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From the Director

Imagine having the opportunity to search the world for students of exceptional promise, each of whom has the potential to make a positive difference in the world. Imagine inviting such an extraordinary group of young people to live and learn and grow together for two years. And imagine further that with the encouragement of an exceptional faculty and staff, they come to understand and bring to life what it means to pursue the mission of "making education a force to unite people, nations and cultures for peace and a sustainable future."

At Pearson College, that is exactly what we do. Our students come from every imaginable background and location - from big cities, rural villages, refugee camps, orphanages, public schools, private schools and no school at all. All of them are invited to join the college and attend under a full financial scholarship.

The College’s location on a secluded bay on the southern tip of Vancouver Island was selected by Nobel Peace Prize laureate and former Canadian Prime Minister, Lester B. Pearson, for its natural beauty, remoteness and access to adventure challenges on land and water. In his Nobel acceptance speech, he asked: “How can there be peace without understanding each other, and how can this be if they do not know each other?” At Pearson College we come together to know, to understand and to respect each other – all of us in search of a common humanity.

But we do this in a practical way. We work hard and we have fun doing it. This year we are making a special effort to implement sustainable best practices in all aspects of the college. As one example, on Race Rocks, with the tidal turbine energy project and solar energy panels, this collection of small islands a few minutes by boat from the college is now powered by clean renewable energy. Our hope is that in just a few years our entire campus can be similarly transformed reducing our carbon footprint to near zero. A positive future depends on all of us learning to live sustainably, as well as peacefully.

At Pearson College we are endeavoring to live what we learn, to pursue what we believe and to take personal responsibility and action for creating a better world.