Pearson College UWC
Pearson College UWC
The full name of the college is Pearson United World College of the Pacific. It means that it’s a part of the United World Colleges, which have eighteen campuses, including those in Venezuela, Hong Kong, the Netherlands, Germany, and Japan. The college in Canada is named after the Canadian Prime Minister who won the Nobel Peace Prize back in 1957. The educational institution was established in 1974 in its current form, and today its annual enrolment is over two hundred students, including the international ones who came from over ninety-four different countries.
The Pearson College UWC is located near the city of Victoria on Vancouver Island, particularly on the shores of Pedder Bay and near the Race Rocks Ecological Reserve.
Programs
This educational institution was one of the first to offer the program of the International Baccalaureate in North America. It provides students with the opportunity to take the all-encompassing IB Diploma Program, the IB Career-Related Program, including IB Marine Science, and the Climate Action Leadership Diploma.
Because of the unique characteristics of the location, Pearson College UWC has created a comprehensive Climate Action Leadership course for the IB Career-Related Program. It lasts for two years and is available for the students from the age of sixteen to nineteen who wish to learn about the environmental problems and build a solid foundation of knowledge in the core IB subjects.
The Pearson College UWC's location on the shores of the Salish Sea, surrounded by forests and indigenous population residence, became a significant advantage for this program. International students learn not only about the effects of environmental changes on local communities but also about potential methods and tools for reducing wildfire risks, hazardous emissions, and simply alleviating the problems of climate change. Among the subjects students learn during the two-year course are Resilient Leadership as Practice; Climate Science and Impacts; Indigenous Perspectives on the Environment; and Leading Climate Action. By the way, the Pearson College UWC offers students a one-of-a-kind opportunity to specialize in an area of interest by completing one of the micro-credentials alongside the university and leading climate action courses. It can be natural building, arboriculture, seed-saving, or even practical futurism and block chaining.
Students truly immerse themselves in ecology and environmental subjects through the Pearson College UWC's holistic curriculum and natural surroundings, and the majority of them continue their studies at the university level. The Pearson College UWC only supports students in the process of getting into the university, as the twelve credits earned at the college can be transferred to a university of their choice or one of the university partners of the Pearson College UWC. They are the Royal Roads University and the Vancouver Island University.
For example, after completing the IB Career-related Program in Climate Action Leadership, international students can pursue a Bachelor of Natural Resource Protection at the Vancouver Island University in Nanaimo. The programs will advance students’ knowledge of the protection of natural resources even further during the small-size classes conducted by experienced instructors.
Actually, this program is unique in the province of British Columbia because students will not only gain a thorough understanding of ecological processes, but will also learn about natural resource management and law enforcement in the context of environmental issues. A fall term of the four year of studies at the Vancouver Island University is dedicated to the practicum, where students will be able to apply all their skills gained in practice. So during this program, the following disciplines are studied: Environmental Monitoring, Forensic Anthropology, Natural Resource Forensic Investigations; Fisheries Conservation and Management; Wildlife Management; Resource Management and Aboriginal Right; and a number of others.
After their graduation from the Vancouver Island University, students will be able to work as conservation and fishery officers, national park wardens, and environmental inspectors. International students are to pay around CAD 22,900 for an academic year, including tuition, ancillary, and health plan fees.
On the whole, the International Baccalaureate Career-related program at the Pearson College UWC is designed for students who have already decided what career path they would like to pursue in the future. At the end of their studies at the Pearson College UWC, students take a written exam.
The International Baccalaureate Diploma Program is for those students who wish to enhance their academic knowledge and skills in a broader range of disciplines. The Pearson College UWC curriculum consists of six subject groups and the diploma program's core subjects. The core courses are the following: Theory of Knowledge; the Extended Essay; and the Creativity, Activity, and Service. The subject groups include the following: Studies in Language and Literature; Language Acquisition; Individuals and Society; Sciences; Math; and the Arts. Essentially, international students at Pearson College UWC select courses on a higher or standard level from the subject groups mentioned above, depending on the depth of their immersion in the subject. Every student is obliged to take a minimum of three and a maximum of four subjects on the higher level, while the rest can be studied on the standard level only.
As for the extracurricular activities of students, the Pearson College UWC features a swimming pool, a library where students can prepare for classes, and fitness facilities for students to keep fit. Moreover, there are extracurricular classes for kayaking, canoeing, scuba diving and sailing on boats. The location of the Pearson College UWC makes it a perfect place for the past-time connected with marine activities and research of the local natural resources.
One of the most notable aspects of studying at Pearson College UWC is that all students are required to complete an individual non-academic project for one week per semester. Some of them build houses for homeless people, some are engaged in volunteer activities, and some hold workshops and open lectures on racial discrimination and other topical problems. On the whole, it aims at students’ development outside of a classroom and facilitates their engagement with societal issues. All of these projects need to be conducted off the campus of the Pearson College UWC and no more than CAD 400 is to be spent on them. By the end of the project- week, many international students had discovered their true passion in life and had extended their horizons beyond the classroom activities.
International students can participate in an eight-hour summer service program between the first and second academic years. It aims to provide students with the opportunity to apply the skills they learned at Pearson College UWC in their home communities and effect positive change.
As for the fee of studying at the Pearson College UWC, international students are to pay around CAD 69,900 per academic year. This amount encompasses boarding, tuition, and the projects on a project week. Additional fees for foreign citizens include a study permit (CAD 150), personal expenses (CAD 500), and medical insurance (CAD 200).
Accommodation at the Pearson College UWC
The Pearson College UWC has five buildings dedicated to students’ residence. International and local students can choose to live either in so-called "connected apartments" or in rooms for four people. Separate floors are built for the students of one gender, but common rooms for lounging and studying are shared among all the residents of the buildings.
There are special village gatherings for all Pearson College UWC students, where more than 250 residents gather to discuss problems and issues they face while living together. These events are conducted by the Pearson College UWC to help students resolve problems collaboratively and practice public speaking and active listening skills. Moreover, such gatherings are held if the Pearson College UWC administration is planning to introduce some changes in students’ residence or academic arrangements, but before doing so, they wish to listen to the opinions of the students and finally decide whether the changes will be made or not.
As the representatives of so many cultures study and live at the Pearson College UWC, various celebrations are conducted. They take the form of regional days, special topic days, and the so-called "one world" day. The last one is a theatrical performance during which students demonstrate their talents in dancing, singing, and acting through the prism of their national culture. On the regional days, students cook food and hold workshops that aim to enlighten their college peers about the culture of their native country.
Future Prospects
Finishing the Pearson College UWC marks a new stage in the life of every international student. After their graduation, foreign citizens can first go to a university and then apply for a post-graduation work permit and become Canadian citizens in the long run.
They're free to continue their education and research in the field they’re most interested. A lot of graduates got into the Harvard University, The University of Oxford, and the University of Toronto after finishing the Pearson College UWC. Many students are awarded scholarships to continue their education at a higher level as a result of their knowledge gained at Pearson College UWC.
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