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Bruce-Lockhart Fellowship Update
Now in its second year, the Bruce-Lockhart Fellowship for Academic Excellence has provided a series of opportunities for our students and the School community to broaden their horizons into aspects of academics that may have previously received less attention.
The Bruce-Lockhart Fellowship was created to bring in an outstanding local, national or international educator to Shawnigan for one year, with the mission of inspiring the community, providing fresh perspectives on education, encouraging innovative and interdisciplinary approaches, exposing students to high-level academic pursuits, and uniquely contributing to their experience of The Shawnigan Journey.
The Fellowship was launched in 2021-22 as part of Project Future, and named for Mr. Simon Bruce-Lockhart, who served Shawnigan as headmaster from 1990 to 2000, and his wife Joanne, who taught at the School from 1990 to 2007. The first recipient of the Fellowship was Ms. Lisa Jokivirta, a social justice educator and English teacher whose work contributed to Shawnigan’s relationship with and understanding of our Indigenous neighbours.
The current Bruce-Lockhart Fellow is Ms. Andrea Robertson, a social sciences teacher who previously taught economics, global politics, social studies, language and literature at Glenlyon Norfolk School in Victoria. It was the Bruce-Lockharts who brought Ms. Robertson onboard at Glenlyon Norfolk, giving her a unique personal connection to the Fellowship.
In addition to teaching four classes, Ms. Robertson works with Shawnigan’s social studies department, addressing topics like how to continue to develop good historical practices while being both respectful of history and reflective of current values.
The Bruce-Lockhart Fellow is also given time and resources to work on a passion project, and Ms. Robertson’s project revolves around economics education. Because economics is often a relatively new and underdeveloped program at the high school level, instructors tend to work in isolation, and professional development is limited. With the aim of changing that, Ms. Robertson arranged a gathering at Shawnigan in February of economics and business educators from our fellow Independent Schools Association of BC institutions on southern Vancouver Island. The teachers spent the day “nerding out,” discussing their respective courses, covering program ideas, and sharing ideas around experiential learning with a local focus.
The educators observed that it is difficult to understand economic principles until they are experienced first-hand, and that simulations are a critical aspect of the learning process. Because it is difficult to stage proper simulations in the limited time available to teachers during classes, they decided to organize a day in September 2023 to bring their classes together to participate in a number of foundational simulations.
“I cannot express enough the gratitude I have in being able to use the time afforded me by the Fellowship to organize, run, and act upon the outcomes of this event,” Ms. Robertson said. “It has allowed me the space and permission to develop my own professional passion in a way that is meaningful, self-directed and fulfilling. Furthermore, on a purely personal level, getting the opportunity to work with colleagues from my former school who now run the program I developed on my own was an absolute bucket filler. I cannot wait to do so again.”
Ms. Robertson plans to stay at Shawnigan after the one-year Fellowship expires, leading the economics program and seeing her work through to the next steps.
“Representing Shawnigan and Simon and Joanne as this year's Fellow has been an absolute pleasure thus far,” she said. “I look forward to future conversations around this role as we move into its final term.”
Mr. George Nicholson has been announced as the next Bruce-Lockhart Fellow for Academic Excellence, beginning in September 2023. Mr. Nicholson completed his Bachelor of Music and Education degrees at the University of Toronto and has gone on to develop a distinguished career as a music educator in schools in Lebanon, New York City, and most recently, Tokyo. He has held leadership roles as the Head of Music at the United Nations International School in New York and Head of Fine Arts at the International School of the Sacred Heart in Tokyo.
We acknowledge with respect the Coast Salish Peoples on whose traditional lands and waterways we live, learn and play. We are grateful for the opportunity to share in this beautiful region, and we aspire to healthy and respectful relationships with those who have lived on and cared for these lands for millennia.
Shawnigan Lake School is an independent co-educational boarding school for ages 12 –18 on Canada’s beautiful Pacific Coast. Our diverse, interdisciplinary and innovative programming helps shape the next generation of global leaders.
