Shawnigan Lake School's mission and values are inseparable because we are, first and foremost, a co-educational boarding school, a welcoming community whose aim is to prepare our young men and women equally for independent and inspiring futures through the means of a well-balanced, holistic education.
Five hundred students, representing over thirty nations, come together each year to live and study in this unparalleled setting on the edge of Shawnigan Lake, Vancouver Island. We encourage all students to understand and commit to the people, the place, and the heritage of Canada, British Columbia, and Shawnigan. At the same time, we challenge ourselves each year to be relevant, purposeful, and service in a changing and increasingly global world.
The conversations, connections, sense of community, and friendships forged through these shared experiences are, I believe, part of the magic of our School. On this website, we will try to give you a sense of who we are and what we do – and we hope that your exploration of these pages will lead you to visit us in real-time and to meet the people who together create this unique and remarkable community at Shawnigan.
With 90 percent of our students and more than 60 staff residing full-time on our beautiful campus, Shawnigan provides countless opportunities for young people to realize their full potential. Our world-class teachers will inspire you to find and develop your intellectual passions. Our coaches will push you to discover your physical potential. Our fine arts instructors will unleash your inherent creativity. Students at Shawnigan grow as citizens, learn the joy of serving others, and develop strength and breadth of character.
Shawnigan Lake School was founded in 1916 by Christopher Windley Lonsdale in a then-secluded west coast rainforest on Vancouver Island. Modeled after Westminster School (the Founder's alma mater), Shawnigan's inaugural class consisted of six students. It would rapidly expand in its early years. By the end of its first decade, it boasted nearly one hundred boarders, a well-equipped gymnasium, and a growing reputation of academic excellence.
In 1926, most original buildings were destroyed by a fire, only to be rebuilt within months. As the years passed, Shawnigan withstood two world wars, economic crises, and changing education approaches to forge a place as one of the country's leading boarding schools. Shawnigan made a move to co-education in 1988 and now boasts nearly 500 students. Nine residences now dot the School's campus, re-invented Learning Commons, an ice rink, and an observatory.
At Shawnigan, bringing the most promising, well-rounded students to campus for a co-educational experience that forges them intellectually, socially, and personally — no matter their background — is the core of our mission. Our need-based financial aid program ensures that Shawnigan remains within reach for every extraordinary student, and as such, is an expression of our community's most enduring values.
Shawnigan Lake School provides a learning community that fosters personal excellence for every student. In a School dedicated to a rigorous academic program, we blend the best from traditional education with the new skills of 21st-century learning. With our Learning Center specialists, Advisor program, and low teacher-to-student ratio, we ensure that every student is challenged and supported. The Shawnigan classroom is a respectful place where students develop confidence by engaging, creating, and taking intellectual risks.
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