Celebrating Success In February!

We acknowledge that we live, learn and work on the unceded territory of the Sc'ianew (Beecher Bay) First Nation.

eNEWS 2025 | February

Engaging with Tough Topics:

Living our Mission, Ripple and More

With Pearson continuing to be a deliberately diverse group of young people from around the world, while proximity to those who have different perspectives can create the space for learning with, and about, one another, we know that we cannot rely on proximity alone to facilitate all the learning that is needed to move the needle forward on peace. Throughout last year, students in the CALD program were disproportionately involved in leading workshops, Village Gathering topics and discussion circles about difficult topics in no small part because of the direct and explicit focus they have on learning facilitation skills as part of their program. We continue to be proud of this aspect of the CALD program, however, we felt the need to create a program that all Pearson students would participate in to learn these and others important mission-centric skills and thus Ripple was born.

Built to ensure that every student here has the skills to engage with the tough topics that shape our world as they arise, our series of seven, 90-minute workshops this year has covered content designed to build a more anti-polarized campus and world. Topics such as perspectivism, intra- and inter-personal differences, and using curiosity to combat judgement have led to discussions about open-ended - and potentially divisive - scenarios that fall somewhat subjectively along our "Ok, Uncomfortable, Hurt, Harm" continuum. The workshops are a first run at building an anti-polarization curriculum ahead of our hope that students in their second year can begin leading workshops for others not only on campus, but off campus and virtually to widen Pearson's impact beyond the shores of Pedder Bay. As we work towards that goal, however, the impact on campus can already be seen and felt.

Over the past several weeks, student-led (and often adult-supported) sessions on the ongoing conflicts in Gaza and the Ukraine, as well as recent events in Syria (see video below) have been taking place. Students have not only been thoughtful and inclusive in their planning and facilitation of discussions and presentations, but attendees have also demonstrated the skills to express their opinions in a way that helps build bridges to understanding through dialogue, rather than just seeking to convince others that their perspective is right. It's been remarkably pride-inducing to watch our students live in a way that sparks hope amidst the headlines of chaos and conflict, in alignment with our Mission and Values.

While much of what happens on our campus remains unknown to those who do not have the privilege of being here on a daily basis, two students from Syria – Tala (YR 50/2025, Syria) and Shams (YR 51, 2026, Syria) – agreed to share their recent and powerful presentation on the recent revolution that changed the future of their country for others to see. This "hard conversation" is one that they admit they could not have had publicly six months ago about their homeland, but the pair delivered a great talk to our community as part of the Global Affairs program that helps others understand this complex time in their country a bit better. They agreed to share it here so that our wider community could get a glimpse of the brave conversations that are happening at Pearson now and into the future.

Yours in peace,

Jason McBride

Pearson Students Represent at VMUN

Five of our students, Sophie, Lara, Ellery, Thomas and Yaroslav, accompanied by their teacher Christina Cuk, travelled to Vancouver to participate in one of North America’s largest Model United Nations conferences, VMUN. Each student assumed the role of a delegate from a different country and solved real-world issues using the policies and perspectives of their assigned country. We were thrilled to have seen them attend, and look forward to the next conference.

Meet some of our Year 50 students!

Hear from Alessandra (Year 50/2025, Australia) and Kuir (YR 50/2025, South Sudan), an eager pair of Pearson College UWC students who plan to carry on the mission to Unite, Inspire, and Act long after they graduate this Spring. Watch the video above and visit our 50th-anniversary website to see the full interview with each student.

Celebrating Latin-Carib Culture!

Latin-Carib Cultural Sharing Day was a vibrant celebration filled with unique activities featuring a delightful food fair, a lively Zumba class, and an energetic evening show highlighting music and dance performances, as shown above. It was a day full of fun, connection, and cultural appreciation. Watch the full show recap of the evening show here and check out the photo gallery here.

ALUMNI NEWS

Reflections on the Water

Find out how Francisco Viddi (YR 19/1994, Chile) returned to Chile, with the values impressed upon him during his time at Pearson and what he has been up to recently. Read more

Can You Do It Better Than This?

Francisco isn’t just living the Pearson values. The Chilean alum is staying connected to his Pearson family too. He along with Analia Valdes (YR 20/1995, Chile), and Sebastian Bragagnolo (YR 19/1994, Argentina) hosted a Pearson reunion in Chile recently and to call it a success is an understatement! View the gallery here.

Around 30 people (Years 10, 20, and 21) from four continents descended on Coñaripe and the shores of Lake Calafquén in the shadow of the Villarrica Volcano. A truly magnificent spot where alumni and their families could kayak, paddle board, swim, hike to the volcano, glaciers, old growth forests, and hot springs. The food was delicious, the parties were plentiful, and the group is already planning the next mini reunion in either Greece, South Africa or Sweden, in 2027!

Help Make our Summer Unforgettable!

Join us this summer to support alumni reunions! We’re looking for enthusiastic volunteers to help the College create unforgettable experiences for all. Email alumni@pearsoncollege.ca to learn more.⁠

Register Now for your Reunion!

If you are between Years 1-5, 19-24 and 28-33, don't forget to sign up for your reunion taking place this summer! Register here.

Young Alum Recognized with Scholarship

Daniela Martinez Miguez (YR 48/2023, Venezuela) was one of five outstanding University of Oklahoma sophomores named recipients of the prestigious 2024 Rita H. Lottinville Prize! She received her award and was honoured during a December luncheon hosted by the OU Foundation. Congratulations Daniela!

LATEST NEWS

A Message from the Head of College

We are pleased to announce that after many months of working with our faculty and their union representative, an agreement has been reached on a new 3-year agreement.

It has taken countless hours to reach this point - with much hard work on both sides - and so I would like to personally thank the faculty (especially the four members of the bargaining committee), the leadership team and members of the Board for the energy, effort and time that it took to finalize this first agreement.

We look forward to moving ahead, together, as we transition out of our first 50 years and into the next 50.

Jason McBride

A Heartfelt Thanks to our Donors

Hear from our Head of College, Jason McBride, as we share our gratitude to all who made a significant contribution that allowed us to unlock an additional Dare to Dream scholarship opportunity in full, creating two new scholarships for students who will now have access to the life-changing education and experience that we offer. Click the video above to watch.

Distinguished Guests Visit Pearson

We were honoured to welcome Chief Justice Leonard Marchand and Justice Peter Willcock (YR 1/1976, Canada-MB) along with Dolfi Havlovic (YR 1/1976, Canada-NS) to our campus, where our students had an incredible opportunity to learn from their insights, participate in a lively Q&A, and showcase our campus.

Check out our footprint!

Johnny Mills (YR 42/2017, Canada-ON), the school’s Sustainability Coordinator, has been working to quantify Pearson's greenhouse gas emissions with help from the Climate Smart team at BMO. The chart below breaks down the total emissions of roughly 2,100 tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalents into the different categories of college operations.

Knowing where emissions come from is the essential first step to cutting them. Stay tuned for more details about how we are taking action on this core piece of the UWC mission!

Last Chance to Secure Your Spot for GVU!

Be sure to sign up for one of our two Global Village Updates, which will take place on Wednesday, February 26th, at 10 a.m. or 4 p.m. PST.

Register for 10 am HERE

Register for 4 pm HERE

Meet Us In London!

A special event at Canada House in London will take place April 9th, in celebration of our 50th Anniversary, featuring The Honourable Ralph Goodale, High Commissioner for Canada, who will give a keynote address, followed by a panel discussion featuring Pearson College alumni and moderated by our Head of College, Jason McBride.

For those in the area, register HERE.

UPCOMING EVENTS