We acknowledge that we live, learn and work on the unceded territory of the SC’IȺNEW̱ Nation. | Happy Holidays from our Pearson family to yours! It has been a great first half of the school year as we continue to build a vibrant and resilient community centered around student growth and learning. Students (and adults!) have represented us on global stages these last few months, from attending COP30 in Brazil to taking part in Banff140 here in Canada, our community continues to embrace the experiential learning and service elements of our program on, and off, campus. Our alumni know full well that students run at top speed for months on end academically, socially and emotionally in order to make use of every moment to make memories that last a lifetime. It's pretty exhausting which is why the winter break is the perfect opportunity for all of us to rest and recover. The holidays also provide many students with an opportunity to reconnect with their family in person, while others who are unable to return to their loved ones foster relationships with host families who provide a home away from home that we are incredibly grateful for. As we prepare to turn the page on another calendar year, we celebrate the successes, learn through the errors, and relish in the knowledge that we are building a better world together, one student at a time. Wishing you and yours a joyful holiday season. Jason McBride, Head of College | CALD Students Lead with Impact at Banff 140 and COP30 Select Climate Action Leadership Diploma (CALD) students proudly represented Pearson at two major global gatherings this year! At Banff 140, Esmée (YR 51/2026, Canada), Shizuki (YR 52/207, Australia/Japan), and Berthinah (YR 52/2027, Madagascar) became an integral part of a landmark national conference in land-based reconciliation. It celebrated 140 years of Banff National Park by exploring the evolution of Canada’s parks, imagining more inclusive, sustainable futures for protected areas through the lens of Et-uaptmunk (Two-Eyed Seeing). The students engaged with dozens of Indigenous youth, Knowledge Holders, community leaders, and industry professionals to explore and reflect, combining Indigenous knowledge systems and Western science. Meanwhile, Guilherme (YR 51/2026, Brazil) & Paola (YR 51/2026, Peru) travelled to COP30 in Brazil, delivering powerful presentations, engaging in dynamic Q&A sessions, and learning directly from global climate leaders. Together, they worked with an international delegation of youth through the Center for Global Education’s #Decarbonize program, connecting students from over 80 countries to develop climate solutions and shape global policy. Both students have written journals to share their personal experiences. Read Guihereme’s journey. Read Guihereme's journey here and Paola's here. | Pearson Students Participate in the 43rd Annual Victoria Santa Claus Parade Over fifty of our students, staff, and faculty marched together, sharing treats, spreading joy, and living our mission of peace for a sustainable future during the 43rd Peninsula Co-op Santa Claus Parade. A huge thank you to everyone who participated, and to the organizers for inviting us to be part of this wonderful community tradition! | Outrigger Club Shines at WetDashe Competition Our Pearson College Outrigger Club hit the Gorge for the annual WetDashe, a fundraiser that directs proceeds to the BC Cancer Foundation. Team Aotea (mixed open) powered through the 12km course with a total time of 1:05:58 and a best lap of 15:50, finishing 1st overall for the entire weekend. Faculty member Garth and his students on Team Takitimu followed close behind with a total time of 1:07:36 and a best lap of 16:13, securing 3rd, and Mātaatua (women’s junior) completed the course in 1:17:55 with a best lap of 18:52, outpacing other junior crews and a mixed masters crew! Congratulations to all for completing! | Winter Concert Wows Community The Metchosin community was treated to Pearson’s biggest Winter Concert yet, put on by Pearson alum and Master of Music student Gabo Ferreras. The afternoon was filled with music, dance, poetry, and even a surprise staff and faculty-led rock band to wow the crowd! | Pearson’s New Board Chair Pearson College UWC is pleased to announce the appointment of Matteo Stefanel (YR 19/1994, Italy) as Chair of its Board of Directors. Stefanel brings a wealth of global leadership experience along with a proven financial track record as the co-founder and CEO of Apis Partners, a private equity investment management firm with a particular focus on impact investing and financial inclusion in global growth markets. | | The alumnus from Italy has generously given back to the College since graduating in 1994, and he returned to campus this past summer for reunions to encourage fellow alumni to support the College and the movement. Stefanel is married (Iliyana) with three children a dog and a cat. Living in London, he lists pretending to run as one of his favourite activities, along with skiing and sailing. Stefanel holds a BA/MA (Hons) in Philosophy, Politics, and Economics from Queens College, Oxford, and is a Fellow of The Aspen Institute’s Finance Leaders Fellowship and a member of the Aspen Global Leadership Network. | 2026 Reunion Registration is LIVE! Get ready to reconnect, reminisce, and recharge with your peers next summer as we welcome our 10 Year cohorts (Years 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44) for August 4th–7th and 40 Year (Years 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13) on August 9th–13th. Be sure to register here! | | Visiting Pearson Has Never Been Easier! Curious about campus life today? Alumna Debra (YR31/2006) recently visited campus with her family during a trip from Singapore, her first visit in over a decade and her first with her children. Despite the rain, they explored the climbing wall, new house logos, the floating building, and the waterfront, even spotting seals! A special highlight was faculty member Laura sharing a sea lion skull. We loved welcoming Debra and her family and were glad she could share her Pearson memories with them. Plan on visiting campus next year? Email alumni@pearsoncollege.ca. We’d love to host you! | | Thank you for Making Giving Tuesday a Success! It’s only been a few days since Giving Tuesday, and our community has already come together to raise $56,000, an incredible show of generosity. And in an inspiring ripple effect, even more donors have stepped up to add additional matching funds. That means your support can still go twice as far and truly change a student’s life. If you’re able, please give before December 31 to have your donation matched. And if not, sharing this post or encouraging friends and peers to get involved makes a real difference, too. Let’s keep this momentum going. | EXPANSION OF THE COLLECTIVE AGREEMENT | Earlier this month, Pearson staff voted to join the faculty in their existing union. Discussions will take place in early 2026 and are not expected to impact programming or operations as we keep the student experience centred throughout the process. Updates will be shared as we move ahead. | January 2026 11th- Students return to campus
21st- Sustainability Special Topics Day
23rd-25th- Pearson Model United Nations at Vancouver Model United Nations
29th- North American Computational Linguistics Open competition & Global Affairs | | | | |
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