• Work with different worksheets within a workbook

Construct Data Cells:

• Insert and delete columns and rows
• Utilize Auto Fill and AutoFit
• Rename worksheets/ hiding and unhiding worksheets
• Adding color to the worksheet tabs

Use Formulas:

• Enter basic Excel formulas
• Use AutoSum/Sum functions
• Utilize statistical functions
• Create and edit Formulas
• Handle text function

Create Standard Charts:

• Creating a Basic Chart
• Adding Alternative text to a Chart
• Moving and Resizing a Chart
• Changing Chart types
• Working with Pie Charts
• Modifying the Chart Design and Location

Admissions Information

Who: You are a Black youth, Ontario resident, and you will:

• be enrolled in any of Grades 9, 10, 11, or 12 in September 2022, or
• be enrolled in post-secondary studies in September 2022.

You are serious about learning Microsoft Excel. You have a suitable computer and reliable Internet access. You are willing to commit to attending all scheduled learning sessions (see dates and times below).

Admissions Process: All eligible applicants will be considered for admission. Refer to application deadlines at https://llileaders.com/summerup/ Applicants may be required to attend an orientation session.

Start/Stop Dates: Microsoft Excel (An Introduction) is a four-hour course that will be offered over two sessions(2 hours per session). Four Sections of this course will be offered. Each Section represents the same course but is offered at a different time. When applying, select only one Section of this course.

Section 1 – Meeting Pattern: (Course Full)
Monday, July 11 (5.00 p.m. to 7.00 p.m.)
Tuesday, July 12 (5.00 p.m. to 7.00 p.m.)

Section 2 – Meeting Pattern
Wednesday, July 20 (11.00 a.m. to 1.00 p.m.)
Friday, July 22 (11.00 a.m. to 1.00 p.m.)

Section 3 – Meeting Pattern
Wednesday, July 27 (1.00 p.m. to 3.00 p.m.)
Thursday, July 28 (1.00 p.m. to 3.00 p.m.)

Section 4 – Meeting Pattern
Wednesday, August 10 (1.00 p.m. to 3.00 p.m.)
Thursday, August 11 (1.00 p.m. – 3.00 p.m.)

Mode: Virtual (Zoom).

Equipment & Software: Students must have reliable Internet access as well as a suitable computer with Microsoft Excel installed. For this course, only MS Excel will work. Hence, it’s not appropriate to use Apple’s version of Excel. If required, act to purchase Microsoft 365 online: Compare All Microsoft 365 Plans (Formerly Office 365) – Microsoft Store.

Students who are using equipment borrowed from their school boards must verify that Microsoft Excel is available on the device.

Faculty

Sylvia Orrico B.Ed

Sylvia Orrico brings to the classroom some 37 years of work experience at Centennial College. For the past 15 years, she has taught Business courses. Her expertise is in the Microsoft Office 365 Software package, Excel, Word, PowerPoint Access, and Outlook. She is well-positioned to support and inspire SummerUp students to build a strong foundation in Microsoft Office 365. Her motivation for teaching is derived from her passion for life-long learning and for changing lives for a better tomorrow.

Sylvia’s academic qualifications include a Bachelor of Adult Education from Brock University and studies at Centennial College.

Online Service Provider

Fair Chance Learning: Fair Chance Learning

Special Note:

SummerUp is designed to serve and support the personal, educational, and professional aspirations of Ontario’s Black youth. The program is developed and presented by the Lifelong Leadership Institute (LLI), and it is primarily funded by the Ontario Ministry of Education. The quality of the SummerUp experience is assured by the contributions of a diverse group of individuals, educators, institutions, and corporations – all of which are committed to championing the well-being, development, and advancement of Black youth.

The Lifelong Leadership Institute also offers the Leadership by Design program which provides intensive leadership-development opportunities to Black youth.

The SummerUp 2022 program is primarily funded by the Ontario Ministry of Education.