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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A Symbol of Gratitude and Reconciliation
Read MoreVisitors to the Shawnigan campus will be welcomed by a beautiful new totem pole donated by graduating student Hannah F. (Kiiyuukh) and her family, which was unveiled in a moving ceremony on Monday, June 16, which included a traditional blanketing ceremony for Hannah.“This pole stands as a marker, a beacon, and a statement of our school’s commitment to walking alongside Indigenous peoples,” said Indigenous Community Engagement Coordinator Mr. Clay Panga as he opened the ceremony. “It reflects our support for community and reconciliation, not just in words, but in action.”The carving was donated by Hannah and her family as a gift to the School, a symbol of gratitude for the support and love the School gave to her during a time of great loss. It was created through a mentorship program funded by the First Peoples' Cultural Council in which Hannah learned under her cousin Hjalmer Wenstob (Tleḥpik).
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The Versatility of Cedar
Read MoreThe cedar tree holds a significant place in the culture of the Coast Salish First Nations, including the Cowichan and Malahat people whose traditional territories are the location of Shawnigan Lake School. In recent weeks, students in Environmental Science 11 and the First Nations Language and Knowledge Sharing 360 program have been learning first-hand about cedar trees and their meaning to the local First Nations.Environmental Science 11 students learned about the Indigenous practice of harvesting cedar bark (also known as cedar stripping) from Coast Salish artist Beau Wagner. Mr. Wagner, who has been carving for more than 30 years, used trees on the Shawnigan campus to demonstrate how local First Nations use centuries of wisdom to remove strips of bark from cedar trees for use in a range of items, while doing minimal damage to the trees. Culturally modified trees typically go on to live normal lives; the oldest living documented culturally modified tree in British Columbia dates to the 12th century.
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Shawnigan Celebrates Holi
Read MoreShawnigan students enjoyed a joyous and colourful sendoff before Spring Break with a celebration of the Holi festival on Wednesday evening.Celebrated throughout India and around the world by members of the Indian diaspora, Holi has multiple meanings within the Hindu culture, including rejuvenation and the arrival of spring. Part of the celebration includes the tossing of coloured powder, and this was central to the event at Shawnigan on Wednesday, as hundreds of students gathered in the Quad to throw coloured powder at each other, creating a chaotic and exuberant rainbow.That was followed by a delectable Spirit Meal in Marion Hall, as the kitchen team treated students to an Indian feast including butter chicken, palak paneer curry, naan, papadum, rice, onion pakora, lentil daal, roasted cauliflower and green beans, and gujiya for dessert.
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Spanish 12 Fiesta
Read MoreSpanish 12 students capped off a chapter about recipes by preparing several food items from Spain and Latin America in a special event hosted by Señora Andrea Carballo last Friday.After studying several recipes from Spanish-speaking countries, the students chose four to make, then used their lunch break and Spanish class period to travel to Señora Carballo’s home off campus to create the foods.The selections included pupusas, a Salvadoran tortilla filled with beans and cheese (and meat, for the non-vegetarians); guacamole, a popular avocado-based dip that originated in Mexico; and tortillas españolas, a Spanish omelette made with eggs and potatoes. For dessert, the students made plátanos en tentación – plantains caramelized with cinnamon and sugar.
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Día de los Muertos
Read MoreShawnigan celebrated Day of the Dead this week with a moving Chapel service and decorations in the Friesen Centre.Day of the Dead (Día de los Muertos) is celebrated in Mexico and Central America on November 1 and 2, but with students away for November Break starting this Friday, the School marked the special occasion in the Chapel gathering on Wednesday.As Patricio G. explained last week, Day of the Dead is a time to remember family members who have passed on. November 1, el Día de los Santos Inocentes, is a day to remember the souls of children who have passed on. Everyone else is honoured on November 2.
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National Day for Truth and Reconciliation
Read MoreA unique Chapel Gathering last Saturday and a day full of special programming on Monday were how Shawnigan marked the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation.Also known as Orange Shirt Day, the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation honours the children who never returned home from residential schools in Canada, the survivors of the residential school system, and their families and communities. The day takes place every year on September 30, and is recognized as a statutory holiday in BC.Students with Indigenous heritage provided much of the context for the Chapel Gathering, with a land acknowledgement by Tucker J., a Six Nations Mohawk, prayers by Rio T., who is Maori, and a reading from the author Monique Gray Smith about what it means to be a survivor of the Residential School System by Ella-Rae M., who is Métis. Students Hannah F. (traditional name Usmanahiih) from the Tla-o-qui-aht First Nation and Kingston H. (Guudangaay laa) from the Haida Nation spoke about the impact the residential school system had on their families and the value of truth and reconciliation.
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House post donation from Brad Assu ’83
Read MoreMore than 40 years after he graduated from Shawnigan Lake School, Brad Assu ’83 (Lonsdale’s) is preparing to give back to the School in a big way.A member of the We Wai Kai First Nation from Cape Mudge on Quadra Island and an accomplished carver, Brad (traditional name Poo Glee Dee) announced at the Chapel Gathering preceding the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation that he will be gifting a pair of 20-foot-tall house posts to Shawnigan – a phenomenal donation in gratitude for the five years he spent at the School.“At least once a week, I talk to someone about Shawnigan and the profound influence it had over my life,” said Brad, who is first mate on the K’ulut’a that sails between Campbell River and Quadra Island, in addition to being a carver. “Shawnigan has a place in my heart, and I believe it was the foundation for my success.”
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 Pacific Coast. Our diverse, interdisciplinary and innovative programming helps shape the next generation of global leaders.
