So What's Up with the New Name?

We're so glad you asked!

Most of you will know us by our previous program name, The Successful Academic and Vocational Transition Initiative (SAVTI). While saying SAVTI was short and sweet, the acronym in itself held no meaning and gave no clue as to what our counselling program is about. Without meaning, we found that it was hard for patients, clients, community members and POGO partners to remember and recognize it. We think you’ll all agree that SAVTI spelled out in its long form—Successful Academic and Vocational Transition Initiative—was quite a mouthful and also difficult to remember. There was also the small detail that the word “initiative” was in the title. As a successful POGO program that began in 2002, we are far past the initiative stage and well into program delivery and enhancement.

We did not approach a program name change lightly. We wanted our new name to be meaningful to our clients, colleagues, POGO supporters and the community at large. Thus, we included health care professionals and survivors in the process of developing a new name. Our name change committee, made up of 10 survivors, provided feedback and guidance as we molded our new name. With the help of these survivors and our POGO communications team, we landed on The POGO School and Work Transitions Program. This change took effect January 1, 2020.

You will start hearing us counsellors being referred to as POGO Counsellors, and you may see our new name in short form, The POGO Transitions Program.

We are excited about the update to our name. We hope that using simple and direct language helps everyone to immediately have an understanding of what we do. We also hope it is easier to say and remember.

The POGO School and Work Transitions Program will continue to provide guidance, advocacy and empowerment for brain tumour and childhood cancer survivors—as it has done since it first started as SAVTI in 2002. When you’re making the important, and sometimes difficult, transition from high school to post-secondary education or work, we will continue to be your cheerleaders!