Experiential, meaningful New partnership with Queen’s University to transform how children are educated In the spring, Pickering College announced an innovative partnership with Queen’s University to offer a new postgraduate certificate for educators. The mission of the PostGraduate Certificate in Experiential Education and Global Leadership is to empower teachers to extend their teaching practices outside of the classroom into real-world contexts, so every student’s learning experience is holistic, purposedriven, and ignites wonder, passion and curiosity. The goal is for every student to have the ability and responsibility to make the world greater, better and more beautiful than they found it, just as Pickering College students have aspired to for generations. “Schools are really looking for teachers who have the whole package,” says Julia Hunt, Assistant Head of School, Strategic Initiatives. “It’s one thing to be a qualified English or science teacher, but really, what makes an amazing educator is someone that also knows how to develop a program that is comprehensive in experiential education. By going above and beyond their subject specializations, we think this certificate will help teachers to develop as practitioners and make them highly employable.” The certificate was inspired by the thought leadership of two giants of progressive education—Duncan McArthur, a distinguished Queen’s University graduate and visionary leader, and Joseph McCulley, a pioneer of the project-
oriented approach to education who served as Headmaster at Pickering College from 1927 to 1948. McCulley believed education’s primary goal was to prepare students to contribute to society, with an emphasis on the balance between individual and social needs. Inspired by John Dewey’s philosophy, McCulley was well ahead of his time in recognizing the world’s interdependence and the impact of this group outlook. “At Pickering College, one of our fundamental principles, which goes back to Joseph McCulley, is that kids have to learn by experiencing—that is why we are so excited about this partnership with Queen’s University because they believe that too,” says Hunt. “When students are learning in the field, whether it is through outdoor education, community service, volunteering or building and testing something, experiences like this make learning real. It gives students a sense of purpose, makes them feel good about what they’re doing, and makes them feel useful—because when they feel like there is a purpose, they engage a lot further.” To earn the post-graduate certificate, teachers will need to complete five Additional Qualifications (AQ) courses (two mandatory and three electives from a set of five choices). When the teacher completes the required courses, they will receive advanced standing that counts towards 20 per cent completion of the professional master’s degree program
For more information about the Post-Graduate Certificate in Experiential Education and Global Leadership, visit 22
