“A sense of hope and promise for the future” “Through the Global Leadership Program at Pickering College, and with the support of their teachers and parents, each of them is making a difference—in their neighbourhood and beyond.” –Her Honour, The Honourable Elizabeth Dowdeswell, Lieutenant Governor of Ontario
Pickering College recently received an impressive endorsement of our school and Global Leadership Program. Last spring, we had the privilege of hosting Her Honour, The Honourable Elizabeth Dowdeswell, Lieutenant Governor of Ontario, for the Grade 5 My Key Idea presentations and Key Ceremony. In late December, Her Honour published an article about the time she spent with our students and how they have inspired her with their understanding of their place in the world and how they can make a difference. She wrote: “When I was invited to witness their graduation ceremony, I expected the usual proud parents and teachers, but was unprepared for the students’ eloquence and confidence as they presented original solutions to global problems. Many of the problems they brought up provoke a sense of hopelessness in adults, but these young people, armed with the power of education, viewed them as issues to overcome in order to ensure their future potential.”
This endorsement of our Global Leadership Program is an important one. Her Honour’s career in the public service spans several decades and includes a past role as Executive Director of the United Nations Environment Programme and Under-Secretary-General of the United Nations, headquartered in Nairobi, Kenya. Her Honour recognizes the value of the program our school offers, and that caring about humanity and the planet begins at an early age. It is our focus on taking action that makes the Global Leadership Program, and our students, stand out. Whether it is through day-to-day classroom learning, or culminating projects like My Key Idea (Grade 5), Expression of Self (Grade 8) or the Capstone Project (Grade 11/12), our students experience the process of problem solving, generating a solution and working through implementing that solution. Our students are doing important work at Pickering College. With the guidance and support of our exceptional faculty, our graduates leave inspired to reach their full potential. We are confident our students, like PC graduates before them, will tackle challenges as innovative, courageous and compassionate global citizens who take action, true to Quaker values. To read Her Honour’s article about Pickering College, visit: www.lgontario.ca/en/2019/12/16/pickering-college/
9
