Belonging
Many Cultures, One Community
Shawnigan Lake School is committed—in its pursuit of Project Future (academic excellence, co-curricular distinction, student life unparalleled)—to equality of opportunity and to a proactive and inclusive approach to equality, which supports and encourages all under-represented groups, promotes an inclusive culture, and values diversity.
Shawnigan is a school with students of varied backgrounds. This deliberate diversity of languages, customs, and cultures brings opportunities to:
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- open lines of communication
- break down barriers and prejudices
- learn from and better understand one another
- create a welcoming home for our diverse student and staff community
List of 4 items.
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Diversity and Inclusion Committee (BE A JEDI)
Our commitment at Shawnigan is to develop and embed cultural competency, equity and social justice with a long-term strategic approach. The Diversity Inclusion Belonging Steering Group was established in September 2020 and led to the formation of BE A JEDI – a committee that brings together representatives from the Board of Governors, Senior Leadership Team, staff, students, and alumni.
Statement on JEDI 2024
BE A JEDI CHAIR 2024BE A JEDIAt Shawnigan Lake School we value Belonging, Equity, Acceptance, and Justice – Embracing Diversity and Intersectionality. We are committed to championing and acting upon these values in a way that calls upon everyone to BE A JEDI.
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Our Diversity Inclusion Philosophy
Student Subcommittee Mission
The BE A JEDI Student Subcommittee strives to build upon our community’s foundation of connectedness to ensure belonging for all students. We seek to educate our student body on social issues and to spark conversations; to hold ourselves and others accountable for each other's words and actions; to build a student body that respects and draws strength from our diverse backgrounds and experiences; to promote student initiatives and elevate minority voices; to ensure everyone feels comfortable sharing their whole selves; and to empower student JEDIs to advocate for change and lead by example.Staff Subcommittee Mission
The BE A JEDI Staff Subcommittee strives to build upon our community's foundation of connectedness to ensure belonging for all staff: Education, Operations, and Administration. We seek to create an environment that meets the unique needs of each individual; to ensure our practices reflect diverse perspectives; to educate and enhance diversity training and education for all members of staff; and to create a culture that truly values and celebrates our differences.Alumni Subcommittee MissionThe BE A JEDI Alumni Subcommittee strives to build upon our community's foundation of connectedness to ensure belonging for both alumni past and those yet to come. We seek to create opportunities for alumni to tell their stories; to facilitate reconciliation for those alumni who seek it; to educate the alumni community of the School's progress; and above all make our community one to which alumni either remain connected or feel drawn to reconnect with.
View the BE A JEDI committee organizational chart. -
Our Diverse Curriculum
Shawnigan Lake School embraces diversity, inclusion and belonging and endeavours to guide students to explore diverse texts by a variety of authors in order to better understand themselves and to develop empathy for others through the exploration of culture, history and identity. Students are encouraged to be critical thinkers and engaged citizens who explore a variety of worldviews and perspectives and who understand their responsibilities in relation to Reconciliation, privilege and inclusion. -
The International Student Experience
For all international students, our innovative academic curriculum is designed to build confidence in self, language, character and personality. Opportunities exist in classes, 360, athletics and the House for students to share their own cultural experiences in order to help all students develop a respect for individuals from diverse backgrounds. Shawnigan is a better place thanks to the international diversity of our students and the experiences they share.To support students from all over the world, Shawnigan offers enriching English language opportunities through our English Language Centre (ELC) and English Grammar and Composition (EGC) courses. In addition to individualized academic language acquisition, students receive personalized student success through Canadian cultural experiences in a warm, supportive, diverse environment. Through a combination of classes, social activities, and cultural sharing, these programs help students learn, live, and thrive in English, preparing them for a wealth of post-secondary possibilities.Visit English Language Centre page.
Diversity News
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Artist in Residence – Melvin Gómez
Read MoreWhen he arrived at Shawnigan to begin a month as Artist in Residence, Mr. Melvin Gómez was excited for the opportunity to produce work based on some of his own ideas. The scenery of the School grounds and the surrounding area proved too inspiring, however, and he ended up putting to canvas depictions of the lush and rugged Vancouver Island landscape, a perfect fit for his unique painting style.A former student of Shawnigan Head of School Mr. Larry Lamont at UWC Red Cross Nordic in Norway, Mr. Gómez grew up in the violent environment of post-civil war El Salvador. In 2009, Mr. Gómez was paralyzed and three of his friends were killed when gang members opened fire on them. He found hope and motivation in art, and was able to study at UWC Red Cross Nordic from 2014 to 2017, and later at Ringling College of Art and Design in Florida. He is also the founder of Pinceladas de Esperanza (Brushstrokes of Hope), an art school for children in El Salvador.According to Mr. Gómez’s website, the overall theme of his work is the human condition, representing the range of human emotions and desires by drawing from his own experiences and events.
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Model UN Global Goals
Read MoreMarking United Nations Day and the official creation of the United Nations on October 24, 1945, Shawnigan Lake School hosted the annual Model UN Global Goals Conference on Tuesday. We welcomed 224 students from 10 other schools, who joined 116 from Shawnigan for a day of conversation about how to accelerate progress toward the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals.“The need for international solidarity, global dialogue, multilateral cooperation and collective action is more conspicuous than ever, with great disruption in the world and more conflict than we have witnessed previously over the past 75 years,” Head of School Mr. Larry Lamont wrote in his welcome to the students. “The war between Ukraine and Russia rumbles on, and in the past month, we have watched in horror the devastation that has been unfolding in Israel and Gaza with hundreds of lives lost and thousands more who are suffering, displaced and frightened.”
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Reflections on Truth and Reconciliation
Read MoreA heartfelt reflection from a current student and a beautiful musical performance by an alumna helped Shawnigan mark the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation on Saturday, September 30.In Chapel, Grade 11 student Hannah F. (traditional name Usmanahiih) spoke about the impact the Canadian residential school system had on her own family.“I stand here proud to be Indigenous and proud to be Tla-o-qui-aht, and proud that my roots extend to Ditidaht, Tseshaht and Cowichan,” Hannah said. “If it was not for my grandparents —Nona and Jack Thompson, and Nellie Joseph and Shorty Frank — surviving residential school, I wouldn’t be here today. I am here because they survived, and our people continue to thrive. We want to thank Shawnigan for allowing us time to give students voice to Reconciliation Day. I want to thank each of you for taking a moment just to hear one story.”
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Storytelling and Self-Love with Kung Jaadee
Read MoreEveryone has tens of thousands of ancestors, Kung Jaadee told students from several classes during a presentation in Mitchell Hall on Thursday afternoon, who walk with us every day. Those ancestors love you, no matter what. They lived through times of war, disease, and other turmoil, she added, but they also lived with a lot of love, and you are the evidence.A professional storyteller, educator and published author, Kung Jaadee belongs to the X̱aayda (Haida), xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam) and Sḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish) First Nations. She is the author of children’s books and curriculum textbooks, and recently worked as the Vancouver Public Library's Indigenous Storyteller in Residence.Kung Jaadee shared with the students the history of her Haida name — it means “Moon Woman,” and was presented to her at her great uncle’s memorial feast by her cousin, Crystal Robinson — and told the story of her clan, the Raven clan, and how it miraculously survived the 1862 smallpox epidemic that devastated the Haida.
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Blending Woodwork with Cultural Awareness
Read MoreGrade 8 woodwork students worked jointly on their skills in the shop and on cultural awareness as they spent recent weeks creating and exploring how to use the cajón, a traditional instrument used by enslaved people of African descent in Peru.Named for the Spanish word for “box,” the cajón was used to replace the African drums used by enslaved people, which had been banned by their masters. Without anything else on which to play music, they simply used what was on hand, and the items they used evolved into unique instruments.
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Holocaust Remembrance Day
Read MoreHolocaust survivor Alex Buckman returned to speak in Chapel last Saturday as Shawnigan observed International Holocaust Remembrance Day.Marked every year since 2007 on January 27, International Holocaust Remembrance Day memorializes the killing of six million Jews — two thirds of Europe’s Jewish population — and millions of others, by the Nazi regime and its collaborators. It offers a chance to reflect on the lessons of the past and understand that genocide does not happen on its own and begins with the seeds of discrimination, racism and hatred.Mr. Buckman survived the Holocaust as a child in Belgium, spending the war in an orphanage and only learning after it was over that his parents were betrayed to the Gestapo and murdered at the Auschwitz concentration camp.
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Model UN Global Goals Conference
Read MoreOn Thursday, October 20, Shawnigan hosted the Model UN Global Goals Conference, providing 140 students from our School and 160 students from eight other schools across Vancouver Island with the opportunity to engage in conversation on how to accelerate progress toward the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals, to raise awareness, and to drive action and change.All Grade 10 students at Shawnigan participate in the Global Goals Conference as part of the social studies curriculum, and the Secretariat is made up of senior students in our Model UN program. Sissi L. served as Secretary General, Jenny Y. was Director General, and the rest of the Secretariat included Zavosh K., Izzy M., Grace Z., Jack S., and Zach P.
Clubs, Awards & Scholarships
Our Diverse Student Population
30 Countries
represented
- 55% British Columbian
- 25% International
- 5% USA
- 15% Other Canadian Provinces
Diversity Events & Celebrations
Pride Day
Black History Month
Holi Festival
Lunar New Year
Student Stories
Hannah S.
“One of the greatest things about coming to Shawnigan was that I made my first black friends. I was very excited because I found I immediately had a special connection with them, because we shared some similar experiences in our lives..." Read More
Jenny Z.
“Coming from a different country, not knowing anyone, not really knowing the language, and not knowing anything about the Canadian culture, meant that Prep House was the perfect place to begin my journey. From the start, it felt like a family.” Read More
Tenzin L.
“Here at Shawnigan, the teachers are so good. In Nepal, my school was always based on memorizing the content, but here we are really exploring the content. I really like it. I also feel empowered as a girl here at Shawnigan.” Read MoreQuote from the Head of School
“Diversity, inclusion and belonging are things that the Chair of our Board of Governors Jacqueline Flett and I care deeply about, both professionally and personally. We will ensure they are built into Shawnigan’s future, from our everyday interactions to our strategic planning. We want Shawnigan to develop a reputation for being a welcoming and supportive school for students and staff of all backgrounds and to be a respected leader in developing diversity and fostering inclusion and a sense of belonging.
Our students currently on campus are best positioned to tell us what they believe we can do better as a school in developing a sense of belonging for each individual. Their voice and initiatives are vital in our progress as a school. We will continue to work hard to develop belonging on campus, to listen to our students, to encourage their initiatives and to take pride in the rich tapestry of our community.”
--Head of School Richard 'Larry' Lamont
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 13 –18 on Canada’s beautiful West Coast. Our diverse, interdisciplinary and innovative programming helps shape the next generation of global leaders.
